Cellular Blinds: How to Customize Them for Your Windows in Every Room

Ok, hands up if you've had venetian track blinds on the windows of your home and had them break when they inexplicably managed to get out of alignment through no fault of your own. It seems track blinds have become the most common form of blind in many a dwelling, especially apartments. The reason, of course, is because they're generally cheaper to buy and can still provide the basics of privacy and bringing light in at various angles when you want it. But they aren't made of materials that equal energy efficiency. Generally, most venetian blinds are either made of wood or have vertical strips made of flimsy plastic. With cellular blinds, though, you have a honeycomb-shaped blind with so many useful options, it's a wonder they haven't usurped every blind on every window of the world.

Well, the only thing that hasn't placed them in every household is cost and because you have so many choices in what kind of cellular blind can work the best for your window and room. If you've never seen a cellular blind, it's basically multiple cells joined together to give that illusion of looking akin to a honeycomb. And unless you open your windows with no screens, you won't have to worry about bees congregating on these blinds. The focus on cellular blinds beyond the more efficiency in filtering light is in the shape, the color and the style of the fabric.

Unlike other blinds, you can customize cellular blinds to any particular style you want. Some home improvement stores (particularly Lowe's) provide customizable cellular blinds by manufacturers such as Levolor. Also, keep in mind that when you're dealing with customizing, price range doesn't necessarily have to be overly expensive as I insinuated above. Keep in mind, however, about the superior usefulness of cellular blinds and how paying a little more can be worth it for the sake of privacy, light filtering and better stylization for your home.

When first going out to shop for cellular blinds, you'll have to choose the fabric style you'll want based on how much light you prefer having in any particular room. These blinds usually have four fabric styles:

Sheer fabric

This one might be considered somewhat controversial in that it's thin enough so you can see both in and out all the time. The reason it's even sold at all is because it's one of the best ones in filtering softer natural light into any room. Obviously, it's not recommended installing this one on the windows of your bathroom or bedroom. Yet for a guest room for parties where you'd want decent light without it being overwhelming, it's perfect. Nevertheless, it always surprises me how many people buy them for rooms that should have more privacy.

Non-woven fabric

These are a little thicker, so they'll look more typical of general blinds. But these also have see-thru ability both in and out and can be made to be more energy efficient than any of the four. You can also say this was made for those of you worried about friends thinking you're strange having see-thru blinds--despite these blinds giving the illusion they're not.

Woven fabric

Consider this fabric to be the compromise between wanting softer light coming in, though with more privacy in what people can see looking in or out. On a woven fabric, you'll only be able to make out indistinct shapes when looking through them. For some people, that's bad enough, especially when used in a room that shouldn't be presentable to anybody in the outside world or from a neighboring window across the way.

Blockout fabric

Self-explanatory fabric that blocks out most to all light, except for allowing a fraction of light to shine through so you'll know it's morning if you didn't set an alarm clock. The most useful aspect to this cellular blind is that it also acts as a semi insulator so you don't get heat trapped in a room with no air conditioning.

Another outstanding part of customizing your cellular blinds come in the different shapes you can buy to fit a particularly unusual situation on a window. For example, if you've ever tried to place a track blind on a window with an air conditioner, you'll know that trimming the plastic strips to allow a cutout space is a major hassle. With cellular blinds you can buy a pre-made cutout set for said situation as well as all other window shapes, including arches.

Yes, you can learn a little about geometry while looking at all the available and variable shapes.

Also good news for those of you who find it annoying having a cord dangling to the side of your blinds: Cellular blinds are customizable so you don't even need a cord. Many are made to pull up or down by hand on any shape window without having to deal with installing an old roller blind. This isn't to say that you can't buy cellular blinds without lift cords. The cords, however, are the same color of the blinds you select so they blend to give the appearance they aren't even there.

All of these customizable features and myriad color scheme choices stand alone from anything else out there. One I found the most innovative is in the cellular blind that allows spaces at the top and bottom of the window that can be lowered or raised depending on your lighting needs. This might look unusual on a window at first.

You'll nevertheless find it being a trendy look as is any variation of a cellular blind.

Link to Levolar, a leading company of customizable cellular blinds:

http://www.levolor.com/products/cellular-shades/overview.php