12 amazing ways window treatments can make your home look like The Jetsons’

(BPT) - Does your home have a smart TV, smart appliances and maybe even smart lawn sprinklers? Technology has advanced our homes to the point they’re starting to look like The Jetsons’ domicile. But did you know your window treatments can be smart, too? Intelligent motors like those made by Somfy (www.somfysystems.com) integrate with home automation systems, so you can synchronize your blinds or draperies to move in perfect unison with your lights, thermostat and home theater.

If that doesn’t convince you, here are 12 additional, sometimes unexpected, benefits of motorized window treatments.

Convenience

With the push of one button, you can control every shade in the room simultaneously. What a time saver! And those hard to reach windows? Not a problem anymore. You don’t even have to get off that comfy sofa.

Increased privacy

Whether you have a bathroom on the first floor or on the second, close proximity to neighbors can require privacy. Hit a switch to lower blinds before you head to the shower or at night when you are getting ready for bed.

Go green

Most of us can’t imagine blocking what little light we get into our homes, but the sun exposure all day can literally cost us a lot of money. Did you hear about the Net Zero concept? When a building produces as much energy as it uses in a year, it balances out to zero, meaning the home has no energy impact on the environment. You can achieve balanced energy consumption in your home by tapping into solar power, insulating your home and installing automated shades, awnings or shutters.

Increase your home’s value

Green features that improve home’s efficiency, while maximizing functionality are always desirable. Also, home automation is becoming increasingly popular, which means installing motorized window treatments will not only help you save on your bills and make your life easier, it will also make your home more valuable when you are ready to sell. See what other projects can also increase the value of your home www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2014/trends.
 
Fun and ease

Motorized draperies, shades, blinds or awnings are so simple to operate and fun too! Just be careful not to end up playing with them for hours.

Forget the alarm clock

Trade in that alarm for a wakeup call from Mother Nature. Set your shade to open and let in the light when it’s time to get up. Warning: you may be in a good mood all day long!

Protect what’s most precious

Motorization means no operational cords for pets or curious children to get tangled in. Also, you’ll be able to better protect your furniture, upholstery and wall art from fading by having the shades close automatically during the sunniest part of the day. While it’s understood that taking sun safety precautions is important outside, few people realize they can sustain sun damage indoors, too.

Simulate presence

With home automation systems you can simulate presence by scheduling operation of your window treatments while you are away on holidays or business trips, or even when leaving for just one evening or a weekend. No one will be the wiser that it isn’t you operating those shades. Deter the would-be intruders by making it look like you are home even when you are not.

Get your partner excited about redecorating

You can research fabrics and styles, he can research technology options and you both can have fun selecting your new motorized window treatments together.

Quit thinking about the weather and just enjoy it!

Your shades can follow the weather and react to changing elements all by themselves. An overcast morning turns into a sunny day? Equipped with a sun sensor, your blinds will lower even if you are out enjoying the weather. And having your shades automatically raise or lower accordingly to the sun helps to manage heat gain in the summer months and heat loss during the winter.

Create ambiance

Need some mood lighting? With a press of a button your window treatments will oblige. Set up scenes to incorporate artificial light and music and voila! A perfect romantic evening can ensue.

Turn your living room into a home theater

Draw the blinds, start your entertainment system and dim the lights with one gesture. If you have extra room you can take it even further and create a real home theater, complete with velvet chairs, curtains, popcorn machine and all!