# Honeycomb Shades & Silhouettes, etc - Opinions?



## Pat H (Mar 16, 2009)

I met with some window treatment companies for ideas/quotes for my new home in Sun City. Of course, the things I really liked were the most expensive. I really don't like blinds but I fell in love with the Silhouette & Luminette blinds with the sheer fabric. One decorator suggested the honeycomb shades but I wasn't crazy about them.

Does anyone have any of the above and can tell me how they feel about them? Are they easy to clean? Do they look nice for a long time? Any other suggestions for the decorating challenged would be appreciated.


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## Fern Modena (Mar 16, 2009)

Pat,
I don't know what most people have where you are, but you might try to see, because mostly things are the same in places.  When I lived in SF, I noticed that many people had curtains in their windows, believe it or not (I was shocked!).  When we lived in Antioch, we had mini-blinds with cornices.  Now we have Plantation Shutters at all the windows, and I have to tell you, I love the look.  It is clean and tailored, and there isn't much upkeep at all.  A bit of dusting once in a while.  No washing, etc.

I know one thing I saw that I thought was cool, it was those blinds that are _inside_ the windows.  At least I thought they were cool until I saw a broken one.  I wondered if it was fixable or if you had to replace the whole window.  Not for me...

Fern


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## wegottago (Mar 16, 2009)

We saw these blinds also today as we are remodeling our dining room.  They are beautiful.  For a 100"W x 84"L window she quoted about $1700!  with a $200 rebate.  I almost passed out....


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## DeniseM (Mar 16, 2009)

We have had plantation shutters for about 10 years and they are great and very low maintenance.  I don't think you could break them under normal use and you can dust them and wipe them down with mild cleaners for easy maintenance.  I actually use the shop vac with a brush on mine, and that works great.


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## Mydogs2big (Mar 16, 2009)

I had the honeycomb blinds?  I didn't like them because they got dusty and are hard to clean.  I also could not see well through them and prefer sheers or open blinds for a semi private feeling.

We have the plantation shutters, but I'm not too keen on opening them up all the way and they are too thick to really see well through.  Plus I prefer to layer my windows so that I can decorate with coordinating fabric, but still have my privacy screening.

For me the perfect remedy which I used at our second home was the white faux wood 2" blinds.  Of course, I have white vinyl windows so they match.

Easy to clean, attractive, easy to see through or pull out of sight, and they go well with each rooms different fabric treatments or none.


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## tlwmkw (Mar 16, 2009)

We have the honey comb shades- they do seem to insulate well but they are hard to clean.  I wouldn't use them in an area where they might get much dirt on them.  We have some in our kitchen and DS ruined them while still in a high chair- food stains that won't come out.  We also have them in bedrooms and those have fared much better.  I like the plantation shutters and also the faux wood or real wood 2inch blinds- we have those in some areas and they are very low maintenance.


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## sun starved Gayle (Mar 16, 2009)

We have honeycomb blinds and they are wonderful insulators.  When I open them in the morning in the winter, I can just feel the cold air that was being held back drop down.  And in the summer, they help keep the house a lot cooler than in the rooms that I do not have them.  That might be a concern in Sun City.

I vacuum them with the soft brush attachment and have had no problem keeping them clean.  I do not have them in area where they would be affected by food splatters. 

They are not sheer, but I like that.

I would buy them again.

Gayle


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## NWL (Mar 16, 2009)

sun starved Gayle said:


> We have honeycomb blinds and they are wonderful insulators.  When I open them in the morning in the winter, I can just feel the cold air that was being held back drop down.  And in the summer, they help keep the house a lot cooler than in the rooms that I do not have them.  That might be a concern in Sun City.
> 
> I vacuum them with the soft brush attachment and have had no problem keeping them clean.  I do not have them in area where they would be affected by food splatters.
> 
> ...



Ditto!  

Although if you like the sheer fabric of the Silhouette & Luminette blinds, keep in mind they won't provide the insulating/sun blocking features that sun Starved Gayle and I enjoy.  

Let us know what you choose!


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## Rose Pink (Mar 16, 2009)

I use the double cell blinds for privacy.  They do help insulate as others have mentioned.  I don't have a problem cleaning them--just vacuum.  I tend to pull them up during the day so they don't get all that dusty to begin with.  I think they look nicer than slatted blinds.  You can get them in several colors to match your walls, etc.  You can also get ones that block out all light which would be good for a bedroom.

In my living room I had the cells for nighttime privacy with a sheer curtain over that for daytime privacy but would let in some light.  I also had heavy draperies for decor.  I want to go to plantation shutters as draperies get dusty and I hate having to vacuum them down every week (so I don't) and the expense of having them professionally cleaned is expensive--hundreds of dollars.

We remodeled our living room and now the window openings are just an inch or so narrower so the cells no longer fit inside the window casing.  We are wondering if we can have an inch cut off the end--I think it's doable as long as we don't cut close to the pull strings inside the cells.  Also, the color of the cells may not match the color of the walls (we haven't picked that out yet) so that is something to consider if you change wall colors often.

The size of your windows will determine the cost of course but you may want to try Home Depot to see how much they charge.


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## LynnW (Mar 16, 2009)

We have honeycomb shades in the living room and I love them. They are easy to vacuum with a soft brush. In the bedroom we have the double cells which really keep out the light. Remember Hunter Douglas will also replace anything that goes wrong with the hardware free. We got ours at Home Depot.


Lynn


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## Pat H (Mar 16, 2009)

It seems that everyone has wooden blinds or planatation shutters from what I can see driving around. I don't like the shutters enough to pay the extra money over blinds. The silhouettes are dark enough for me in the bedroom. Light doesn't bother me or keep me awake. It's the price that might keep me awake although if I'm going to splurge anywhere it will be in the master bedroom. 

I can't figure out what to do about the slider. Seems like there aren't many options except vertical blinds (yuck), honeycomb/cell shades (not sure if I like this look) or luminette (expensive). Any other ideas? 

Anyone have/seen the nantucket blinds? Similar to a silhouette but a lot less expensive.

The second quote I got was mostly blinds with window treatments, e.g. swags and valances. That price was quite a bit less.

The other person who came was really into blinds with window treatments. The quote I got today was absolutely ridiculous. It was almost $8000 and they actually charged additional for installation. I won't be going with that one!

I know I could go to Lowes/Home Depot and buy blinds but then I would need someone to install them. Then have to buy curtains and have them put up. No, I am not doing it myself. One of my new neighbors already offered to help but since I really don't know him, I'm not comfortable taking him up on his offer. Not that it's an issue of trust but I feel like I'm imposing. I've never had anything like this done by a professional and want to indulge a little on what will hopefully be my last home. The only problem is the practical side of me that keeps me from indulging.


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## Pat H (Mar 17, 2009)

My biggest stumbling block is the sliding door. What do you have on yours and do you like it?


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## andrea t (Mar 17, 2009)

I have silhouettes on some  bedroom windows and LOVE them!  I really like the sheer look, the ability to adjust privacy and light.

On my slider I have something similar, but not sure its called the same.  While the silhouettes are horizontal, my slider is like a vertical but with a sheer fabric around and between the slats.  It looks like sheers on the door.  I am very happy with those also.


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## NWL (Mar 17, 2009)

Pat H said:


> My biggest stumbling block is the sliding door. What do you have on yours and do you like it?



I have the honeycomb shades on my sliding doors.  I opted for 2 shades, 1 for each side of the door.  It gives me more options for using them.  The sales rep made the measurements and they fit great.  There is a small gap between the 2 shades, but it works in my situation.

Hope this helps!


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## LisaH (Mar 17, 2009)

We installed plantation shutters for our new house last Dec. For the French doors, we had honeycomb shades and don't care much for them. They collect dusts and it's not easy to clean, whereas the plantation shutters are a lot easier to take care of compared to honeycomb shades. 

If you decide to go with honeycomb shades, make sure to get the ones without the long pulling strings on the side. They are a pain to deal with.


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## Fern Modena (Mar 18, 2009)

Pat,
I'll tell you what I *wouldn't* do with the slider. I wouldn't put up a set of vertical blinds.  We had those at our house in Antioch, and one of the grandkids got to playing with the vanes.  Pretty soon they turned one of them all the way around, and WHAMO! It broke.  It was still attached, but it no longer turned with the others.  We had to remember to turn it individually.  We tried to get it fixed, but even though it was a major brand, the company had upgraded their design and it was pretty close to impossible to fix.

We have Plantation Shutters on the slider, too.  There are two tracks, and two sliding pieces.  If all you want is light, you can just open the vanes.  OR you can slide the one door behind the other for more light or to open the door.

Fern


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## Pat H (Mar 18, 2009)

Fern Modena said:


> Pat,
> I'll tell you what I *wouldn't* do with the slider. I wouldn't put up a set of vertical blinds.  We had those at our house in Antioch, and one of the grandkids got to playing with the vanes.  Pretty soon they turned one of them all the way around, and WHAMO! It broke.  It was still attached, but it no longer turned with the others.  We had to remember to turn it individually.  We tried to get it fixed, but even though it was a major brand, the company had upgraded their design and it was pretty close to impossible to fix.
> 
> We have Plantation Shutters on the slider, too.  There are two tracks, and two sliding pieces.  If all you want is light, you can just open the vanes.  OR you can slide the one door behind the other for more light or to open the door.
> ...



Your first sentence made me laugh. The first thing I said to each decorator was "no vertical blinds on the slider"! They all told me they don't recommend them anyway.


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## Grand Vic (Mar 18, 2009)

*Hunter Douglas Pirouette shades*

Does anyone know anything about Hunter Douglas Pirouette shades?  We were at a remodeling symposium this weekend and one of the booths had  these.  I can't seem to find a price list though when I go to the website.  I am assuming that since they are so new their price will be sky high.  Anyone know?


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## Pat H (Mar 19, 2009)

*Park Lane Verticals?*

I am spending way too much time on the Hunter Douglas website daydreaming. Today I noticed the Park Lane vertical sheers. They are a cheaper alternative to the Luminette but the material is not as sheer. Anyone have these or have seen them?


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## EJC (Mar 20, 2009)

I recently moved into a house that had Hunter Douglas Silhouettes on the four living room windows.  The Silhouettes were appx. 15 years old and strong sun had damaged them badly.  A friend has Hunter Douglas Silhouettes on half her front windows and a similar treatment in another brand on the other half.  The vanes on the off-brand ones looked wrinkled--not good at all.  I ended up contacting the local Hunter Douglas dealer, and he gave me a great deal on Hunter Douglas Silhouettes (the originals were from the same dealer).  They were still more expensive than off brand ones, but at least I know I'll be happy with them.  I like how even when they are open (not up) during the day, they still provide privacy.  I do need to mention that even when closed, they let in a LOT of light during the day.  That's a good thing in the living room, but maybe not so much in the bedroom.


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## m61376 (Mar 20, 2009)

They do have room darkening Silhouettes, so that when they are closed they block out the sun effectively. I have them in my daughter's bedroom and the front window is a southern exposure and they do a good job.

Personally, I think they are a beautiful look. Have the sheers at my Mom's on a LR wall of windows and they have held up great. Hard to get at that occasional bug that manages to crawl in though  ...other than needing occasionally to use a long crevice tool for that, they are maintenance free.


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