Curtains and Valances

From luxe drapes in sumptuous hues to airy shades crafted from natural bamboo, window treatments have become a hot topic. The right antique and vintage curtains and valances can change and improve the feel and mood of any room in your home.

Window treatments such as curtains and valances serve multiple functions: filtering light, maintaining privacy and injecting personality. Like furniture, they have the ability to transform and elevate a room. And while it takes work to seamlessly integrate window treatments with the surrounding decor, it will be worth the effort!

Designer Brigette Romanek, whose notable clients include Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow, believes that the perfect window treatment blends usability with aesthetics. That mix is elegantly exemplified in this dual-use Los Angeles living room. “In the daytime, you can pull the drapes and let all that light in and enjoy the incredible view," explains Romanek. "This space is also a media room, and the blinds do a great job of blacking out the room for weekend afternoon movie marathons.”

A firm believer in the power of window dressings, Starrett Ringbom puts a lot of thought into choosing just the right type and design. Just as lighting is an essential part of any interior design project — having the right light fixture is indeed key to creating an attractive, radiant room — a well-chosen pair of curtains or well-placed window valance can make all the difference. Regardless of their appearance, though, window dressings must work with the existing architecture. As Ringbom puts it, “Window treatments are a vital component of any room design.”

Frances Merrill, of Reath Design, sympathizes with those struggling to find the right dressing for their windows. “Curtains are so hard! The window treatment and the fabric used can make such a difference in how light moves through a room.”

On 1stDibs, the collection of antique and vintage curtains and valances for sale includes velvet curtains, mid-century curtains featuring interesting prints and other textiles for your space.