Glossary

We understand that at times, shopping for curtains and home accessories can feel like learning a whole new language. To make the learning curve just a little smoother, we’ve put together this list of useful and unusual terms:

Balloon Curtain - A single panel curtain which is adjusted by gathering vertical rows of rings to create a scalloped bottom.

Blinds - Window coverings made of either horizontal or vertical slats that can be rotated for light and privacy control. Horizontal blinds may be drawn up and vertical blinds may be drawn to the side for an unobstructed view.

Button-Hole Curtains - Panels with evenly spaced button holes through which the rod is threaded.

Button-Hole Valance - Valances with evenly spaced button holes through which the rod is threaded.

Café - A traversing or non-traversing drapery, designed as a tier. The heading can be various styles. They can be set at a variety of heights to control ventilation, view, and light.

Café Rod - A small, round decorative rod which comes in white or brass, used to mount café curtains that have a rod pocket. Café rods are meant to be seen and add an additional decorative touch to the curtain treatment.

Cascade - A fall of fabric that descends in a zig-zag line from a drapery heading or top treatment.

Center Draw - One pair of draperies which draws open and closes exactly at a window’s center point.

Center Support - A metal grip which is used to support a traverse rod or a basic rod from above and prevents the rod from sagging in the middle, but does not interfere with rod operation.

Crescent Valance - A valance (tailored or ruffled) that is shaped like a crescent.

Door Panel - A curtain panel with two rod pockets, one top and one bottom. Made to cover glass on door. Wider than sidelights (see definition below).

Draw Draperies - Panels of fabric featuring pleated headings.

Droopy Tab Curtains - Tab style curtain with tabs spaced widely, creating a soft fold or “droopy” effect when pushed back.

End Bracket - The two supporting metal grips which hold a drapery rod to the wall or ceiling and control the amount of projection.

Festoon - A decorative drapery treatment of folded fabric that hangs in a graceful curve and frames the top of a window.

Finial - A decorative end piece on café rods or decorative traverse rods (also referred to as “pole ends”).

Holdback - See Tiebacks; a decorative piece of hardware that holds draperies to each side of the window.

Insert Valance - Manufactured to fit between the pieces of a swag as an “insert” to cover a wider window; can also be used alone.

Jabot - A decorative vertical end of an over treatment that usually finishes a horizontal festoon.

Lace Panel - An openwork cloth with a design formed by a network of threads made by hand or on special lace machinery with bobbins, needles, or hooks.

Layering - Mounting multiple treatments in the same window; one treatment is usually functional, like a blind or shade, and the others are used for decorative effect.

One-Piece Festoon - A top treatment for wide windows which drapes over the curtain rod creating graceful curves.

One-Piece Swag - Window covering consisting of seamless curtain with a rod pocket and straight sides on outside and softly curved inside creating an open airy look.

One-Way Draw - Drapery designed to draw one way only, in one panel.

Panel - An expanse of fabric hung directly on a rod, opened and closed by simply pushing or traversing the fabric from side to side.

Pinch Pleats - A drapery heading where the basic pleat is divided into two or three smaller, equal pleats, sewn together at the bottom edge on the right side of the fabric.

Pinch Pleat Curtains - Identified by the pleated fabric at the top of the curtain (there is no rod pocket). Also called draperies, they are attached to a traverse rod or pole rod with rings by using drapery hooks or clips.

Pin-On Hook - A metal pin to fasten draperies to a rod; it pins into drapery pleat and hooks to traverse carrier or café rod.

Puff Valance - Simple rod pocket valance which can be hung like traditional tailored valance or puffed (poufed) gently softening its appearance.

Priscillas - See Ruffled Curtains below.

Ruffled Cascade - A top treatment that can be draped over swag holders, holdbacks, or over the length of the rod (the finials hold up the fabric). A rectangle of fabric with ruffles attached to three sides.

Ruffled Curtains (also called Cape Cods or Priscillas) - A New England tradition originally found in the kitchen and now found throughout the home. This classic ruffle can be found on two or three edges of the curtain. Most often used with matching valance and tiebacks.

Sash Curtain - Any sheer material hung close to the window glass; usually hung from spring tension rods or sash rods mounted outside of the window except when used with a tension rod.

Sash Rod - A small rod, either decorative or plain, usually mounted on the outside of a window frame.

Scalloped Valance - A top treatment featuring a semi-circular bottom.

Scarf - A top treatment that can be draped over swag holders, hold-backs, or over the length of the rod, or threaded through sconces.

Shades - Window coverings made of material that rolls, gathers, or folds both up and down. The shade can be raised for light and view and lowered for privacy.

Sidelight - A curtain panel with two rod pockets, one top and one bottom. Designed to cover sidelights, which are the very narrow windows at the side of doors.

Stationary Balloon Valance - Valance with scalloped bottom, similar in appearance to a balloon curtain.

Swag - A draped one-piece fabric valance that falls gracefully from the top of a window swooping in a downward direction.

Swag Set - Window covering consisting of left and right panel. Some sets include a festoon.

Tab Curtains - Known by the tabs (plain, button, tie-tabs, droopy) positioned on the upper edge of the curtain. Tabs look best when used with a wood or decorator rod since the rod will be exposed through the tabs. Rod should be mounted high enough so the window or glass is not visible above the top edge of the curtain.

Tailored Curtains - Named for their clean lines, these curtains can be found plain or with trimmed edges. Used alone or with a coordinating valance, they can hang straight or be tied back.

Tapered Valance - A top treatment whose sides gradually come to a point at the center.

Tiebacks - Decorative pieces of hardware, sometimes called holdbacks. Available in many forms and designed to hold curtains or draperies back from the window to allow light passage or to add an additional decorative touch to the window treatment.

Tie-Tab Valance - A top treatment with ties at the top which allow you to tie them onto the rod as tightly or loosely as you wish, thereby controlling length and creating a more casual look.

Tie-Up Curtain - A tailored panel gathered softly from the bottom by using ribbons or straps.

Tiers - Also called privacy tiers or cafés, these curtains typically hang by a tension or café rod at the midway point of the window and cover only the lower half of the window.

Top Treatments - Decorative treatments mounted above a window, including cornices and valances, and which come in a number of materials.

Valance - A top treatment made in many shapes and styles. Most are used over curtains or tiers on a rod of their own. Sometimes the valance is used alone on a door or on a small window. Valances are described by their shape or function such as tailored, ruffled, tab, puff, scalloped, tapered, crescent, “M”, insert, etc.