What is the room these are going in? I think that makes a huge difference. Shades/blinds of any sort in public rooms always leave them looking unfinished, very informal/temporary living..Even paired with drapery they look not quite right IMPO. There are rooms/windows that call for shade as in a kitchen where sunlight invades at the wrong time or privacy is a must....a bathroom where room is tight and the extra visual weight of curtains is overkill.... In the end this is an investment and better to get what you like vs caring one way or the other if something is on trend. And don't be fooled we live in a trend society. Traditional, long haul is not really a thing anymore. What you choose will for sure be 'out' before long!!!

I am installing a whole house of cellular shades. My choice was made by what I need the shades to do and not by what someone considers dated or not.

My shades are used in 3 positions:

- fully open (get full view out the window and the blinds stack neatly above in a small stack that blends with my window trim)

- partially covered from the bottom with top-down/bottom-up function (gives privacy on lower part of window, while still allowing full view of trees/sky in upper part)

- fully closed (block direct sunlight but still allow filtered light to keep the room bright. Also used black-out options in the bedrooms that keep a room darker than most other shade types)

There aren't many shade types that will provide all the functions I want. I also powered and automated them so they will open/close based on the position of the sun.

I dislike looking at slat across a window, so I would never choose mini-blinds or plantation shutters. Buy what works for the function you need the blind to perform and the look you like in your home

When honeycomb shades first came out they were revolutionary. Very practical and they disappeared when retracted. They were very expensive at that point. Since then there have been other innovations in window coverings which are more attractive than honeycombs, but honeycombs still have a place. Now they are quite reasonably priced, provide privacy and keep sun and glare out when pulled down, but disappear when retracted. I use them when I don't want to spend a ton of $$, in conjunction with decorative curtain panels. I have them in a guest bedroom and a bathroom where they are up most of the time. I wouldn't use them in a room I use very much, or on a large expanse of window.

On a 110" window I would explore other options, and I'm not sure who told you that honeycomb shades are the only choice. I have wooden blinds on very large windows. On a very wide and tall window I have one wood blind, and on another 3-ganged window each one has a separate blind on one headrail. You can also use any number of natural woven shades, fabric roman blinds, horizontal sheer shades, many of which come with remote, as well as cordless top down/bottom up options.

Perhaps you might post a photo of the window for better advice. Also look at the websites of window covering companies: Horizons is my favorite, but Hunter Douglas, Graber, The Shade Store and Smith and Noble are just some suggestions. They have photos and even videos of the many ways to dress a large window.

I've been doing custom window treatments for over 14 years, and sometimes because of the width of the window, a Honeycomb is the only option for ONE shade, with the specs you mentioned, 110", TD/BU AND cordless. I prefer to do ONE shade, if that is possible, it looks cleaner to me. Doing a Roman Shade that size, cordless and TD/BU may be out of spec and prone to problems. Hunter Douglas may have some woven shades that can cover the expanse, (very few, I just spec'd some for a client). I don't think Honeycombs are dated, they are a clean look, stack tightly and there are a variety of patterns and colors to choose from. I happen to love them. I hope this helps.

You could always try a larger pleat size too. I've always thought the standard 3/4" pleat size looks dated, and the larger 1-1/4" looks more modern and casual. Getting a more textured fabric instead of a plain one will help make them pop when the sun shines through.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond..It is a southern facing window in the living of a small condo in South Florida. I like the function and privacy options of the top down shades. I also have considered woven woods, but thought the texture might be too much in this small place, with my striped rug. Neither selectblinds.com or budget blinds will do one cordless shade, and the corded shade has the top down cord in the corner that's hard to reach.

Just like everything, there are different levels of quality for cellular shades. I installed them on a large south-facing window because even though the window does have a film to cut back the UV, in the late morning and afternoon there is a lot of light from the south. I went to a retailer that offered various levels of sheerness. I chose something fairly sheer, but not the most sheer. Because the window is in our living room it doesn't really matter if you can see shadows through them at night. The effect is perfect - I am so happy I chose them. Mine are white with a little texture. They're attractive and do what I want them to do. They don't look cheap at all. I use Blinds to Go which is a retailer on the East Coast and in Eastern Canada.

I know what you mean. I have the same type of blinds for similar reasons, and I’m glad we went with them. The top down function is amazing and worth the aesthetic compromise IMO.

I've been trying to find a retailer that will make extra wide window treatments (120").

Haven't made a final selection yet, but check out smithandnoble.com

Just a caution -- we have a Hunter Douglas TD/BU single honeycomb blind on a very wide (96") west-facing window and it's been back for repairs 3 times. It seems to be because of its size - the strings/springs have failed.

I have decided that 3 is better than one, for just that reason (the weight)! Is the photo of your window? Are those "light filtering" blinds? My next decision is on whether light filtering blinds will give me the privacy I want at night, when the Florida snowbirds are gathered around the pool. I'm definitely getting blackout shades for the bedroom, but it seems that might not be necessary for the living room, even at night.

I did 3/4 inch single cell, cloud white light filtering on my very large south facing windows! love love love. top down/bottom up/cordless. so easy and versatile! definitely privacy from outside in but wont keep out the heat. you would need black out for that but light filtering is so much prettier. my windows are not trimmed out and when the blinds were installed it gave them a totally clean finished look! Blinds.com/ca best prices and service anyhere!

@kandrewspa Just found this thread! I'm looking for textured cellulars but am finding most stuff is more "cotton/paper" like -- could you pass along the name you have? Thanks!

@Christine Kaufman - I use Blinds to Go which is a retailer on the East Coast. Blinds.com has some textured options. Smithandnoble.com has a wide selection.

An update to my post. I still love the flex of the blinds, but like someone else said, they can fail on wide windows. I have had a lot of problems now with the wide ones in my house that are hand-operated (no issues with small bathroom one or w wide ones that use the stick operation). Mine are Hunter Douglas too. I bet they are now paper-like to minimize weight and problems!

@V - I am reviving a 3-year old thread because I too have a large 117" picture window and considering 2" motorized Levolor. Did you go with the 2"? If so, how are they holding up? I may resort the 1 1/4" but would love to get your point of view.

I went with the 2 inch, and they are holding up pretty well, but not perfectly. The string on the right side of the largest blind has slipped or stretched, so it sits a little lopsided, and I have to carefully adjust the blinds on either side, so it looks reasonably level. It probably isn't hard to fix, but I haven't yet.

They've stayed clean, and I like the look. My husband and I are both tall, so I didn't realize until after the fact that, in my house, these manual ones wouldn't be practical for anyone shorter than 5'-6" or so. While I LOVE the functionality, when it's time to replace them, I will probably go with plantation shutters, which just seem less complicated.

The top-down/bottom-up feature is perfect for privacy while letting in natural light. While Roman shades can be lovely, they often need to be customized for larger windows like yours, and honeycomb shades might be your best bet if you're looking for functionality with a clean look. Plus, cordless versions give you that modern, sleek feel.