The cornice boards may be upholstered in fabric, wood-painted or wood-stained, and can be used with curtains and blinds or shades. There are other ways of creating cornice boards using alternative materials such as styrofoam. It is lightweight, and it is much easier to install.
Cornice boards also come in different styles – shaped, arched, tailored, and the modern cornice.
The shaped cornice has a swag shape at the center where its made longer when the size widens.
An arched cornice is the reverse of a swag, and similar to the shaped cornice, it becomes longer when the width changes. A straight bottom edge with a 16” drop from the top of the cornice board meets the arch on both sides.
The tailored cornice is much simpler with its bottom edge that’s plain straight.
The modern cornice on the other hand, offers the same straight bottom edge of the tailored cornice, but in the middle angles down to a straight bottom that is a bit longer towards the front edge of the board. It is sort of a combination tailored and arched cornices but with straight edges at the bottom. This applies to all lengths.
If you intend to make your own cornice board, it is easy enough. You may click on this link to watch a video of a do-it-yourself instructional: Part I and Part II or check out this article.
Cornice kits, which include all the materials you will need to make your own cornice board with different materials. At DIYDecorator.com, they offer cornice kits with laminated wood.
The laminated wood gives off a professional appearance. DIYDecorating.com’s kits are lightweight, which sort of solves the problem of weight when wood is used. To start the project, just measure the window length, adding 2 inches for window clearance. Check also InteriorMall.com or CorniceKits.com.
Wood cornice boards are more durable and stronger. This was what we used to make in the days of old. You may use fiberboard to cover the wood in fabric, or you may use the wood as it is, painted or stained. It gives the room an aura of elegance, and can be coordinated to complement the style of the existing woodwork. Some cornice boards can also double as display shelves.
To extend the room’s theme, you may use stencils or patterns that would complement the existing woodwork. Other options for cornice boards that you may want to consider include paint, decoupage treatments, as well as paint, wallpaper or decoupage treatments; as well as decorative trims and moldings.
Whatever type of cornice board you choose to use, you must make sure that it is secured on the wall properly.