The Benefits of Adding a Window Valance
Everybody wants many windows in their home. They are often a selling point, but few people stop to think about what will be involved in covering those windows. Window treatments are an essential part of home decorating because they give us privacy and help to protect the things inside of our home from harsh sunlight. One type of window treatment is a window valance. There are several reasons why window valances are a good choice when picking out your window decorations.
First, window valances hide curtain rods and other curtain hanging hardware from view. A normal curtain rod is a straight piece that hangs from two wall attachments at either end. Valances are hung are a slightly different kind of rod because the rod makes a ninety degree turn at each end and goes all the way back to the wall. The valance fabric continues along the entire rod so that any other curtain rods or blind hardware behind, is completely hidden from view. No matter how nice your blinds or curtains look, metal hardware is distracting and will take away from the beauty of your windows. Valances help to eliminate this problem.
Second, valances can help tie two or more rooms together. Interior decorators are always looking for ways to tie adjacent rooms together so that the eye flows easily from one room to the next and the entire house seems like one cohesive entity rather than a grouping of random rooms. Even if your windows are different sizes and at different heights in different rooms, window valances can bring an element of uniformity to your windows from the inside perspective. If you take care to hang your valance treatments so that they are all at the same level, the eye will travel along that line easily. You may cover more of one window and less of another, but you will tie the different areas of your home together nicely.
Finally, window treatments and valances specifically can bring color, shape, and texture to a room that might otherwise have none. The breakfast nook, for example, is a room where there is very little chance for decorating unless you are using utilitarian items like placemats or seat cushions. Valances are another opportunity like those. You can bring out colors from the kitchen or other neighboring rooms and you can add a patterned edge to give the room some shape rather than everything being very angular. For example, a scalloped edge can soften a breakfast nook with a square table and chairs.