Pelmet

Formal interior with timber pelmets from which the curtains and swags are hung

External decorative pelmets fitted within a brick and stone window opening

A pelmet (also called a "cornice board") is a framework placed above a window, used to conceal curtain fixtures. These can be used decoratively (to hide the curtain rod) and also help insulate the window by preventing convection currents.^[1] It is similar in appearance to a valance, which performs the same function but is made of fabric. A pelmet can be made of plywood, and may be painted, or fabric covered.

Exterior timber pelmets are a feature of some historic buildings, fitted on the outside of a window. These may be plain or decorative, with complicated fretwork in some examples. These may be purely decorative, or serve to conceal an external blind mechanism.

Due to the appearance of a pelmet, the term is often used to describe an excessively short skirt.^[2]

References

1. "How Pelmets drop your heating bills dramatically", YourGreenDream
2. Arnold, Sue (20 March 1999). "There are worse things than a pelmet skirt". The Independent. Retrieved 13 October 2013.

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