15 Stylish Cornice Ideas for Windows

Typically made of wood upholstered in fabric, a window cornice is a hard-top treatment that serves as the crown of your curtains and instantly elevates any space. A cornice board encases the top of your window to hide pesky hardware from sight and lend your window a polished, tidy look.

From ornate and embellished cornice boards with cascading drapery to streamlined modern cornices sans curtain panels, we’re sharing 15 dreamy designer cornice ideas to copy for your windows at home. Check out our favorite cornice designs for your bedroom, dining room, den and beyond.

Add interest to your window treatments by installing cornices and drapes in contrasting colors. Here, creamy ivory cornices pair with gold silk drapes to bring warmth and a tailored look to this contemporary living room. Interior banding in the same gold finish as the drapes creates a tidy border on the cornice boards and ties the competing hues together for one cohesive, polished result.

Unlike the sleek and streamlined contemporary cornices, traditional cornices offer room to play with ornate fabrics and shapely silhouettes. This chinoiserie-inspired dining room leans into the elaborate styling with custom cornices cut in a silhouette reminiscent of a pagoda. Follow suit in your own space and design custom cornices with curved, scalloped and sloped lines that suit your interior aesthetic.

Don’t be afraid to wrap your window cornice around two walls. A wraparound cornice tops this contemporary bedroom’s perpendicular floor-to-ceiling windows, lending a polished, luxurious look to the space. This technique creates a unified appearance between the windows on each wall and visually expands the room for grander appeal.

If simple, straight-across cornices are a bit too minimal for your taste, you’re in luck. Take cues from designer Heather Garrett and make these window-framing cornices your muse. Recreate the three-sided cornices to frame the view beyond your dining room window and pair them with voluminous drapes for the maximum wow factor.

If you’re unsure what color or fabric to select for your custom cornices, start by looking at the existing elements in the space. Pull colors from your bedroom rug or bedding and choose a cornice fabric with the same hues to create a cohesive result.

White bedding more your speed? Not a problem. Match your cornice fabric to your existing Roman shades, instead. Coordinating your cornice to your shades achieves the same cohesive look in your bedroom as coordinating with your bedding. Even better? This approach creates the illusion of taller windows for a grand effect.

Add preppy polish to your white cornice with a banded border accent in the same shade as your walls. This airy blue bedroom offers ample inspiration with a tailored white cornice embellished with a ribbon border in the same soft blue hue.

Never underestimate the visual impact of crisp-white cornices and pleated white drapery. This failproof combination shines against coral grass-cloth wallpaper in this traditional sitting room and would look equally polished paired with blue lacquered walls or a moody floral wallpaper. Wield the white-on-white window treatment combination to bring enduring elegance to your dining room, den or boudoir.

Create an illusion of soaring height in your bedroom, dining room or entryway by installing your cornices flush to the ceiling. This trick works every time, drawing the eye up and lending a romantic feel to any room in your home.

Another option: Widen your room by installing one continuous cornice across multiple windows or doors. A single white cornice crowns four windows in this transitional bedroom. The horizontal lines visually expand the room and create an illusion of grander windows.

Skip the solid shades and pack panache into your space with pattern-clad cornices and drapery. Polished plaids, graphic stripes and colorful floral motifs are enduring options that bring loads of personality to any room in your house.

The secret to achieving that designer-worthy look in your home lies in mixing materials. Create interest and a one-of-a-kind window treatment by pairing fabric upholstered cornices with woven grass or bamboo Roman shades. The unexpected mix complements each other and lends a put-together, professional quality to the space.

It’s no secret that cornices bring structure and elegance to windows, but did you know they look equally lovely installed elsewhere in a room? Take notes from this tranquil retreat and install custom cornices and drapes for your bedroom windows and the wall behind your headboard. Continuing the horizontal line of your window cornices around the room to behind your bed will expand the space, while the mirrored drapes will wrap the walls with drama and softness.

Our motto for kids’ window cornices is the bolder, the better. Choose a showy fabric that jumps off the walls like the fiery red-and-white striped number at work in this modern playroom. Remember: Cornices are less expensive (and much easier!) to refresh with new fabric down the road than traditional drapes, so don’t be afraid to take the plunge with punchy or playful prints in your little one’s room.