Honeycomb shades can compete with any other shade or window bind in terms of practical use. There are a considerable number of options and customizations available to ensure the best fit for your space. Each option on the table plays into your overall cost, and it can be hard to get a feeling for the price point. It’s our hope that you will find this post helpful and informative, and that you will feel equipped to make the right decisions for your home.
What Are Honeycomb Shades?
Honeycomb shades, also called cellular shades, hold small horizontal crisp pleats when lowered. The manufactured material feels and acts more like thin paper than fabric. These delicate shades perform very well in controlling light and temperature, have smooth operation even in a skylight, and can darken a theater room. Their unique cell structure allows them to trap the drafty air near the window, insulating your space and maintaining a comfortable temperature.
How Much Will I Spend?
The four manufacturers we chose as our examples provide quality honeycomb shades to the Upstate of South Carolina. The price ranges are for each of their standard, single-cell shades.
Hunter Douglas: Honeycomb Shades, Base Model with Headrail, Cordless:
- Single Window (36x60) price range: $250 - $1,100
- Double Window (72x60) price range: $475 - $1,950
Norman: Honeycomb Shades, Base Model with Headrail, Cordless:
- Single Window (36x60) price range: $200 - $600
- Double Window (72x60) price range: $300 - $1,050
Alta: Honeycomb Shades, Base Model with Headrail, Standard Cordlock:
- Single Window (36x60) price range: $250 - $600
- Double Window (72x60) price range: $450 - $1,100
Lafayette: ParasolR Cellular Shades, Base Model with Headrail, Cordless:
- Single Window (36x60) price range: $350 - $700
- Double Window (36x60) price range: $600 - $1,300
How Can I Customize My Honeycomb Shades?
Fabric: The price charts above are based on fabric type and cell size. Your fabric options include blackout, light-filtering, and sheer materials. Each option is available in a variety of colors which do not directly impact the pricing of your shades. Hunter Douglas, Alta, and Lafayette group all their fabrics together in pricing charts, including blackout and sheers, but Norman uses a simple 20% surcharge for blackout and sheer options. For extra safety, Norman also offers flame resistant fabric, which ranges in price from $600 for our example single window to $1,050 for our example double window.
Cell Size: There are six cell sizes available for honeycomb shades, ⅜”, ½”, 9/16”, ¾”, 1 ¼”, and 2”. The larger cell sizes cost more. For more insulation and light control, you can opt for a double-cell shade, consisting of two layers of cells. Companies like Alta and Hunter Douglas offer a hybrid cell option, one cell made up of two layers of fabric. This provides additional insulation and light filtering effects without the extra depth of the double-cell shade.
Specialty Shapes: Honeycomb shades can cover any shape and size, from a sliding glass door to a circle, hexagon, or arch. Depending on the shape needed, the surcharge is going to fluctuate quite a bit. For example, customization fees for a single window can range from $100 - $450 on top of the base price.
Vertical applications: Each manufacturer above offers a vertical version of their cellular shades. Hunter Douglas and Lafayette add a surcharge to the base price of the shade for the vertical shade system. The surcharge for a 75x82 shade over sliding glass doors would be $600 - $775 for a standard single-cell shade. When added to the base price, this would come to $1450 - $3000 per shade. On the other hand, instead of using a surcharge, Norman and Alta price their vertical shades independently, with costs from $1250 to $2400 for a standard single-cell shade for a 75x82 shade over sliding glass doors.
Top Down/Bottom Up: For a surcharge ranging from $75 - $150, you can select the (TDBU) top down/bottom up feature, which allows you to operate your shade from the top as well as the bottom for optimal light control.
Two Shades in One: Two shades mounted one on top of the other in one window is ideal as your light filtering needs change throughout the day. Typically homeowners opt for a sheer honeycomb paired with a more opaque option in order to get the widest range of light effects. Norman prices this option as two separate shades plus a $150 surcharge. But in the case of Hunter Douglas and Lafayette, the price will be determined by the cost of the more expensive of the two shades plus a surcharge of $225 - $400 per window.
Cordless: Of the four manufacturers listed above, Alta is the only one that does not offer a cordless option as their base model. Their cordless option surcharge ranges in price from $50 - $100.
Motorization: Motorization is a popular option for many because of its convenient functionality. While basic wired-wand motors can be roughly $150, a motor system capable of full automation can range from $300 - $900 per window.
Cellular shades fit anywhere and everywhere, softening the glare and keeping the temperature comfortable. The multitudes of fabric options, colors, cell sizes, and customizations ensure that there is a honeycomb for every situation. If you are looking to invest in the comfort and feel of your space, these shades may be a perfect fit.