Vertical Cellular Shades

You may think that vertical shades are passé. But not necessarily. Today, vertical cellular shades provide a sleek look that also helped reduce your footprint on the environment. They are definitely not your grandmother's slider shades. Not at all.

True, you can find vertical blinds in wood or faux wood, vinyl and even fabric. Their advantage is they can cover a larger area and still let in some light and view without compromising your privacy. They slide off to the side for an unobstructed full window view, unlike horizontal blinds that can take up a fourth of the window sill space. So when you want nature to stream into your room, verticals are the way to go. When hung on the outer mountings instead of the inside ones, they also provide more of a room darkening effect and can block the heat and cold. Most come with a valance at the top to hide any mechanism from view and give a cleaner line. They also are easy to clean and catch less dust than their horizontal cousins. So, verticals are not as old fashion as you think.

Even better are cellular shades, which can also come in vertical designs. Cellular window shades are lighter weight, yet their honey-combed air pockets allow more insulating without eliminating the filter of light into the room. What's more, you can match the sliders to the regular cellular shades in your home for a more pulled together (no pun intended) look. So whether you decide to go with vertical cellular shades throughout your home or just on a slider, it can still look contemporary. Choose a traditional fabric like a Dansk or floral for a more classic look. In dens and children's rooms try plaids or stripes, or perhaps bright colored vertical cellular shades.

When it comes to letting the light in but not the summer heat or bitter winter cold, vertical cellular shades have a good R factor. That is the measurement for energy loss in a room. The honeycombed style pleats have air pockets in between that act as pillows to keep the temperature outside from seeping into your nice comfortable room. You'll hear the AC/HVAC unit kick on less often and definitely notice the difference in your monthly bills.

There are even motorized cellular shades for those who don't want to get up and draw them open or closed. No matter what style or pleat size you choose, the verticals are as practical as they can be stylish.

However, make sure you measure correctly to get the right look. If measuring several windows and sliders, make up a table and keep all of your heights and widths in the same order. Unlike curtains, vertical should just barely scrape the floor or carpet at the bottom, not "pool". Measure vertical shades on the outside mounting, beyond any side molding, not to fit flush inside as horizontal ones often are. Be sure to allow for the valance at the top. Also, blind measurements rounded up to the next 1/8" of an inch are standard. So keep that fact in mind when choosing your vertical cellular shades.

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