What is the difference between these window treatments, and which one will work best in your room? To help you decide, here is a list along with some great examples. Designer Tip: Simple valances can be used alone or layered over other window treatments. The soft gathers and folds are perfect with any casual decorating style. Designer Tip: A box-pleated valance is a classic design that is perfect for traditional bedroom styles or old-world looks such as Tuscan or British Colonial. Choose a valance that matches your bedding for the most formal appearance, or go a bit more casual with a valance that contrasts in color or pattern. Designer Tip: Swags are great for a glamorous cottage or country-style bedroom because of the sheer, romantic softness of the window treatment. A swag by itself cannot provide much privacy, so it needs to be combined with other window treatments—such as curtains, blinds, shutters, or shades. Swags are also a wonderful alternative to drapes for a canopy bed. Just wind the fabric over the bed’s posts, and let it drape gracefully around the corners of the canopy frame. Designer Tip: Cornices work best in rooms that lack architectural interest; they can spiff up a window without trim or give a room with no crown molding some extra appeal. Read more about our Diversity and Inclusion Pledge to make The Spruce a site where all feel welcome.
