All to often I get excited about advances in new home technology products that 90% of the population really doesn’t care about. But hey….that’s my passion & interest and I thoroughly enjoy it. Besides, many of these products end up becoming common in the home within a few years time.
Well….this week I had an opportunity to see something that we believe will have an immediate impact. We will be offering it as soon as they are released, our showroom will have it installed ASAP, and I’ll be ordering up a number of them for my own home. Yes….I’m PUMPED! One years worth of evaluating, reviewing, and indecision regarding this product line is now over.
Are you ready? What could it possibly be? What could it be that is getting us so pumped up? Drumroll please…..
Intelligent Motorized Window Shades
Really? Ho Hum….. How could that possibly be exciting?
Here is why… For the first time in the history of the planet, intelligent window coverings for the home have become affordable for the majority of home owners. Two weeks ago, this was a luxury priced item that very few home owners took advantage of…specifically very high end homes. Today I can effectively source and install these at a price the mass market can afford. And the best part…quality. Manufactured by Lutron…the inventor of the dimmer & recognized leader in elegant and reliable lighting products. Lutron has recently unveiled a new line of automated cellular window shades that start at $299!!
Lutron Scene Control
I had a chance to see them a few days ago, and it is probably obvious to you by now that they made an impact
For us, natural light (not the beer) has been the “missing link” in our lighting control product category. Think about this…..in a windowless room, all illumination is provided by electric lights. But very few rooms in a home fit this criterion….even fewer when you consider rooms that are living spaces. Think about how important windows and natural light are to the appearance and elegance of your interior. Think about both problematic direct sunlight and the darkness of your black windows at night. Now think about all of the different light levels in between. With intelligent window shades, we now have control over the natural light inside your home. Coupling this with our electric lighting fixture control provides you a tremendous impact on your home’s interior beauty, efficiency, comfort and safety.
Besides being “super cool,” some other valuable benefits of intelligent window coverings include:
PRIVACY: Touch a wall switch, launch a smart phone app, or grab your remote control. Individual windows or groups of windows will provide privacy. Different fabrics can be chosen to provide silhouette privacy or complete black out privacy.
EFFICIENCY: Let your home lower the shades when direct sunlight hits certain windows in the summer and raise your shades to warm the home during the winter. Take control of the sun and let it save you money on your heating and air conditioning bills.
ELEGANCE: Nothing can accentuate ALL of your home furnishings and decor like light. Hollywood studios, museums, and the showcase homes you see in magazines all understand this. As an amateur photographer, it is amazing to me the different results you can get by changing light. Both the placement and the color of light can yield many different looks and moods.
PROTECTION: Protect your investment in flooring, furniture, and interior wall paint. Now your home can do that for you by blocking the fabric bleaching UV rays when they are strongest.
SECURITY: Away on Vacation? One of the most popular features of lighting control products is to give your home an “occupied” look when you are away from home by randomly turning lights on and off. With intelligent window coverings, we can accomplish the same lived in appearance during the day time. In an alarm event, your home will also open all intelligent shades to provide your neighbors visibility inside the home.
As usual, Lutron has provided extensive information about these new products on their web site.
