With internet becoming widespread, it’s possible nowadays to buy blinds online and have them delivered at your home in a few days. This is a very convenient shopping method, first of all because you save a lot of time, and in the second place because you can also save money. Virtual showrooms and stores don’t have to pay rent, they don’t need so many employees, therefore operating costs are much lower than in case of brick and mortar window treatments stores.

What Type of Blinds Can Be Purchased Online

Many people think that it’s difficult to buy blinds online, because one needs to know how to measure in order to be able to choose those sizes. This is why they prefer to have a window treatments specialist installer come at their place and take the measures.

There’s no need to worry about correctly measuring your windows. Most online blinds stores offer detailed measuring instructions with drawings, for all types of window blinds they sell, be them Venetian blinds, roller shades, Roman blinds, timber blinds, drapes, pelmets or valances or roller blind valances. You’ll find instructions for every type of mount, either we are taking about recess mount or face mount, or if your windows have architraves or not, so measuring is only a matter of paying attention.

When you buy blinds online, you can either choose your color directly from the website, or order swatch samples of all colors and materials and have them delivered to you so you can see how they look in reality. Some online blinds and shades stores deliver such samples free of charge, others charge $1 per sample, others have flexible conditions.

Cordless cellular blinds are the latest craze when it comes to window coverings. We’ve expected that to happen somehow, because of two reasons:

First of all, cellular blinds are appreciated because of their energy-efficiency which makes them good money savers on long term. Their honeycomb structure acts like a barrier, preventing cold air to get into the room and to form air drafts. If you were curious to touch your windows during cold winter days, you’ve probably noticed that the glass surface is cold, even if you have those modern double-glazed windows with low-E glass panes. This is why even is such cases, installing cellular blinds will still improve your R-value.

The reason for more and more people choosing cordless blinds and shades is that they have children or pets, and those cords are really a hazard. They can easily get tangled and strangle a curious cat or a baby who thinks window blinds are the best toys ever.

Combining these two considerations, we come to the conclusion that cordless cellular blinds are the way to go for secure homes with lower energy bills. Of course such window coverings come with a price tag, but thinking on the long run, it’s a good investment. Here are a few of the cheaper cordless cellular blinds models we could find:

Levolor 9/16” Designer Single Cell – for a limited time, Levolor offers the cordless option for free on these cellular blinds. At the 36” x 60” size, these shades cost $131. They are spring-motor activated, so they move by simply pushing or pulling the bottom rail. This system works fine on small and regular sized blinds, but in case you have big windows, cordless cellular blinds may not operate that smoothly on spring motors, therefore you may think of using those continuous cord loop systems.

Bali Diamond Cell 3/8” Single Cell (Solitaire) Cordless cellular shades: at 36” x 60”, these window shades cost $81 plus $36 for the cordless option. If you want to add also the top-down, bottom-up opening option to the cordless feature, you’ll have to pay $88 extra, but you’ll be able to open those shades from whatever end you wish.

What do you think? Is it worth paying extra to get cordless cellular blinds for your windows?

One of the most interesting collections of Hunter Douglas blinds and shades are the skyline gliding window panels. Their sleek contemporary look is suitable for very large windows in luxury homes or penthouse apartments. If needed, such window panels can be used as room dividers. Their privacy and light control degree goes from sheer to semi-opaque, total darkness being not an option for this kind of window coverings. Skyline makes a great choice for covering glass sliding doors, offering a contemporary look and a good sound absorption. The UV protection goes from good, 75% – 90%, to excellent, 90% – 95%, depending on the fabric choice. All fabrics are treated so they are dust and dirt repellent and some of them are also GREENGUARD certified. They can be cleaned by dusting and vacuuming, and also spot cleaning is allowed, but you should be careful not to rub too strongly.

Thanks to a special patented headrail system, one headrail can stand as many panels as you wish. Matching valances in eight coordinating colors are available, to offer you a perfect match with the interior of your room and with other elements of decor and furniture. The same colors are available also for the bottom weight and for the cord tensioner. The bottom weight is very useful in the smooth operation of the shades, and in preventing their tangling.

As many other products from Hunter Douglas, the Skyline gliding panels aren’t cheap, but their high quality and their beauty are worth the price.