Technology Hits the Window Treatment Industry

Sunshine Drapery sliding glass doors window treatment

Years ago, my mom was amazed when we children bought her a new television with a remote control. Being able to change channels and control volume from her recliner was, according to her, as great as “sliced bread.” Not too many years after that, we celebrated her birthday by getting her a gas log system for her fireplace, again with a remote control for operation – again amazement and awe. If she were alive today, remote control of many other things would probably be a part of her life, and I think motorized shades for her windows would have been top on her list of great new innovations. Like my mother’s home, most of us have lots of windows – we love opening our drapes, curtains, blinds and shades to let in the daylight and to look out on a nicely landscaped yard or a view of woods or hills in the distance. Typically, that has meant going window by window to open our coverings. Then, as the day progresses, we must remember to close shades in certain parts of the house because sunlight is streaming in, adding heat to a room in the summer and fading walls and furniture. At night, we close our shades for privacy and to block street lamps and early morning sun that threatens to wake us before it’s time to get up. Motorized shades have taken all of the inconvenience out of this daily ritual, and have added other conveniences and benefits as well:

Raising and lowering large and heavy shades on big windows is no longer a problem
Second story windows can now have shades too
A shade on a skylight can control the amount of light coming from that source
Shades on windows that are partially blocked by furniture can be raised and lowered without having to climb onto that furniture or push it aside for manual operation
Having a timer on a motorized shade remote can raise and lower shades when you are not at home – it adds another layer of security to timed lights when you are out of town.
No more cords! One of the biggest detractors of manually-operated shades are those cords. They get tangled, and we worry about small children getting caught up in them if they are hanging within their reach. Motorized shades eliminate both of these issues.

I am not a lazy person, nor was my mother. She walked every day, as do I; she cleaned and cooked, as do I; she worked until she was 70, and I will probably do the same. But technology has brought us many conveniences that serve to ease our busy lives, and we should take advantage of them. Having motorized shades is one of those conveniences that saves time and energy for other things!