Motorized Shades Installation

Light on a schedule

Motorized shades do more than raise and lower on command. Scheduled correctly, they track the sun through the day, closing on the side of the house catching direct light in the afternoon and opening on the side that isn't, holding a room closer to a comfortable temperature without the air conditioning working as hard.

They also make an empty house look occupied. Shades that open and close on a pattern, timed with the lighting scenes, read very differently to anyone watching the house than shades frozen in one position for a week.

What we install

Every window gets measured and specified on its own. A kitchen window over a sink, a two-story wall of glass in a great room, and a small bathroom window all take different shade types, mounting depths, and motor sizes, and we spec each one rather than ordering a single style for the whole house.

• Motorized shades sized and specified for each window, from a small kitchen window to a wall of glass
• Fabric and blackout options depending on the room, light control in a living space versus full blackout in a theater
• Motors quiet enough to run during a movie or a meeting without being noticed
• Grouping by room or by exposure, so an entire wall of windows moves together on one command

Scheduled and scene-based control

Shades programmed into the whole-house system respond to more than a wall switch. A Morning scene can raise shades on the east side of the house while leaving the theater dark. A sunset schedule can close south-facing shades automatically in July without anyone remembering to do it. An Away scene can put the whole house on a randomized pattern that looks like someone is home.

New construction and retrofits

In new construction, shade pockets and wiring get planned into the window details before drywall goes up, which keeps the finished look clean. In an existing house, we work with the window trim that's already there and select shade and mounting hardware that fits without a remodel. Either way, the shades end up on the same system as everything else, not a separate remote living in a drawer.

Quiet, reliable motors

A shade motor that whines or grinds gets noticed every single time it runs, which is the opposite of what a good automation system should feel like. We spec motors rated for the shade size and weight in question, so a large great-room shade doesn't strain a motor built for a small window, and the whole system stays quiet enough to run during a meeting or a movie without drawing attention to itself.

Fabric and hardware that match the room

Shade fabric and headrail color are part of the design conversation, not an afterthought once the motors are ordered. A sheer solar fabric in a living room reads very differently than a blackout fabric in a theater, and the hardware finish should match the window trim it's mounted against, not just whatever the catalog defaults to.

Plan the window and the power together

Glare, privacy, and daylight call for different choices. A shade plan needs both the desired result and the practical installation details.

• List the windows and the times of day when light or privacy is a problem.
• Discuss fabric, opacity, mounting space, and access for maintenance.
• Review power options before closing walls or finishing window details.
• Decide which shades should move together and whether a schedule or scene should trigger them.

Discuss your motorized shades project, or read the consultation checklist first.