DWC Home | Magazine | Back Issues | June 2002 | Design Solutions

More Articles by Sharon L. Anderson  More Design Solutions

Design Solutions

Crowning Touch
Designing and installing a top treatment
around existing molding can be tricky.

by Sharon L. Anderson

CHALLENGE: There’s a bay window located in my client’s living room. She currently has sheers hanging on thin curtain rods as the treatment. The top of the window sash comes to within six inches of the room’s crown molding. I would like to interest her in placing a decorative top treatment over the sheers, possibly designed as a straight swag. Actually, it is more like a scooped fabric scarf without the draping seen in usual swags.

My challenge is that I do not know how to put up the swags and tails without having to place the mounting board too close to the crown molding. To remove the sheers I need two inches above them to allow me to lift up the curtain rods and slide them off the brackets. If I were to allow that much room for placing the top treatment mounting, I am concerned I will take away remaining space between the top of the sheers and the bottom of the crown molding. I also thought about the possibility of placing the sheers on stretch cords or ropes to create more room. Would this be a reasonable solution?

SOLUTION: Crown molding around a room, and molding around a window, adds a great amount of personality and richness. It is usually in the best interest of the window to cover as little as possible of the molding, if possible. I would suggest a couple of changes to add balance and proportion to the window and window treatment.

First, I would change the sheers to an inside mount, if possible. To not damage the window molding, I would purchase a rod with a spring inside and gather the sheers to be placed inside the window. Possibly a rod top and bottom (RTB) would look nice.

Another possibility would be to install a soft shade treatment inside the window frame. This would create a slightly different look. But installing this treatment inside the window frame would free up space for your decorative treatment above and outside the frame. The scarf swag treatment you suggest could be mounted outside the window and molding.

There are various types of hardware you can use. Be sure to check with your workroom professional for any additional mounting techniques or suggestions. Many times, your installer also will have additional solutions to your situation based on the space around the actual window and his experience dealing with these situations. Hardware varies in its specifications and size. The installer may be able to offer additional ideas on what will work best.

Remember, the overall goal is to achieve balance, scale and proportion when designing this type of window treatment.

Editor’s note: This is a continuing series of articles written by Sharon L. Anderson that will answer some of the many questions we receive at Draperies & Window Coverings as well as questions Anderson has encountered in her own business. If you have a question you would like Anderson to address, please send it to:

Design Solutions
c/o Draperies & Window Coverings
1724 E. Grand Ave.
Lindenhurst, IL 60046
Fax: (847) 356-9013
E-mail: DesignSol@dwcdesignet.com