Technology Meets Beauty in Motorized Window Treatments
What could be better than a gorgeous window treatment that works at the touch of a button? Or even integrates with your home assistant? In the early days of motorized window treatments, the options and styles were somewhat limited but today the limits are few. You can choose from many types of window treatments and the style choices are really blossoming as well!
They are so lovely and the technology so convenient that we asked Jarmila Singer of Sound Living to share her expertise in the field with us.
Can any window treatments be motorized?
Mostly, the category is roller shades, roman shades, tensioned shades (skylight) and draperies. There are also motorized wooden blinds and horizontal sheer shades.
Is there a weight maximum?
This varies depending upon the category. For draperies, it’s about 185 pounds. For shades, the restriction is not only weight but also roll diameter due to the thickness of the fabric. So, height is a restriction that is part of this equation.
How are they powered and how do they operate?
Power can be low voltage or line voltage. Sound Living only provides low voltage shades. The third category for power is actually battery-operated shades and they are quite popular!
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- Serena by Lutron battery housing
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- Lutron Wall Station
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- Lutron remote control
Do they integrate with smart phones and tablets?
Yes
Are they noisy?
No! That’s the best feature of low voltage motors.
Are there other special features we should know about?
Yes, the Lutron shade motor provides IHA which is Intelligent Hembar Alignment. Basically this means that Lutron shades in the same room will move in perfect unison. Lutron is the only manufacturer that offers this important feature.
Why should clients be interested in motorized windows treatments?
Motorized window treatments provide convenience, luxury, solar protection, and privacy.
- Convenience – control a large group of windows with one button, control all the shades in the home with one button, control hard to reach shades
- Solar protection – art, furnishings, flooring
- Room temperature control – especially for south and west exposures
- Privacy – dressing, sleeping, TV viewing
What makes Sound Living the best company to install motorized window treatments?
Sound Living provides the technical shade solution, the aesthetic shade solution, and complete installation and training of the client. All three aspects are critical to a successful project. Our hands-on process of working with the interior designer and home owner is what sets us apart. We view the aesthetic shade solution (fabric selection) as the most important part of the process.
How long has Sound Living been in business and what qualifications/certifications do you have?
Sound Living has been in business for 16 years and we are certified Lutron dealers for 12 years. We are also a certified dealer of motorized window treatments with Hartmann & Forbes and Conrad, utilizing Lutron motors.
Do the motors and other hardware come with a warranty or customer support?
Sound Living provides a 1-year warranty on labor and Lutron provides an 8-year warranty on its materials.
How would clients contact your company?
Please call us in our Highland Park office at 847.926.7034.
Sound Living is a boutique consultancy in Highland Park specializing in high-end residential technology. They carry Lutron motorized shades as well as lighting control systems and other home automation solutions. Jarmila Singer is the Vice President and co-owner with Gary Singer. She has worked with motorized window treatments for 12 of her 14 years with the company. She and the rest of the staff at Sound Living have invaluable experience in the field.
Thanks Jarmila! If you want to see more options in motorized window treatments, check out our pinterest board. Click on the youtube videos embedded below to see an overview of the Serena and Sivoia lines by Lutron.
Serena by Lutron
Sivoia by Lutron
Annual One of a Kind Show
- At December 09, 2015
- By catherineschager
- In Uncategorized
0
Every year, for the past several years I’ve attended the One of a Kind Show at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.
It’s held the first weekend in December and I generally attend with my friend Alaina as our Christmas outing together. I love the show. It’s an opportunity to be exposed to a wealth of artisans crafting everything from food, apparel, jewelry and furniture to fine art. Here are some of my highlights from this year’s show.
Who’d have thunk it? Outerwear made of Tyvek house wrap!
Post-Industrial folk wear by Mau. www.conceptualclothing.com
Beautiful hand-made filigree jewelry! (Bought some of this stuff..)
www.olmox.com
Artwork done by one of my teachers from Design School!
Ryan Kapp- the artist. www.ryankapp.com
Remember sock monkeys? These guys make hats and other gear out of the same socks. They have a hilarious demonstration that I look forward to seeing every year! www.pook.ca
Beautiful hand-made wood furniture. Each piece was an individual tile that moved- remarkably comfortable! Alan Daigre Designs www.alandaigredesigns.com
Believe it or not, these purses are made of wood! They were gorgeous.
Hammill Diebolt studios www.hammilldiebolt.com
These are just a small sampling of the many artisans who displayed their wares at the show. The great news is that the One of a Kind show is becoming a biannual event with the next one scheduled from April 29- May 1 2016. Grab a friend and go! www.oneofakindshowchicago.com
To see more from this year’s show, check out our pinterest board.
Colors from History
You may think that color was invented only recently, but the truth is that humans have a very colorful past. Here’s a look back at 3 different times in history and the colors that were prevalent.
Ancient Egypt: The use of red and yellow ochre Earth pigments is very prevalent, along with blue, green, purple, black, white and gray.
Tomb painting from Ancient Egypt
Ancient Greece: In the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete there is a strong use of reds, black and blues.
A fresco from the Palace of Knossos in Crete (been there- it's fascinating!)
Medieval Times: Rich tapestries and textiles utilized the vivid colors of religious art and the stained glass windows. Reds, yellow, light and dark blues and greens, brown and off-whites were all used.
A very famous tapestry. Note the depth of colors
Do you notice a theme here? A lot of Earth tones, but also a very high percentage of reds and blues. Are you surprised?
Bathroom Humor
I get a number of publications both in print and online about the kitchen & bath industry. I like reading them because they keep me up to date on trends and new products. Sometimes, they even make me laugh.
Take the latest online edition of Kitchen and Bath Business (K&BB). There’s an article by Ellen Sturm Niz about a very upscale line of bath fixtures by “artistic interior designer” Jemal Wright. What Jemal creates is “bathroom couture”. He transforms ordinary sinks, toilets, urinals (you read correctly), bidets and tubs into works of art. I know, it’s something you’ve never thought of before or knew that you needed to have to be among the “elite”.
So, Jemal has created a process for chrome- plating your standard porcelain fixtures, and can even add dyes to the chrome so you don’t just have to live with a toilet that looks like it came out of a prison cell, you can have it in colors!!!
He can even create a custom toilet, or suite of fixtures just for you, adding beautiful Swarovski crystals or perhaps incorporating a logo – just in case you feel a need to put your initials on your toilet, or perhaps in a very swanky office you can put your corporate logo on the toilet. I can imagine that would be a huge hit with your employees! Just think! As an employee you’d be reminded of your employer every time you heed nature’s call. Ah yes, an actual reason to keep hydrating all day long.
Now it seems that Jemal hasn’t had many requests for his art here in the States, except for in New York, but overseas they’re more willing to spend anywhere from $5,300 (for a single toilet) to upwards of $400,000 (yep, 5 zeros) for an entire suite of fixtures. These very, very specialized pieces are complicated to make, so Jemal generally limits them to 1 or 2 per year. Better sign up now so that in 2020 you can have a throne fit for……(ok, I can’t help myself!)
So without further ado, I present to you the very special artwork of Jemal Wright!
The low, low price of $5,300 gets you this beauty! Do you think it's cold when you sit?
Next up, this gorgeous piece with 150,000 hand-set stones with rubied accents!
This one's only $90K
Or, how about this racy model created in a mirrored metallic red finish and hand-set with 150,000 fire red stones?
This elongated version is a bargain at $125K
And I’ve saved the best for last! This suite contains a toilet, sink and urinal.
Seriously? That's a urinal? And a man designed it?
Now the one thing that Jemal hasn’t suggested- and here’s a fabulous opportunity for you inventors out there- just what sort of TP would be worthy of using? Any thoughts???
Creating Your Dream Kitchen Part 1
I recently spoke to some people who are planning to re-do their kitchen, so I naturally thought it would be a good topic to talk about here. Kitchen and bath remodels are the best investments that you can make in your home- both for your own comfort and the added resale value that they bring.
So, just how does one go about creating this dream kitchen? It starts with identifying the areas in your kitchen that are frustrating because they don’t work correctly or make things more difficult for you. You might think about traffic flow- does your kitchen allow for good flow, or are people always bumping into each other? In our kitchen (pre-remodel, of course) some genius decided that the best place for the refrigerator was right smack-dab in the main traffic pattern through the kitchen! Not great for people moving through the space, or a busy cook trying to get to food in the fridge.
How about storage? Do you have enough of that? (Does anyone, ever?) When you open your cabinets do you need to practically empty them if you want to find one thing?
Then there’s counter and work space- how’s that working for you? Do you have to lug all of your recipe ingredients someplace far away from the sink and the fridge- and the trash can?
Does your kitchen look like this?
How about your cooktop/stove, sink, dishwasher and fridge? Are they older than the hills? What about their placement to each other? If you want to fill a pot with water, do you have to walk far from the sink to the cooking area? Does it cross a major traffic pattern?
What about those small appliances- toaster (or toaster oven), microwave, mixer, blender, food processor, etc. Where are they and are they convenient and neat- or just all over your counters?
Taking the time to really identify what doesn’t work in your kitchen is the first step in creating a beautiful, functional new space. Sometimes, you know immediately why it doesn’t work, and sometimes you’re just so used to dealing with it the way it is that you don’t even think about it. If it’s really hard to identify what could be better, try a little outline of the steps needed to create one of your favorite recipes; let’s say brownies.
Ok, for those of you who use a pre-made mix, this’ll probably be somewhat easier.
- Step 1. Assemble your ingredients:
- eggs, butter, flour, vanilla, chocolate, sugar, salt, baking powder or soda (depending upon your recipe!)
- Step 2. Assemble the necessary utensils:
- mixing bowl, spoons, measuring spoons and cups, spatula, baking pan, double boiler (if melting chocolate)
Ok, now how much time did it take to find and corral all this stuff? Was it more time than it’s worth? Hmm, that might mean that your storage areas don’t work together well. How long would it take you to get everything back to where it belongs? These are the things to think about when planning out that dream kitchen!
What’s your main kitchen complaint?
What do you think of this work space?
