As 2024 nears an end, the demand for motorized window treatments has become so prevalent that they've bypassed manual shades. This high demand correlates with the rise of smart home technology and the fact that motorized shades can seamlessly integrate into home automation platforms. 

Here, we'll explore the benefits of this technology and the different styles and fabrics that blend into a home's design.

SEE ALSO: Motorized Shades Intuitively Manage Daylight and Privacy

What Are the Benefits of Motorized Shades Vs. Traditional Shades?

Motorized shades provide numerous benefits and are outpacing traditional shades due to their convenience and integration into smart homes. These window coverings let you push a button or state a voice command and close one or every shade throughout your house. 

When you get ready to watch a movie, pressing 'Movie Night' will lower the blackout shades. When you sit down for dinner, pressing 'Dining' will close the shades in the dining and kitchen area. When you go to bed, tapping 'Good Night' will lower every shade in your home. 

When integrated into your home automation system, all aspects of your smart home work together. When the temperature rises and direct sunlight enters your home, these window coverings close. The reduced natural light prompts your lighting to brighten. 

When the sun is getting ready to settle into the horizon, your West-facing shades rise, ensuring you never miss another beautiful sunset. After darkness descends, all the window coverings close. This level of integration enhances privacy, reduces energy costs, and protects your home's interior.

As you can imagine, it's a level of convenience that's hard to grasp until experienced. And there's more. 

Can I Control My Motorized Shades Remotely When I'm Not at Home?

As we rush through our days, it's easy to leave our homes and forget a few of the essentials. Did we lock the doors, turn off the lights, and lower the shades? Automated window coverings let you control them from anywhere, whether in your home or across the world. Remote capabilities allow you to pull up an app, see which window coverings are open, and adjust one or all.  

Are There Different Styles and Fabrics Available for Motorized Shades?

Today's motorized shades come in numerous styles and hundreds of fabrics. At Total Home Technologies, we partner with Lutron, one of the largest and most well-known smart shade manufacturers. Lutron's shades come in eight styles and nearly limitless fabrics, curated worldwide from leading textile manufacturers.

These fabrics also come in blackout, translucent, and sheer, allowing the ideal amount of privacy and diffuse sunlight, depending on the room. 

The following represent a few of the many styles you can choose from: 

• Roller Shades: From their signature Palladiom shades to their latest launch, Triathlon Select, Lutron roller shades offer an ideal aesthetic for modern and minimalist aesthetics. Their proprietary Intelligent Hembar Alignment ensures they raise and lower in near-perfect unity.
• Roman Shades: This classic window treatment allows you to use your own material for complete customization.
• Drapery Track System: Yes, even draperies have become motorized. Pinch pleat, ripplefold, and Kirbé vertical drapery systems offer elegance without sacrificing convenience.
• Honeycomb Shades: These shades provide cellular insulation, keeping the cold out in the winter and the heat out in the summer. 
• Horizontal Sheer Blinds: These window coverings offer the beauty and elegance of sheer material with a blind's precise control of sunlight.
• Wood Blinds: Made of American Basswood, these blinds are available in various finishes and colors. Their vanes automatically change their tilt throughout the day, maintaining the ideal level of diffuse sunlight.
• Tension & Cable: Tension and cable shades are ideal for hard-to-reach skylights and architectural windows that require a customized application.

At Total Home Technologies, we're passionate about keeping up with the latest trends, technological advancements, and client preferences. To discover more about the possibilities in motorized window treatments, don't hesitate to reach out to our team.