Keep Your Home Cozy with Energy-Efficient Shades

Window treatments to help take the chill out of winter

Compared to insulated walls and ceilings, windows easily allow more heat to escape from a room in winter. Winter’s chillier weather doesn’t have to leave Jack Frost nipping at your nose, though. Energy-efficient shades, which create a layer of insulation at the window, can go a long way toward keeping more warm air inside your house.

Consider the following trio of styles for helping you to stay snug when temperatures dip.

Cellular Shades. Cellular shades have a unique, honeycomb design, and are the most energy-efficient window treatment available. Their honeycomb “cell” construction traps air in distinct pockets at the window, so your house stays comfortable when it’s cold.
Cellular Roller Shades. These shades are crafted from two layers of fabric, marrying the clean lines of a classic roller with a cellular design. This undetectable cellular layer is the key to their energy efficiency.
Insulated Roman Shades. You can also find shades that combine the sculpted look of a Roman shade with the construction of a cellular shade. The result? A beautiful, cordless solution for taking a bite out of winter.

No matter which energy-efficient shade style you choose, make sure to open shades during the day so that the heat from direct sunlight warms your home, and then close your shades at night to help retain the heat. On cloudy winter days, closing your shades will keep the warm air in.