Cellular shades might be the most popular window treatments in the world. They’re easy to use, a breeze to install, look great, and provide insulation against heat and cold. They’re the do-everything shade that work in almost any room in nearly any home. If you’re thinking of installing new shades, cellular shades need to be on your list.
A Cellular Shade Is Three-Dimensional
The special insulating qualities of cellular shades comes from their three-dimensional design. If you look at a set of cellular shades from the side, you’ll notice a honeycomb-shaped pattern. You are looking at the cross section of multiple air chambers that extend horizontally across the shades. These chambers capture air and this captured air provides insulation against heat, cold, and sound. This insulating quality means savings on your heating and cooling bills as well as a more comfortable home.
Privacy and Light Control
A particular cellular shade provides a level of light control and privacy based on the fabric you choose. You’ll find cellular shades in sheer and semi-sheer fabrics that are translucent, light-filtering fabrics that create a soft glowing light, and blackout fabrics that are just perfect for bedrooms and entertainment rooms. Choose from dozens of fabrics in each of these categories and enjoy endless possibilities for decorating with cellular shades.
A Range of Cell Sizes
Bali offers four different cell sizes to help you find a look that fits your style. The 9/16” single cell shade fabrics are great for smaller windows. Their classic look makes them extremely popular. The ½” double cell fabrics are a good choice for most windows and provides outstanding insulation against heat, cold, and sound. The ¾” single cell fabrics are designed for large windows, and the 1 ¼” single cell works well on large and extra-large windows. These are simply guidelines—the true test is how these fabrics look to you.
Despite their elegant appearance, cellular fabrics are tough. The fabrics are designed to be light, durable, and resilient. Even Bali’s luxury woven fabrics are light and durable. That said, care should be taken not to crush or bend the shades—a principle that holds true for every kind of blinds or window shades. A well cared for set of cellular shades can last many years.
Noise Reduction
One of the most interesting features of a cellular shade is its ability to dampen sound. That means sounds from outside are reduced, giving you a quieter, more comfortable room. This sound dampening property is a result of the same structures within the shade that insulate against heat and cold.
Other Cellular Shade Benefits
The list of cellular shade benefits goes on. Cellular shades can reduce the UV rays that enter your home, protecting your carpets, furniture, and other décor from sun damage. Cellular shades are also incredibly adaptable—you can order cellular shades that fit almost any window shape, including circular and trapezoidal shapes. And when cellular shades are fully open, the stack of fabric that forms at the top rail is much smaller than other types of shades—and that means more view to the outdoors when your shade is fully open.
The Benefits of Double Cell Fabrics
Many homeowners choose cellular shades for their insulation power. And while a single-cell fabric has outstanding insulating properties, the double-cell fabrics are the ultimate insulators. Choose the double-cell fabric for windows that are especially prone to drafts or are heated up by late afternoon sun. Learn more about the hidden benefits of cellular shades.
Choosing the Right Cellular Shades: A Room by Room Guide
There’s a cellular shade for every room. Let’s look at how to select the right shades for each of the rooms in your home. You’ll find a solution to fit every room design, personal routine, and décor.
Living Room
Many homeowners opt for sheer or semi-sheer cellular shades for their living rooms. These shades allow in lots of light and give you a good view to the outdoors. They provide some privacy and light control during the day, but aren’t a solution if privacy is a top concern. Sheer and semi-sheer cellular blinds look beautiful when layered with room-darkening drapery.
Entertainment Room
If you’re looking for the ideal space to watch movies and play video games, try one of Bali’s blackout cellular fabrics. You’ll get a very dark room with these easy-to-use shades.
Bedrooms
Bali blackout cellular shades are very popular for bedrooms. These shades will give you a very dark room on their own, but when paired with room-darkening side channels, these shades offer maximum light control.
Kitchens
People don’t often think about cellular shades in their kitchens, but they’re an excellent choice for windows not located close to water and stovetops. Semi-sheer and light-filtering fabrics are popular choices for the kitchen.
Special Challenges
One of the challenges homeowners encounter when covering the windows in their homes is wide windows and patio doors. Bali makes cellular shades for wide windows as well as vertical cellular shades. Vertical cellular shades can be used on any tall or wide window. They also work on sliding glass doors and patio doors.
Round, triangular, and trapezoidal windows can all be fitted with cellular shades. Bali custom crafts cellular shades to exactly fit your special window. There are few window shapes or sizes that Bali cannot cover.
See how shades look on the windows in your home using the Bali Visualizer.
Installation and Maintenance of Cellular Shades
Installing cellular shades is simple. Hold the top rail up to the mounting surface and mark the front corners onto the window case or trim. Then, measure four inches in from the marks. This is where you will install the brackets with screws. Finally, snap the top rail into the brackets.
Cleaning cellular shades is just as easy. The key to keeping your cellular shades clean is to work their cleaning into your regular cleaning routine. Simply use a feather duster on them or an upholstery attachment of a vacuum cleaner whenever your do your usual cleaning. Try to do this dusting or vacuuming routine once every month or so. This simple cleaning routine coupled with Bali’s limited lifetime warranty means you’ll enjoy many years of worry-free use.
Bottom Line
Cellular shades might be the easiest window treatment solution on the market. The clean, crisp pleats and excellent insulating properties make them top performers in the shade category. Those horizontal pleats play well against the curves of drapery. And the simple control systems allow you to raise and lower your shades with ease.
Discover all the design possibilities cellular shades have to offer. Bali Cellular Shades combine premium quality with on-trend colors and design to give you a window treatment solution that can work on nearly any window in your home.
