Pelmet
Pelmets are box-like frameworks positioned to cover the top of windows so as to conceal the curtain fixtures. They are typically made of lightweight timber and are sometimes referred to as window cornices, which can incorporate moulding.
Pelmets are often decorative, arched to varying degrees or flat-bottomed, and can be upholstered to match the curtains. Fabric pelmets are sometimes referred to as valances, and can be creatively designed to be voluminous and opulent.
As well as being decorative, pelmets also have an insulating role and can help save energy by preventing convection currents. When warm air reaches the top of a window, it cools and tends to fall. This creates a cold downdraft. The pelmet can hep reduce this flow of air.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.
A carbon case for indigenous slate
UK slate can offer clear embodied carbon advantages.
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.
The new towns and strategic environmental assessments
12 locations of the New Towns Taskforce reduced to 7 within the new towns draft programme and open consultation.
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.



















