The most creative thing I get to do? Design a Valance

Panels are beautiful. Shades are practical. But Valances? Valances are where I get to really play. There are so many ways to add detail, layer fabrics, incorporate trim, add buttons, and just have some fun with the details. Every Valance I design is different. And I love every single one of them.

Bright living room with large windows, blue-green valances, and a dark wooden cabinet.
Bright room with large white-trimmed windows and blue-and-white valances overlooking greenery outside

What Makes a Valance Extraordinary?

The details. Always the details. A great Valance isn’t just a piece of fabric across the top of a window. It’s a carefully considered combination of fabric choices, proportions, trims, embellishments and finishing touches that come together into something that makes you stop and stare.


Crystal buttons. A gorgeous trim in any of a dozen beautiful styles. A shaped arch. A contrast band that makes the whole thing sing. The details are where a Valance goes from pretty to extraordinary — and there are endless beautiful ways to get there.

Did You Know?

One Valance can require anywhere from 14 to 26 individually cut pieces before it even begins to look like a finished treatment. Every single piece cut with intention. Every pattern matched with care. That’s not unusual in our workroom — that’s just Tuesday. ๐Ÿ˜„

Bright living room with sliding glass doors, patterned valance, and beige armchair facing a sunroom.

Did You Know?

One Valance can require anywhere from 14 to 26 individually cut pieces before it even begins to look like a finished treatment. Every single piece cut with intention. Every pattern matched with care. That’s not unusual in our workroom — that’s just Tuesday. ๐Ÿ˜„

Light blue and white floral drapery over a curved display backdrop in a store interior

The Oslo Valance — An Original Lady Dianne's Design

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    Sometimes the best designs happen by happy accident.


    I had just received a shipment of crystal buttons and crystal nail heads — two of my absolute favorite embellishments — and I needed to find a way to use both of them together beautifully. So I sat down and designed a Valance that could showcase them both.


    That’s how the Oslo Valance was born.

    The Oslo features a double layer arched cornice with the signature Lady Dianne’s touch — crystal buttons on the sides and delicate crystal beaded trim along the arch. It’s tailored without being too tailored. It has just enough going on to feel special without feeling fussy. And it works for almost everyone — Clients who love something simple love it, and Clients who love something more detailed love it too.


    It is our most popular Valance style. And I still love it just as much as the day I designed it. ๐Ÿ’–

Pink and green floral clutch purse with a scalloped flap, shown closed on a dark surface.

The Bird Valance — A Client Favorite

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    Right behind the Oslo is our Bird Valance — and if you’ve seen it you know exactly why. It has that perfect mix of tailored structure and beautiful detail that works in almost any room with almost any fabric. Clean lines, thoughtful proportions and just enough personality to make it completely memorable.


    The Oslo and the Bird are two of our most loved styles — but they’re just the beginning. We have so many beautiful options and I love finding the one that’s exactly right for you. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

Most Valances use more than one fabric — and one of the most important decisions we make together is which fabric goes where.


Do you want the floral as your main fabric with a stripe as the accent? Or would a stripe as the main fabric with a solid feel more balanced? What if we mix the floral AND the stripe AND a solid together?


And yes — mixing multiple patterns is one of my superpowers. I love it. I have always loved it. Give me three patterns that have no business being together and I will make them sing. ๐Ÿ˜„


Tip — The key to mixing patterns successfully is scale. A large floral, a medium stripe and a small geometric can work beautifully together because your eye reads each one at a different level. It’s one of those things that sounds risky and looks extraordinary. ๐Ÿ’–

The Art of Mixing Fabrics

Roman Shades — The Perfect Blend of Decorative and Functional

Here’s something I love about Roman Shades — you don’t always get both decorative AND functional in one treatment. With a Roman Shade, you do.


When they’re up, they look like a beautiful Valance — all that gorgeous fabric folded softly at the top of your window, adding color and pattern and personality to the room. When they’re down, they give you complete privacy. Two treatments in one. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ


Our Roman Shades are made by a premium partner using a proprietary cordless system — and I am so proud of that. We went cordless almost 15 years ago, long before the safety standards for cords around children and pets came into effect. We didn’t do it because we had to. We did it because it was right. โค๏ธ


Roman Shades can also be motorized — and they’re one of our most popular treatments to add motorization to. Press a button and they glide up or down quietly and effortlessly. There are several beautiful Roman Shade styles to choose from — flat, hobbled, relaxed and more. Each one has a slightly different look and feel, and finding the right one for your room is one of the most fun decisions we make together. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

“Valances aren’t popular anymore.”


Oh dear!! ๐Ÿ˜„ I hear this occasionally and I want to set the record straight — we do Valances all the time. They are very much alive, very much beautiful, and very much having a moment in design right now. Tailored, modern, layered — today’s Valances are nothing like what you might be picturing.


“Valances are dusty.”


This one has been hanging around since the era of swags and jabots — those heavily draped, deeply folded treatments from twenty or thirty years ago where dust could settle into all the folds. Today’s Valances are generally much more tailored and easy to care for. A gentle dusting keeps them looking beautiful. That reputation? Officially retired. ๐Ÿ˜„

“Valances aren’t popular anymore.”


Oh dear!! ๐Ÿ˜„ I hear this occasionally and I want to set the record straight — we do Valances all the time. They are very much alive, very much beautiful, and very much having a moment in design right now. Tailored, modern, layered — today’s Valances are nothing like what you might be picturing.


“Valances are dusty.”


This one has been hanging around since the era of swags and jabots — those heavily draped, deeply folded treatments from twenty or thirty years ago where dust could settle into all the folds. Today’s Valances are generally much more tailored and easy to care for. A gentle dusting keeps them looking beautiful. That reputation? Officially retired. ๐Ÿ˜„

Honestly? Everywhere. I have done gorgeous Valances in every room imaginable — living rooms, dining rooms, main bedrooms, bathrooms, nurseries and beyond. I have never believed that Valances belong only in kitchens or only in bedrooms. There are no rules — just what looks beautiful and what feels right for your home.


That said, there are a few spots where they’re particularly wonderful:


  • On doors — a Valance on a door adds height, softness and a finished feeling without interfering with the door itself. And here’s something important — you always have to treat your doors!! Even if you’re doing Panels on your other windows, a Valance on the door is a beautiful way to bring your fabric and color across the whole room so everything feels cohesive and complete. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ
  • Over tubs — where you want the softness and detail of a top treatment without the length of a Panel that might get in the way.
  • Any window where you want to add height — and this is where Valances do something truly magical. In fact, it's worth its own conversation entirely.

Valances are extraordinary at making a window look taller. And they do it more elegantly than almost anything else — because the Valance itself draws your eye up and gives it a new line to rest on, without making it obvious that you were trying to add height at all.


I once did a project where we created Banded Faux Roman Shade Valances and mounted them a full 24 inches above the window. Twenty four inches!! Once the Valances were in place you couldn’t tell any of that. They just looked like beautifully dressed tall windows. My Client had no idea how much height we’d added. She just knew her room looked incredible. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ


Tip — The photo below shows exactly this — Banded Faux Roman Shade Valances mounted 24” above the window. Can you tell? That’s the magic of a well-placed Valance. ๐Ÿ’–


One thing I will say — proportion matters enormously. A Valance that’s too long for its style can lose its shape and its impact. Getting the length exactly right for the style, the window and the room is one of the most important decisions we make. I always know where it needs to be. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

“I love the valances and all the detail. The birds are perfectly centered on each one. I can’t believe how perfectly you used the herringbone fabric to make the banding. And the small flowers on the buttons — amazing! I love my new valances! They really make the room snap.”

๏ปฟ

— Beth B.

Floral patterned fabric cover with beige straps and metal rings on a cart or bag.

Ready to create something extraordinary?

Your windows are waiting. And I already have ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are Valances still popular?

    Absolutely — and they’re having a real moment right now!! Today’s Valances are tailored, modern and endlessly customizable. We design them all the time and our Clients love them. The old-fashioned, heavily draped Valance of decades past is not what we’re doing today. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

  • Arenโ€™t Valances dusty?

    That reputation comes from heavily folded swags and jabots that were popular twenty or thirty years ago. Today’s Valances are generally much more tailored and easy to care for — a gentle dusting keeps them looking beautiful. Consider that myth officially retired. ๐Ÿ˜„

  • What rooms work best for Valances?

    Any room!! I’ve done gorgeous Valances in every room imaginable. On doors, over tubs, in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and beyond. There are no rules — just what looks beautiful and what feels right for your home. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

  • Do I need a Valance on my doors too?

    Yes — and this is something a lot of Clients don’t think about until we get there!! You always have to treat your doors. A Valance on the door is a beautiful way to bring your fabric and color across the whole room so everything feels cohesive and complete. ๐Ÿ’–

  • Can I use more than one fabric in my Valance?

    Absolutely — and most of our Valances do!! Choosing which fabric goes where is one of the most fun decisions we make together. A floral with a stripe, a stripe with a solid, or even mixing multiple patterns — there are endless beautiful combinations. ๐Ÿ’–

  • What kinds of trim can I add to my Valance?

    So many beautiful options!! Cording, brush fringe, bead fringe, banding, scalloped edges, Pom Pom trim and so much more. The right trim can completely transform a Valance — and finding the perfect one together is one of my favorite parts of the design process. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

  • What is the Oslo Valance?

    The Oslo is an original Lady Dianne’s design — created by Gretchen herself!! It features a double layer arched cornice with crystal buttons and delicate beaded trim. It’s our most popular Valance style — tailored but not too tailored, with just enough detail to feel completely special. ๐Ÿ’–

  • Can a Valance make my window look taller?

    Yes — and it’s one of my favorite things about them!! A well-placed Valance draws your eye up and gives it a new line to rest on, making the window feel taller and the room feel grander. And it does it so elegantly that nobody knows you were trying to add height at all. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

  • How do I know what length my Valance should be?

    Proportion is everything with a Valance — too long and it can lose its shape and impact. Getting the length exactly right for the style, the window and the room is one of the most important decisions we make together. It’s also one of those things I genuinely love figuring out. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

  • What Roman Shade styles do you offer?

    Several beautiful ones — and each one has its own personality! Flat Roman Shades are clean and tailored, perfect for a more modern or streamlined look. Hobbled Shades have soft horizontal folds that give them a more traditional, luxurious feel. Relaxed Shades have a gentle curved bottom that feels casual and effortless. And those are just a few of the options — finding the right style for your room and your fabric is one of the most fun decisions we make together. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

  • Can Roman Shades be motorized?

    Absolutely — and they’re actually one of our most popular treatments to motorize! Press a button and your Shade glides up or down quietly and effortlessly. It’s one of those things that once you have it, you cannot imagine living without it. You can read all about Motorization on our dedicated Motorization page! ๐Ÿ˜ƒ