Pelmet

{{Short description|Textile cover of the uppermost part of a window}} {{Refimprove|date=January 2010}}

thumb|right|Formal interior with timber pelmets from which the curtains and swags are hung thumb|right|External decorative pelmets fitted within a brick and stone window opening [[File:Toulouse-lambrequin.jpg|thumb|right|A pelmet in Toulouse]] A '''pelmet''' (also called a "cornice board") is a framework placed above a window, used to conceal curtain fixtures. These can be used decoratively (to hide the curtain rod) and help insulate the window by preventing convection currents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.yourgreendream.com/articles_pelmets.php|title=How Pelmets drop your heating bills dramatically|website=YourGreenDream|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180319215237/http://www.yourgreendream.com/articles_pelmets.php|archive-date=March 19, 2018|access-date=January 24, 2019}}</ref> It is similar in appearance to a valance, which performs the same function but is made of fabric. A pelmet can be made of plywood, and may be painted, or fabric covered.

In kitchen design, a "light pelmet" or "light rail" is placed under cabinets to hide lighting.

Exterior timber pelmets are a feature of some historic buildings, fitted on the outside of a window. These may be plain or decorative, with complex fretwork in some examples. These may be purely decorative, or serve to conceal an external blind mechanism.

Due to the appearance of a pelmet, the term is often used to describe an extremely short skirt.<ref>{{cite news|last=Arnold|first=Sue|title=There are worse things than a pelmet skirt|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/there-are-worse-things-than-a-pelmet-skirt-1081694.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/there-are-worse-things-than-a-pelmet-skirt-1081694.html |archive-date=2022-05-25 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|accessdate=13 October 2013|newspaper=The Independent|date=20 March 1999}}</ref>

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Category:Architectural elements