Learn more about Hunter Douglas custom window sheers, including our shadings and privacy sheers. Innovative, light-diffusing sheers. Your trusted source for window treatments.
Cellular honeycomb shades from Hunter Douglas. An energy-efficient design that traps air in distinct pockets to help keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
The Hunter Douglas roller shades & solar screen shades collections offer excellent light control and a clean, stylish look in a range of fabrics and materials.
For a warm, natural look our Hunter Douglas Woven Wood Shades collection of window treatments transforms sunlight into captivating design statements. Choose yours today.
Find the perfect metal blinds for any room in your home. From controlling light to their stylish, sleek look, metal blinds have been a favorite among homeowners.
Discover Hunter Douglas customized vertical blinds featuring elegant styling and translucency in a large selection of colors, treatments, and textures. Lifetime guarantee.
Hunter Douglas custom window shutters provide superior light control and privacy with classic styles, long-lasting finishes, and exceptional craftsmanship.
The differences between a valance, cornice and swag.
Top treatments—valances, cornices and swags—can add a beautiful finishing touch to blinds or shades, while also hiding hardware. And while this trio is similar in that they all are designed to dress up windows, you’ll find distinct differences between them.
Valances
A valance is often crafted from soft fabric that hangs loosely from the top of the window—either attached to a board or installed on a rod. But you can also find valances that are made from wood or metal, or upholstered (without any loosely hanging fabric).
A valance can look either casual or formal, depending on your design aesthetic. You could also use a valance by itself if you’d prefer to forgo window treatments but still want to add some visual interest.
Kitchen window above the sink with a sheer white valance.
Cornices
The difference between a cornice and a valance is in how a cornice is constructed. Unlike a valance, which is soft and flowy, a cornice is hard. That’s because a cornice is created by upholstering fabric over an ornamental box, usually made of wood, without leaving any fabric loosely hanging. A cornice can also be made by covering the box with wallpaper or painting it.
Like a valance, you could also opt to use a cornice by itself to add a little something extra to a window.
Swags
If you’d like a top treatment that offers less structure than a valance or cornice, then a swag’s for you. You can weave a swag loosely around a rod or drape it from tieback to tieback, either of which adds a soft feel to a room.
While you can certainly use a swag alone (especially if you’d like to showcase your window hardware), you can also pair a swag with blinds or shades.
Cornices, like valances, can also be crafted from wood.
A swag adds a touch of softness to a window.
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