Word of the day: valance

The word of the day is valance:

1. a short curtain or piece of draperythat is hung from the edge of acanopy, from the frame of a bed, etc.
2. a short ornamental piece of draperyplaced across the top of a window. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/valance)

"Homey pink, pleated valances framed windows overlooking a courtyard enclosed by the reddish-brown tapestry brick of the old hospital building."

 - Sheri Fink, Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital (2013)