Shades come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and designs, and there is no doubt that homeowners have plenty of choices when it comes to window coverings. Some features overlap, but one style stands out for the range of options it can offer: cellular shades. Pairing beauty with function, these shades can help insulate the window while providing customizable light control, privacy and specialty solutions for different windows throughout the home.
So, what can cellular shades actually do? From top down bottom up operation and room darkening to motorization, specialty windows and even sliding glass doors, let’s explore some of the cellular shade features that can make a difference in your home.
Why Cellular Shades Offer So Much Flexibility
The signature honeycomb construction is what sets cellular shades apart. Inside the pleated fabric are air pockets, or cells, that help create an insulating layer at the window. This unique construction combines a clean, organized appearance with options for light control, privacy and comfort.
Duette® Honeycomb Shades offer an extensive selection of fabrics, pleat sizes and specialty features, while Applause® Honeycomb Shades provide another cellular option with a streamlined selection of fabrics and features. Rather than choosing based on appearance alone, consider which capabilities will be most useful for your windows and the way you live.
Top Down Bottom Up for Light & Privacy
Sometimes you don’t want to choose between natural light and privacy. Top down bottom up operation allows cellular shades to lower from the top of the window while the bottom portion remains covered. This can welcome daylight higher into the room while providing privacy where you need it.
This feature can be especially useful for street-facing rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms and other spaces where you want daylight without leaving the entire window exposed. Explore top down bottom up shades to learn more about using this type of light and privacy control throughout your home.
Room Darkening for Better Light Control
Cellular shades can also provide a wide range of light control, from softly filtering incoming sunlight to creating a much darker environment. Room-darkening fabrics are a useful choice for bedrooms, media spaces and other rooms where reducing incoming light is a priority.
For even greater darkness, Duette shades can be paired with the LightLock™ system, which uses side channels designed to reduce the light that can enter around the edges of the shade. If darkness is one of your main priorities, explore our room darkening and blackout shade solutions to compare the available options.
Dual Shades for Changing Light
What if you want filtered natural light during part of the day and greater privacy or darkness at another time? Dual shades combine two fabrics at one window, allowing you to adjust your window covering as your needs change.
With Duolite®, a light-filtering or sheer cellular fabric can be paired with a room-darkening fabric in one shade. That flexibility can be especially useful in bedrooms and multi-purpose rooms where the ideal level of light changes throughout the day. Learn more about dual shades and how two fabrics can work together at the window.
Cellular Shades for Specialty Windows
One of the advantages of cellular shades is their ability to accommodate windows that aren’t always easy to cover. Depending on the window and collection, cellular shades can be customized for arches, angles, skylights and other specialty shapes.
This versatility makes cellular shades worth considering when your home includes a combination of traditional and uniquely shaped windows. Instead of leaving a specialty window uncovered, a custom solution can help coordinate its appearance and function with the rest of the room. Explore our specialty shape window treatments for more ideas.
TrackGlide™ for Doors & Specialty Windows
Some windows need a shade that can stay securely in place as the window or door moves. TrackGlide™ uses narrow tracks along the sides of the glass to guide Duette Honeycomb Shades, making cellular shades possible on openings where a traditional shade may not be practical.
The system can be useful for tilt-turn windows, French doors and other applications where the shade needs to remain close to the glass. If you’re dealing with an unusual operating window, explore our window treatments for tilt and turn windows to see how specialty systems can help.
Vertiglide® for Sliding Glass Doors
Cellular shades aren’t limited to horizontal windows. Duette® Vertiglide turns the honeycomb design vertically, creating a cellular solution for wide openings and sliding glass doors.
The shade travels horizontally instead of raising and lowering, making it better suited to the way sliding doors operate. It’s one of several options available when you need to coordinate large doors with nearby windows. You can explore more window treatments for sliding glass doors to compare solutions for these wide expanses of glass.
Motorized Cellular Shades
Cellular shades can offer control at your fingertips, too. Motorization makes it easier to adjust shades on large, high or hard-to-reach windows, and it can simplify controlling several shades throughout a room.
With PowerView® Automation, compatible cellular shades can be adjusted with a remote, app or compatible smart home system. You can also schedule shades to move at certain times of day, helping your window coverings respond to changing sunlight and your daily routine. Explore motorized shades and PowerView® Automation to learn more about automated window treatments.
Energy Efficiency & Insulation
Of course, we can’t discuss cellular shade features without mentioning the honeycomb design that made them famous. The interior cells trap air at the window, creating an insulating layer between the room and the glass. This can help reduce heat transfer and make rooms more comfortable throughout Austin’s hot summers and cooler weather.
Different cellular constructions, fabrics and window applications can affect performance, so energy efficiency is something to consider as part of the entire window treatment design. If improving comfort and insulation is your primary goal, learn more about our energy-efficient window treatments and the options available for Austin homes.
What About Cellular Roller Shades?
If you love the softness of cellular fabric but prefer the streamlined operation of a roller shade, Sonnette® Cellular Roller Shades offer another option. The cellular fabric rolls neatly into the headrail, creating a clean look while still providing the insulating qualities of cellular construction.
Sonnette shades also offer options that can help accommodate different windows and operating needs, including cordless control, motorized wand control, forward roll and applications for bay and bow windows. It’s a different take on cellular design for homeowners who prefer the appearance and operation of a roller shade.
Which Cellular Shade Features Are Right for You?
It’s all about controlling the light and creating the way you want a room to look and feel. You might need privacy without losing daylight, better control for a bedroom, a solution for an unusual window or convenient automation for shades you adjust throughout the day. The right features depend on your windows and how you use each space.
Our Austin Window Fashions team can help you compare cellular shade fabrics, operating systems and specialty features to find the right combination for your home. Contact us to schedule a FREE in-home consultation and explore your options.
