Cellular Shades: adding a soft touch to a rustic room

Our first space we tackled is right in the heart of our home, our open layout living and dining area. We spend the majority of our time in our combined family and dining room, with the wall of windows being my favorite original design feature. However, large older windows usually equals poor insulation with energy inefficiency, which was the case for us. This room would be stifling hot in the summer, and frigid cold in the winter. The lack of insulating window treatments limited our time in our favorite room almost 5 months of the year! In spite of central heat and air conditioning, this room was always about 7-10 degrees different than the other rooms in our home, which led to uncomfortable temperatures during the more extreme seasonal months in the Midwest. When looking at all of the window treatments Kirsch had to offer, energy efficiency was the highest priority for our family room and dining space. I kept in mind the goals for the space: to have a beautiful and functional space where our family and friends can gather, make memories, and be comfortable.

We looked at Cellular Shades, Roller Shades, and Screen Shades to start. A key feature these shades have in common is great light filtering options, which is perfect to let soft light in while minimizing harsh glare and UV damage. Before the addition of Cellular Shades, the afternoon bright light from the wall of windows would be so bothersome we would rush through dinner to avoid the uncomfortable light glare. There were several opacity options to choose from, ranging from nearly sheer to light blocking. Our Cellular Shades are light filtering, allowing a lovely amount of light to come in, while softening any harsh light making the room accessible at every hour through the day. There were so many color options, with varying textural details to choose from with a clean and modern design as the foundation of every shade. Cellular Shades were an easy choice after learning about their unique honeycomb design and cellular construction features. The structure of the cellular shades has air pockets that act as insulators, which improves energy efficiency and reduces heating and cooling costs. Besides the cost saving benefit, we feel the temperature difference! We’ve gotten to experience all the seasons with the shades in place, and have enjoyed every single month at a comfortable temperature. In fact, with the shade addition that room is now the same temperature as the rest of our house! 

The Cellular Shades offered a soft design layer against the dark wood trim, and a modern and rustic contrast is always a favorite juxtaposition of mine. Given the wide range of color choices, textures, and opacity levels, I was able to find a shade that met every functional need and contributed to the room’s aesthetic. Their streamlined appearance adds to a clean, uncluttered look, enhancing the overall design of the room when in use, or not. The shades add a beautiful, finishing layer to the room when in use, and nearly disappear visually when closed, letting the outdoor view shine. Bonus, the shades help absorb sound making the space quiet and more peaceful, and can be opened top down or bottom up. I would be doing a disservice to skip over the biggest feature that makes these shades my dream shades: the motorization. With the motorization feature, you can open and close your shades with the convenience of an app, or with a Kirsch remote. The Kirsch app allows you to create schedules that can be adjusted day to day and room to room. The shades can even be paired with Alexa allowing the ease of voice control!

A major advantage when choosing an energy efficient Cellular Shade is the potential to qualify for a federal tax credit. You can save up to $1,200 on select shade styles! A beautiful, timeless shade option that offers the best mix of form and function, and qualifies for a tax credit- yes, please! Kirsch Cellular Shades make the heart of our home feel exactly how it should, perfectly comfortable. 

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