Window Valances 101: Summer Valance Styles
You might think it is a little extravagant to change your window treatments in the summer, but if your living room or bedroom has very heavy drapes then it will spoil the whole feeling of the room when the weather gets warmer. If you are able to use a few items to switch the mood of your room, why not do so? And it can be as easy as rolling up a fluffy rug, swapping a mohair throw for a cotton one and changing velvet valances and curtains for light cotton.
As for summer window treatments, the best valance styles are simple scarf valances, which use a long length of very thin or sheer fabric looped over a drapery rod. This is as light as you can go with valances.
Much depends on the hardware that you already have at your windows, however, as it is not a quick change if you need to add new curtain and drapery rods with the change of the seasons. A light scarf type valance only works if you have a rod, rail or pole for your valance which is attractive enough to be on display. If you have a white plastic or metal rail or drapery rod, then you need another plan.
An alternative is to make or purchase light summer curtains and matching valances. As summer curtains don’t need lining you can get reasonable quality cotton curtains fairly cheaply. Choose a light color to reflect the season and if they are patterned a small flower sprig or pattern of green leaves on a white, cream or pale yellow background would work well depending on the color scheme in your room.
If budget is an issue, cheap plain cream curtains and valances made from calico will still be better than heavy velvet drapes in the summer. If even they are too much plain cream roller blinds with a decorative valance covering the existing rail will work well too.