Are Smart Window Treatments Right for Interior Designers?

Motorized Shades Can Bring a Room Together

Have you made the shift from manual shades to motorized window treatments for your interior design projects? If the answer is no, you’re probably reading this because you’ve heard it’s a good idea. And we wholeheartedly agree! There are a lot of reasons why interior design firms throughout Center City, PA are embracing motorized shades, drapes and blinds. We walk through three of the most popular reasons below.

SEE ALSO: Frequently Asked Questions About Motorized Window Treatments

1. You Can Reach the Previously Unreachable

Architectural trends lately have been to build homes with wide, floor-to-ceiling windows. These glass walls are an excellent way to flood the room with light and provide stunning views of the Philadelphia cityscape.

But large windows have a few downsides. One, they don’t always convey a sense of privacy. That beautiful view works both ways, and there are times when it’s nice to be able to shut out the world entirely. Two, there can be an annoying glare as the sun rises and sets, proving that too much of a good thing (light, in this case) is not always a good thing.

Heavy drapery for floor-to-ceiling glass windows is too bulky to move manually, and if the windows are separated into sections, there’s really no way to reach blinds or shades installed on the higher windows, which means those windows’ shades are pretty much left permanently opened or closed.

All of these issues can be resolved by motorized shades.

Smart window treatments use silent, smooth motors to control whether the shades are opened or closed without the homeowner having to touch them at all. When the homeowner wants a bit of privacy or simply wants to avoid the sun’s glare in the room, a voice command or press of a button causes the shades to lower instantly, no matter how high up they are.

Not only is this far more convenient for the homeowner, but it also makes it far more likely that the shades will be used on a regular basis. Instead of just sticking to open or closed for months on end, the shades become a dynamic part of the room’s décor, which leads us to reason #2.

2. You Can Set the Scene for Any Occasion

Natural light can enhance the look and feel of a room, or it can detract from the mood entirely. Interior designers can harness the power of natural light like never before with motorized shades. Using smart “scenes,” interior designers can set the stage for any given activity, choosing the perfect lighting (both natural and artificial) that will make the room look its best in that moment. After the scenes are preprogrammed, the homeowner can select them at the push of a button, and the smart home technology will do the rest.

Here's an example of how it could work:

Imagine an open-concept kitchen and bar area. The homeowner wants to go into the kitchen to prepare a snack. They press the “Cooking” scene, which causes the window shades to open to let in natural light, and the spotlight fixtures over the countertop to brighten as well, giving ample light to prepare the food. That same scene could also turn on the television to the cooking channel or start a music playlist.

Now say the homeowner wants to entertain some friends in that same space. Pressing the “Entertain” button would cause the shades to lower and the overhead light fixtures to dim while mood lighting throughout the area brightens.

These scenes are fully customizable to take advantage of the lighting and shading unique to each room, making the technology an excellent tool for interior designers.

3. You Can Upgrade Your Favorite Fabrics

While on the topic of customization: you can outfit your home with motorized drapes or Roman shades that we’ll fabricate from the fabric of your choice. This gives you the opportunity to make the design of your window treatments a true reflection of your personal style.

These custom drapes and shades retain all the same features we've mentioned from before including control from the smart device of your choice and the ability to incorporate them into unique scenes.

 

If you would like to learn more about the possibilities for leveraging smart technology with an upcoming project, please contact us. We partner with interior design firms to help achieve the perfect look for homes throughout Philadelphia. You can reach us through this contact form or by calling (484) 412-8108.