What is a Cornice?

Custom Cornice Board with Hunter Douglas Shade

A cornice is a decorative framework or molding that is located along the top of some sort of design element. Typically, both indoor and outdoor cornices help to enhance the overall appearance of the area where they are placed. Different types of cornices are available, with some interior designs utilizing the device as part of window treatments, and some outdoor applications using the device as ornamentation on a wall, arch, or the top of a building.

Inside the home, a window cornice is sometimes used to conceal the hardware that holds the draperies in place. Also known as a cornice board, this application calls for the creation of what often resembles an open-ended box that covers the top of the drapery panels, hiding the curtain rod from view. Boards of this type are usually made from wood and covered with batting and fabric to match the draperies. However, there are lightweight cornices constructed from foam panels that can be covered with fabric or even with leftover wallpaper.

The board is hung so that it obscures the view of the drapery hardware, as well as the top of the panels.

Ceiling cornices are also common design elements in some homes. One application involves the strategic placement of elongated cornices to hide recessed lighting fixtures. This creates a look where the light seems to softly project from the device, making it an ideal approach to creating light in various points of the room without the need to use glaring overhead lights or even table lamps to set the mood.

Outside, the cornice can be used to dress up a wall with relative ease. The design element works well when placed atop a dividing wall, or can be added somewhere along the upper portion of the wall to help create a framework for other elements, such as decorate metal fittings. While outdoor cornice boards are often plain, they can also be intricately detailed and add visual interest to an otherwise utilitarian wall.