4 Reasons to Upgrade with Automatic Window Treatments
Motorized shades and blinds are an often overlooked yet incredibly beneficial part of any smart home. While prominent features such as AV and lighting often highlight a smart home in obvious ways, the benefits automatic window treatments provide are more subtle.
At TSP Smart Spaces, we’ve been bringing window treatments with smart capabilities for decades. We’ve seen these benefits come to life firsthand for clients across the globe. Whether your home features roller or tension shades, drapery tracks, pleated or venetian blinds, or even Roman shades, we can bring smart control to your windows. Read on to learn about the four main benefits automatic window treatments can bring to your home and your life.
Daylight has a quality that we respond to emotionally. Colors read true, finishes reveal their texture, and an uplifting quality pervades any room bathed in daylight. As we become more conscious of our footprint on this planet, we realize that making the most of daylight in our homes simply makes sense. Lutron shading systems provide precision control of daylight – all at the touch of a button. – Lutron Electronics
1. Synchronize with the sun
Nothing is more jarring than waking up by a blaring alarm clock or realizing you overslept because your room is still dark from your shades being closed. With smart shades, you can set schedules to wake you naturally each day. Motorized shades can be synchronized to mirror the sun’s natural light, opening each morning to wake you naturally and improve your sleep.
Smart home solutions work best when working in complete harmony with one another, and automatic window treatments are no exception. By utilizing the Savant Pro App in conjunction with your smart home’s shades and lighting control, you can enjoy peaceful mornings without expending energy. When the sun sets and natural light leaves your home, shades will close, and lights will glow brighter, giving you privacy and comfort in the evening.
2. Blackout your space
Automatic window treatments can improve your sleep beyond waking you naturally. Thanks to blackout shade offerings from Lutron and other reputable dealers, your home’s shades or blinds can close each night, allowing you to have a restful night completely devoid of any distractions. We’ve used blackout shades successfully in all of our Icelandic projects. In Iceland, the summer solstice creates a ‘midnight sun’ effect. By integrating blackout shades that close each evening, we can ensure our Icelandic clients sleep without distraction. For people with erratic schedules or nightshift workers, blackout shades and lighting set to your personal schedule. This allows you to maintain a simulated circadian rhythm and keep to a healthy sleep schedule.
Automated blackout shades can be used for more than just regulating your sleep schedule. We recently completed a project for a home addition that featured a bowling alley and pool area. To emulate the feeling of ‘midnight bowling,’ often seen at bowling alleys for late-night events, we installed Lutron Sivoia wireless shades with blackout fabrics so bowlers can enjoy space-themed bowling scenes no matter the time of day. See how blackout shades separate the bowling alley from the indoor pool in this stunning home automation technology project!
3. Save money on your energy bills
Just like smart lighting, automated roller shades help to minimize your ecological footprint. This happens in two basic ways: insulation and sunlight regulation. By opening up shades during the day, you can warm up your home naturally, saving you money on heating. Conversely, your shades can be set to close on warm days. This reduces the load your air conditioner takes on cooling your home.
By regulating the amount of light coming in from the sun, you can reduce the amount of artificial light you need to create a comfortable indoor environment. From insulation to regulating the sunlight in your home, automatic window treatments can lead to significant energy savings and make your home an eco smart home.
4. Smart home integration
While the above benefits highlight what automatic window treatments can bring to your home, the ability for them to integrate with the rest of your smart home ecosystem is what makes them invaluable. Working in perfect harmony with your lighting and climate control, your shades function intuitively as part of your home.
As mentioned earlier, your shades can integrate with your home’s lighting providing you with natural light throughout the day, emulating the sun’s natural journey. Your home’s climate control can synchronize with your shades to reduce strain on your HVAC system and save your money.
At TSP, we regularly use Lutron roller shades. These integrate seamlessly with the Savant home automation ecosystem. They allow you to control your shades and the rest of your smart home wherever you are in the world.
Another great benefit automatic window treatments provide is the ability to lower or raise shades from your home office. Many of us have shifted to working from home in 2020 and 2021. The ability to control the amount of sunlight your office lets in during a video conference without having to interrupt the meeting adds a layer of professionalism to your home office.
Bring smart shades to your home
Smart shades and blinds combine aesthetics, control, and energy savings into one convenient package. Contact our smart space automation experts today and we’ll help you make your dream smart home a reality!
For further reading:
Smart Home Climate Control Benefits
3 Key Benefits That Smart Lighting Can Bring to Your Home
