Why might you consider cellular shades? Made from two or more layers of fabric woven together to create three-dimensional “honeycomb” cells that extend when open and stack when closed, cellular shades are a crisp look that diffuse light and provide excellent privacy. Due to their design, cellular shades reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer, and many styles come with cordless controls so you don’t have to worry about hanging cords being a danger for small children or pets.

Should you choose top down/bottom up or top down cellular shades? This depends on how much versatility you want with your cellular shades. Top down/bottom up cellular shades allow you to raise your shades from the bottom and lower the shade from the top at the same time, while top down only allows you to raise the shade from the sill. Though top down cellular shades can actually be larger in area, top down/bottom up cellular shades allow you to have more control over light and privacy.

What colors should you consider? This is largely dependent on how much light you want to let in. If you’re looking to block considerable light, opaque or dark-colored blinds will do the trick. If you’d like to allow significant light to filter through, try a light-colored or sheer shade. Note: all cellular shades will provide privacy, but you may detect shadows through the lighter shades.

What size cell should you choose? The cells themselves are available in single, double and triple cell designs. Your decision should be based on aesthetic preference as well as control of light, privacy, sound control and energy efficiency: triple cell offers the best functionality for all four qualities, while single cell offers the least.

How do you determine the right size? Carefully measure the inside of the window frame from top to bottom and from left to right, as well as the depth of the window to get the size right. Be sure to add 2" at the top to allow for mounting brackets.

Seek out different cellular shade options here to begin narrowing your search.