Glossary of Window Decorating Terms

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Allowance
A customary variation from an exact measurement, taken for the purpose of anticipated needs.
Apron
Wood trim piece beneath the window.
Ascot Valance
Valance Is a V shaped piece of fabric, trimmed with tassel or beads that can be used free standing or as a toptreatment over Panels or Poletops.
Austrian Shade
(Austrian Pouf or Austrian Valance). A poufed fabric shade with permanently shirred scallops that draw up from the bottom.
Balloon Shade
Another name for a poufed or cloud shade, scalloped on the bottom, that draws up in soft, billowy folds.
Bell Valance
A pleated or shirred valance with a hemline that simulates a series of bell shapes.
Bishop Sleeve
Tying back Scarf fabric into a pouf or bloused, 1 or 2 or more times.
Blackout Drapery/Shade
A heavy, opaque fabric shade that can darken a room; also called room-darkening drapery/shade.
Blind
A horizontal-slatted hard treatment, such as a mini blind or a vertical vane, such as a vertical blind.
Box Pleat
A flat pleat that has a fold of fabric laid behind the heading.
Bracket
Metal piece attached to wall/casing to support drapery/ curtain rods.
Buckram
The stiffened narrow fabric that is used for interfacing drapery pleats; also called crinoline.
Café Curtains
A curtain that covers only the bottom half of a window.
Canopy
A projected valance over a roller shade or headboard.
Cape Cod Curtain
A café curtain ruffled around the sides and bottom.
Carriers
Plastic sliding pieces in traverse rods with a hole inserting the drapery hook.
Cascade
Another term for a festoon or swag, a curved, draped valance or scalloped top treatment.
Casing
Wooden frame around a window (also called a Frame).
Center-Draw
A pair of draperies that open from a center point, installed on a traverse rod.
Center-Support
A metal grip which is used to support larger size curtain rods and prevents the rod from sagging in the middle.
Cornice
A top treatment usually constructed of wood. Covered with fabric it becomes an upholstered cornice.
Country Curtains
A type of curtain that has ruffled valances, sides, bottom and ties and is shirred up to five times fullness.
Coverage
The quantity or fullness of fabric used at a window.
Crinoline
Another word for buckram, the narrow stiffened pleats interfacing.
Curtains
Fabric shirred or gathered onto a rod.
Custom-Made Draperies
Draperies made to order in a workroom or decorator shop.
Decorative Rods
Rods Decorative hardware meant to be seen. Usually made of metal, wood or resin.
Door Panel
Usually a semi-sheer fabric shirred onto a rod, both top and bottom, used with sidelights and French Doors.
Double Hung Drapery
A window treatment consisting of an overdrapery and an underdrapery, both operating independently.
Drapability
The capacity of a fabric to fall attractively into folds.
Draperies
Pleated fabric meant to be drawn open and closed.
Draw Drapery
A pleated fabric panel that can be opened and a traverse rod.
Dye Lots
A color run of fabric that may vary slightly from dye batch to the next.
Energy efficient
Window treatments that keep out summer heat winter cold, reducing heat or air conditioning needs.
Fan folding
The folding of pleated draperies into a narrow band eliminating unnecessary wrinkling.
Festoon
Another term for a swag or cascade Ð a curved, valance or scalloped top treatment.
Finger-pleat
A series of thin pleats - the width of a finger - styling out tailored blouson valances.
Finished Length
The exact vertical measurement for draperies or curtains.
Finished Width
The exact horizontal measurement for draperies curtains. It includes overlaps and returns.
Finial
Decorative end piece on decorative rods. Also referred as "Pole Ends".
Fringe
Trim for edges of drapery treatments made of narrow braid with attached loops and tassels.
Fullness
The amount of fabric shirred or pleated into a treatment, from 2 times (200%) to 5 times (500%) fullness.
Functional Hardware
Hardware meant not to be seen. Usually of metal.
Generous Coverage
A full amount of fabric in a treatment, more then 250% or 2 times, fullness.
Golden Mean
Approx. .618 of the way down from the top or up from the bottom of window treatment - a guideline for the placement of tiebacks.
Hardlines
Factory-made treatments such as blinds, shutters, shades and screens (Hard Treatments).
Heading
The top part of drapery that accommodates the pleats. The heading can vary in depth, but the most common are 1, 2 and 3".
Hand-pleat
A series of thin pleats - the width of a hand - when styling out tailored blouson valances.
Hem
The side or bottom of a fabric treatment that is turned under twice and stitched in place.
Holdback
Metal rods with decorative medallions for holding back draperies. Also used as Scarf Holders.
Inside Mount Installation
The placement of treatment inside the window frame. Installation The process of securing any window treatment, setting it in place with brackets and screws.
Jabot
A folded fabric that cascades down to a point and is used between swags, cascades also called festoons; a formal framing treatment.
Jamb
Interior sides of the window frame.
Length
The vertical measurement of a window treatment and horizontal one for curtain/drapery rods.
Light
Horizontal wood sections separating panes or glass in windows (Grid).
Light strike
The gap on the side or in the center of a window treatment through which light penetrates.
Lined Draperies
Draperies with a lining fabric sewn onto the back to protect them from sunlight damage, to add insulation value.
Lining
Usually a solid-white, off-white fabric sewn onto the back window treatmen to protect it.
Mitered Corner
The formation of the bottom edge of drapery with a 45 angle on hem side.
Molly Bolt
A wall anchor plug and screw with elbows that flare out screwed in to anchor a drapery rod in a hollow walls similar a Toggle Bolt.
Outside Mount
The placement of treatment on window frame or outside.
Overdrapery
A drapery fabric installed over anther layer of drapery.
Overlap
Where two leading edges of drapery meet and go past other 2 inches ( traverse rod center draw ) to eliminate light penetrating.
Panel
One half a pair of draperies or curtains.
Pattern Repeat
The distance between any given point in a design to where that extra point is repeated.
Pinch Pleat
A drapery heading where the basic pleat is divided into 2 or 3 smaller, equal pleats, sewn together at bottom edge on right side of fabric.
Poletop Pairs
Drapery made of a straight piece of hemmed light, medium to heavy weight fabric; usually separately lined.
Priscilla Curtains
Sheer, semi-sheer or opaque curtains with ruffled valance ruffled side and bottom hems and ties. They may center -meet or crisscross.
Return
The part of a panel of drapery that is needed to cover the rod projection from the wall or window.
Rod Pocket
A hollow sleeve in the top of a curtain or drapery through which a rod is inserted. It is either 1 " or 3" wide.
Rod Width
Measurement from the end of one bracket to the end of the other; includes window width.
R-Value
The rating of a window treatment in its capacity to resist the flow of incoming or outgoing heat.
Sash
The wood frame of a window or door that hold the glass in both sliding and swinging windows.
Sash Curtain
Usually a semi-sheer fabric shirred onto a rod, both top bottom and hung on the sash.
Sash Rod
A rod, either decorative or plain, usually mounted inside window frame on the sash.
Scallops
Series of projected semicircles repeated across the hem valance.
Selvedge
The tightly woven edge on a width of fabric holding it together.
Shaped Valance
A fabric top treatment that has a curved or angled top bottom.
Sheer
A transparent/translucent lightweight fabric used over as an under or over drapery.
Shirring
Gathered fabric treatment accomplished by sliding a curtain through a rod pocket. The rod is smaller than the fabric width. The wider the fabric in comparison to the rod, the greater the fullness.
Side Hem
Turned part forming a finished edge at the side of drapery
Sill
Horizontal ledge like portion of window casing.
Stacking
Area required for draperies when completely opened (Stackback).
Swag
Semicircular draped fabric top treatment; also called a festoon.
Tassel
A group of colored threads bound together at the top and hung as a pendant ornament or used as a tie-back on window treatments.
Tie-back
A curtain or drapery that is draped to one side and secured with a tie, metal holdback or tassel.
Tier
Fabric panels covering bottom half of window of 24 or 36" length sold as pairs used primarily in the kitchen.
Toggle Bolt
A wall anchor or fastener that forms elbows inside the wall to anchor a drapery rod in a hollow wall; similar to a molly bolt.
Traverse Rod
A rod that houses plastic carriers into which drapery pins are hooked so that a pair of pinch-pleats draws open simultaneously when the cord at the end of the rod is pulled.
Unlined Panels
Panels made of a single layer of fabric without any lining or support fabric.
Valance
A Fabric top treatment. Types include swags and cascades, shirred and pleated and bloused valances.
Weights
Chain and Lead weights are sewn in at the vertical seams at each corner of drapery panels to insure straight hanging.
Width
The horizontal measurement of a window treatment.