Cellular shades look great, are extremely versatile, provide privacy and they’re energy efficient too. They’re made of a flexible, forgiving material that can be customized to fit in any window—even odd shaped windows like an arch. When they’re up, their honeycomb-shaped cells fold into crisp pleats. When they’re down, they create a layer of insulation that can be maximized if you choose double over single cells.
Cell shades were the perfect solution for one of my clients who turned an old house into her law office. The windows didn’t have much insulation and were very drafty—like the windows in most old houses. We chose cell shades for their insulation and they were light filtering too, to keep the glare off her computer screen. In this case, our pick was the ColorLux linen light filtering cell shades.
Cell shades are available in four different opacities from sheer to opaque. Opaque cell shades can be light filtering or room darkening. And there are hundreds of colors to choose from.
They also come in top down bottom up (TDBU) options, which means you can lower the shades from the top, raise them from the bottom, or do both. They’re cordless, which is much safer for your children and pets. And there are motorized choices too, for those high windows or hard-to-reach places like over the tub or sink.
Another one of my clients loves cell shades, so she had them installed in all her rooms. She specifically loves the TDBU feature because it’s great for her cats! She can raise the shade a little bit at the bottom for the cat to see out. But she also has the option to lower the shade from the top and leave most of the bottom closed to get privacy and more light.
If your room needs more decorative elements, cell shades are a wonderful layering option under other window treatments like drapes, a valance or cornice.
Cell shades tend to be used in bedrooms and bathrooms for their insulating properties and for the flexibility of controlling light and privacy. But, don’t get me wrong, they work great in all spaces.
