Pelmet

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 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.

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 in Toulouse

Exterior timber pelmets are a feature of some historic buildings, fitted on the outside of a window. These may be plain or decorative, with complex 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 extremely short skirt.^[2]

References

1. "How Pelmets drop your heating bills dramatically". YourGreenDream. Archived from the original on March 19, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
2. Arnold, Sue (20 March 1999). "There are worse things than a pelmet skirt". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 13 October 2013.

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