Hunter Douglas, a manufacturer of custom window treatments, has combined smart technology and shades to create new smart shades using PowerView Motorization. These shades, privacy sheers, blackout curtains, shutters and more (20 styles in all) are fully automated. Using the Hunter Douglas PowerView App or voice control with Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant or Siri, homeowners can open and close curtains on command.
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Each shade, curtain or shutter can be controlled independently or in a group on command or on schedule. This opens a wide array of customization possibilities. For example, you can set up a schedule that opens the curtains in your room at the time you wake up every morning. You can create another schedule that closes all of your home’s curtains at a certain time every night. If there’s a glare on your television, you can use the app or voice commands to close a curtain over the offending window while leaving the rest open. One particularly helpful use of these smart blinds is for windows that are hard to reach, like skylights. No more ladders or step stools needed to control the amount of light coming from a high window or skylight.
“Automated shading is primed to be one of the hot smart home trends of 2020,” Scott Stephenson, director of product management, motorization, at Hunter Douglas said in a press release. “Design elements and aesthetics drive the decisions for shading as homeowners seek beauty with color, texture, and movement, but the rise in smart homes has made people look around their rooms and think ‘that should be connected, too.’ The security, convenience, comfort, and energy savings that homeowners want from their smart home are amplified when coupled with their home’s window treatments. With Hunter Douglas PowerView Motorization, homeowners can select from over a dozen shading styles with hundreds of colors, textures, and transparency levels without forfeiting the home’s aesthetic or their smart home experience.”
These shades, while useful, come with a big price tag. Hunter Douglas PowerView Motorization starts at $299 per shade, depending on the style. You also can’t buy them online or in a store. PowerView Motorization Smart Shades are only available through specialists and home technology professionals. To learn more about Hunter Douglas visit its website.
