Window Valances : Hit or Miss?
Window treatments are as subject to fashion as anything else in the interior design world. One year a certain kind of window covering will be in, another it will be out. One year very complicated combinations of curtains and blinds will be seen in Homes and Gardens, the next the simplest minimalist windows are all you will come across. And window valances come and go along with everything else.
At the moment the trend is for very simple windows and you will often find very plain curtains and not much else hanging at the windows in the images displayed in the top interior design magazines. However that is not to say that you never see window valances or that designers never use them as they do serve a useful purpose in the decoration of many rooms. It is just that you are likely to find them in their simplest form these days.
Whereas in previous years you would certainly have found very grand valances with formal swags and tails in the magazines, this year you might see a length of muslin fabric draped very simply over a curtain pole creating an asymmetric frame to the window along with simple curtains.
In some ways this is great news for home owners as you can follow the latest trends in window treatments without paying an arm and a leg for custom made curtains and matching valances. However, it also creates a problem if you have a very formal room, as the draped kind of scarf valances look best in an informal setting. In fact, if you have a classic or traditional living room or bedroom you may very well want to ignore he latest trends (especially if you are not a particular follower of fashion) and go with the curtains and valances that you know will go with your room. The more formal the room the more formal the valances and curtains. That is a good rule to follow.