Traditional Pelmet Ideas
Poor old pelmets get a bad rap, indelibly associated as they are with the chintzier end of traditional country house design. But they don't have to be all about frills and frippery - a well-designed one can lend elegance and glamour to a window, and especially those large windows whose size demands a little drama. Like the eyebrows of the window, pelmets allow for a greater variety of expression than curtains alone. Of course they come in all shapes and sizes, from no-nonsense box pelmets to softer valances and swags; they can provide a contrast to curtain fabric or blend in for a subtler look. Any way you hang it, we love pelmets, so we've gathered a few favoured ideas here for a quick fix of inspiration.
You may also like: Pretty patterned fabrics for curtains and blinds
Paul Massey1/5Bright Colours
Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay used a mix of fun colours and patterns to create this stylish children's bedroom. The pink-and-white headboard highlights the accents in the flowery silk Kandy wallpaper, 'Brit Pop' by Élitis. A fixed and shaped box pelmet with curtains in a pale blue fabric is a smart choice as it will not be quickly outgrown when the children become teenagers. The overall effect is modern and elegant.
Alicia Taylor2/5Black and White Scallops
Cameron Kimber's country house in New South Wales features bold graphic black and white curtains with a deeply scalloped pelmet - an unusual choice for a bathroom, but one which adds serious drama and flair.
Joakim Blockstrom3/5Red White and Blue
Inspired by fabrics with floral motifs House & Garden decoration editors Gabby Deeming and Ruth Sleightholme created this pretty yet sophisticated bathroom. Farrow & Ball's 'James White' looks almost blue next to Soane's elegant maroon 'Paw Print' cloth, which is battened to the walls of the nook behind the Nineteenth-Century ebonized wood cabinet from Original House. The shelves are filled with cardboard bobbin reels - £8 each from Puckhaber Decorative Antiques.
The homemade MDF pelmet is hung with curtains in 'Lady Mountbatten' by Hill brown at Turnell & Gigon, trimmed with 'Dolce Pom Poms' from Samuel & Son. The chairs are Robert Kime, while the Nineteenth-Century bath from The Watermanopoly is painted in 'Skylight' from Farrow & Ball. The lovely scallop-edged bath towels are from Balineum.
Lucas Allen4/5Red Country Curtains
Numerous intricate patterns, including the red and white patterned curtains and red-trimmed pelmets, work well against bold red walls in this library-cum-sitting room, while a rug gives a cosy feel to the reading area. Click to see the rest of this New Zealand house.
Linwood Fabrics5/5Contrasting Blind
These blue and yellow curtains with their box pelmets complement the traditional decor of this room beautifully, but the blind in the same colour scheme (but with contrasting stripes) adds unexpected visual interest.
