30 Window Valance Ideas You Never Thought to Try

Valances may seem like a window covering of the past, but they're anything but. Valances can be used to provide privacy or hide ugly window hardware, and that's not even mentioning all the personality and elegance they can bring into your home. Here are 30 picture-perfect window valance ideas you can try in your own space.

Make Them Standalone

Valances don't have to be accompanied with curtains. In fact, they're great standalone window coverings in common areas, providing some privacy without sacrificing natural light.

Make It Golden

For a valance look that's extra luxe, use gold-colored fabrics. To really amp this up, use the same richly-colored gold hues in your curtains or nearby upholstery too.

Use the Same Pattern as Your Wallpaper

Ready to embrace a fully coordinated look? Find valances, curtains, and wallpaper all in the same pattern. Your walls and windows will have a perfectly matched look that will be hard to ignore.

Make It Scandi-Modern

To bring valances into your modern, Scandi-inspired space, pick valances in a flax or oat-colored linen, like LeClair Decor did in the kitchen above.

Use Extra Fabric Elsewhere in Your Space

Use the patterns and fabric of your valances elsewhere in your space too, like in upholstery or other types of window coverings. If you DIY your valances, this is a great way to use up any extra fabric.

Use Complementary Colors

Another way to pick the perfect color for your window coverings (and thus, your valances) is to use a complementary color to the color of your walls. When walls are red, use green. When walls are blue, use yellow or orange.

Try Casual Textures

To bring valances into an everyday space, get creative. Consider using more casual textures like wicker or canvas as valances, or use blinds that double as valances when they're not rolled down.

Frame Walls

Valances aren't just for windows: they can be used to frame other parts of your home too, like beds. We love Emily Henderson Design's approach to this window covering here, it's used to frame the wall of beds.

Try White Valances

To keep your spaces looking bright and airy, use white valances. This is an especially good idea when you're considering adding these window coverings to smaller spaces, as they'll prevent it from feeling too busy or closed-in.

Add Plaid

Plaid is a classic window valance textile, and for good reason. It brings in lots of subtle color and a little pattern too, providing the perfect amount of visual interest for nearly any space.

Add Them to Farmhouse-Inspired Spaces

Thinking about adding valances to your minimalist modern farmhouse bedroom or living room? Pick a window valance in a gray or off-white. It will work well with any wrought-iron or black accents in the space, and it adds a subtle touch of elegance too.

Make It Look Softer

For a softer, more casual valance look, use soft fabrics like linen or cotton. Additionally, hang the fabric loosely, creating an unassuming and perfectly put-together look.

Add a Narrow Valance Box

For a subtle approach to valances that still packs plenty of style, craft a small, narrow valance box that covers the curtain rod and hardware and nothing else. It will be barely noticeable, except by the eagle-eyed.

Use Accompanying Wall Art

Wall art is a great way to incorporate the colors and textures of your window valances elsewhere in your space. We love the pop of yellow in the wall art in the home office above from Studio Peake—it really draws attention to the stunning window coverings nearby.

Hang Valances Behind Beds

A teeny-tiny valance can be a great way to hang curtains behind a bed for a subtly royal look. Pick a fabric with a velvety texture to make it feel all the more elegant.

Try a Boxed Valance

For a more structured and formal valance look, use a structured boxed valance. These bring a historic look to your space, and they're a great way to coverup unsightly window hardware.

Use Valances in Kids' Spaces

Using the same patterns in your walls, valances, and furniture not only adds a unique touch, but a playful one too, making this matching combination a great choice for kids' bedrooms or playrooms.

Match Them With Flowers

When adding window valances to a space, make sure the colors in the valances are elsewhere in the room too. One of the easiest ways to do this is through fresh flowers—pick a bouquet with similar coloring as your valance, and add it near your window.

Try Pastel-Colored Fabrics

Pastel-colored valances bring elegance to your space without feeling too formal, dark, or stuffy, thanks to their lighter-toned look.

Use Them in Bathrooms

Privacy is an important bathroom window consideration, and valances can help to provide that. Consider pairing a valance with a window covering that covers the bottom-third of a window for an approach that still allows light in while providing plenty of privacy too.

Match Your Walls

Another great way to pick the perfect color for your valance is by matching the color of your wall. It doesn't need to be a perfect match—a close-enough color will do. Additionally, if you want to ensure it doesn't look too matchy-matchy, pick a valance with a pattern on it.

Make a Gauze Valance

A soft and gauzy valance lets plenty of light in while still adding that elegant valance look you love. This look is easy to DIY too—just trim some affordable gauze or mesh curtains to add these to your space.

Use Lighter Valances in Dark Spaces

When added to a space with lots of dark colors, valances can help brighten them, especially when the valances are a lighter color, like white, gray, or beige. They can provide a great contrast to the moodier tones elsewhere in your space.

Try Extra-Long Valances

For a dramatic and custom window look, add an extra-long window valance to cover the length of your row of windows, rather than adding one to each individual window. Though this may be a pricier approach, the result looks high-end and custom made.

Hang Floral Textiles

Window valances can provide the perfect floral touch to a space too, especially in bedrooms. Hang valances with some flowery accents to get this pop of spring in your home too.

Add Valance in a Unique Shape

Try adding a window valance in a unique shape, like the one above in the living room from Ashley Montgomery Design, to add plenty of historic and elegant personality to your space.

Use Them With Rounded Windows

Valances aren't just for perfectly straight windows. Instead, they can be added to windows with rounded tops too, especially if the hardware can be mounted behind them.

Try Wicker

Wicker valances are a great way to add a casual touch to a space like a sunroom or kitchen. We love the ones Thomas Guy Interiors used in the space above.

Pair Them With Your Ceilings

Another way to ensure your valances fit in well with your space is to pick them in colors that match your ceiling. They don't need to be a perfect color-match—valances in a shade or two lighter or darker than your ceiling will still work wonderfully.

Go Beige

Though beige valances may seem boring, they're a great fit for just about any space, thanks to their unique ability to pair with practically any color.

Read Next: 56 Window Treatment Ideas for Every Budget and Space

Read the original article on The Spruce.