Cellular shades covering tall windows and a wide patio door

Soft structure

Cellular & Honeycomb Shades

A streamlined fabric shade with insulating cellular construction and flexible privacy options.

Understand cellular / honeycomb shades

What the product is—and what makes it different.

Cellular shades use folded fabric cells to create a clean profile at the window. Their combination of softness, compact stacking, privacy choices, and insulating structure makes them a versatile starting point for bedrooms, living areas, nurseries, and whole-home projects.

Choose cellular shades over a flatter roller shade when insulating structure, a softer pleated texture, or flexible top-down privacy is a priority.

Product benefits

Why choose cellular / honeycomb shades?

Compare the practical strengths of this product family and how they relate to your room, opening, and daily routine.

Comfort-conscious

The cellular structure creates an insulating air space at the glass; exact performance varies by fabric and construction.

Flexible privacy

Available configurations can preserve privacy while admitting light, depending on the selected product.

Quiet profile

The fabric stack is visually restrained and works with many interior styles.

Choose your cellular / honeycomb shades

The actual decisions that change performance and appearance.

Availability varies by manufacturer, collection, dimensions, and application. These are the product-specific choices NBWC verifies before ordering.

Single- or multi-cell construction

Cell depth and the number of fabric layers change the shade's profile, stack, light behavior, and insulating structure. More is not automatically better for every opening.

Light-filtering or room-darkening

Light-filtering fabric softens daylight and increases privacy; room-darkening fabric blocks substantially more light, though edge gaps still matter.

Top-down/bottom-up

The shade can expose glass at the top while covering the lower portion. This is useful where daylight and eye-level privacy compete.

Day-and-night combinations

Some systems pair two fabrics in one opening so the homeowner can switch between a lighter daytime layer and greater nighttime coverage.

Cordless or motorized

Cordless lift keeps the profile simple. Motorization is useful for repeated daily adjustments, groups of windows, or locations that are difficult to reach.

Applications

Where this product can make sense.

The opening, room, access, glass, and daily routine determine whether the selected configuration is appropriate.

Bedrooms and nurseries

Room-darkening fabrics and optional edge-light strategies can improve sleep conditions while keeping the treatment visually soft.

Street-facing rooms

Top-down/bottom-up operation can preserve lower-window privacy while admitting daylight above, where the selected system supports it.

Patio doors and broad openings

Vertical cellular constructions can cover some doors and wide openings with a compact stack; exact size and fabric availability must be confirmed.

Skylights and specialty windows

Guided or tensioned specialty systems may suit sloped or hard-to-reach glass when a standard free-hanging shade will not.

Cellular shades covering a tall angled window and adjacent door

Measured for the real opening

Professional planning protects the finished result.

Accurate depth and width measurements matter for a consistent reveal, clean stacking, smooth operation, and proper clearance from handles and trim.

Bedrooms and nurseries
Privacy with softened daylight
Windows where insulating comfort matters
A clean whole-home look

Colors, fabrics & finishes

Browse fabrics, colors, and finishes by brand and collection.

Screen color and texture vary by device. Compare the physical sample in your room before making a final selection.

Brand

Norman

103 available selections from this brand for this product.

Product / collection

Portrait Honeycomb Shades103 selections

Light Filtering Designer Solus Collection

12 selections

Fabric

Modern Tan

Fabric

Dusty Lilac

Fabric

Serene

Fabric

Pearl Sand

Fabric

Sweet Cream

Fabric

Modern White

Fabric

White Lace

Fabric

Warm Black

Fabric

Denim

Fabric

Midnight

Fabric

Dim Gray

Fabric

Steel

Breeze Woven

5 selections

Fabric

Almond Milk

Fabric

Flax

Fabric

Sand

Fabric

Khaki

Fabric

Dune

Windsong Woven

8 selections

Fabric

Linen Weave

Fabric

Coffee

Fabric

Burnt Ember

Fabric

Black Magic

Fabric

Dawn

Fabric

Cotton

Fabric

Toasted Wheat

Fabric

Glazed Pecan

Light Filtering

36 selections

Fabric

Natural Cream

Fabric

Harbor

Fabric

Bright White

Fabric

Marshmallow

Fabric

Ivory

Fabric

Gray Violet

Fabric

Dove

Fabric

Shale

Fabric

Terra

Fabric

Mica

Fabric

Slate

Fabric

Heather

Fabric

Crystal

Fabric

Jet Black

Fabric

Graphite

Fabric

Ginger Spice

Fabric

Petal

Fabric

Rose

Fabric

Coral

Fabric

Chocolate

Fabric

Chestnut

Fabric

Soft Taupe

Fabric

Creamy

Fabric

Sand

Light Filtering Designer Portola Collection

4 selections

Fabric

Smokey Violet

Fabric

Urban Gray

Fabric

Quarry

Fabric

Silver Coin

Light Filtering Designer Langley Collection

4 selections

Fabric

Fresh Brew

Fabric

Winter Solstice

Fabric

Sterling

Fabric

Canvas

Light Filtering 9/16" Cell

2 selections

Fabric

Marshmallow

Fabric

Ivory

Room Darkening Designer Langley Collection

4 selections

Fabric

Winter Solstice

Fabric

Sterling

Fabric

Fresh Brew

Fabric

Canvas

Room Darkening Designer Portola Collection

4 selections

Fabric

Storm Cloud

Fabric

Titanium

Fabric

Dawn

Fabric

Magnetic Gray

Room Darkening 9/16" Cell

1 selection

Fabric

Mocha

Sheer

5 selections

Fabric

Seapearl

Fabric

Cloudy Chiffon

Fabric

Cloud White

Fabric

Nightfall

Fabric

Jersey Cream

FR Essentials

3 selections

Fabric

Powder

Fabric

Eggshell Cream

Fabric

Icicle

Flame Resistant Light Filtering

10 selections

Fabric

Ice Mist

Fabric

Cotton

Fabric

Moonshine

Fabric

Ashley Gray

Fabric

Silvery Blue

Fabric

Earth

Fabric

Travertine

Fabric

Mascarpone

Fabric

Calla Lily

Fabric

Toasted Beige

Flame Resistant Room Darkening

5 selections

Fabric

Rustic Taupe

Fabric

Pale Gray

Fabric

Sweet Custard

Fabric

Blizzard Fog

Fabric

White Ice

Limitations & tradeoffs

What to confirm before choosing cellular / honeycomb shades.

Compare the practical limits alongside the benefits so the selected treatment fits the opening and your expectations.

Edge light remains a design factor

Even room-darkening fabric does not guarantee complete darkness. Mounting method, side gaps, sill, and optional channels affect the result.

Pleat scale changes the look

Cell size and fabric color affect how quiet or pronounced the horizontal rhythm feels, especially across large groups of windows.

Specialty operation narrows choices

Top-down, vertical, skylight, and motorized configurations may not share every fabric or size option in a standard collection.

Questions homeowners ask

Practical answers about cellular / honeycomb shades.

Are cellular and honeycomb shades the same thing?

The terms are commonly used interchangeably. Both describe folded fabric cells that create air pockets at the glass.

Will a room-darkening cellular shade make a bedroom completely dark?

It can greatly reduce light through the fabric, but light may remain at the edges. Mounting position, window construction, and optional side-channel solutions determine how dark the room can become.

Resources & downloads