Motorized Window Treatments for Smart, Stylish Living
Motorized shades are one of the most impactful upgrades you can make to a modern home. With just a tap, a voice command, or a fully automated routine, they give you effortless control over natural light, privacy, and temperature. As one of the fastest-growing categories in smart home design, automated shades don’t just add convenience—they transform how your home looks, feels, and functions.
Audio Advice is one of the largest sellers of motorized shades in the country. We’ve designed and installed thousands of smart shade solutions over the past decade. Our experience has shown that when done properly, motorized shades are more than just a convenience. They become part of how your home feels, functions, and flows.
Watch our video below to learn more about Motorized Window Treatments!
Why Motorized Shades?
Most homeowners start out with blinds, curtains, or manually operated shades, but over time, they find themselves leaving them closed simply because adjusting them is a hassle. As a result, beautiful views get blocked, natural light gets wasted, and the home loses its connection to the outdoors.
Motorized shades solve this problem. They let in the perfect amount of light at any time of day, automatically adjust based on schedules or sun position, and can disappear completely when you want unobstructed views. With professional design and smart integration, they can even respond to temperature sensors, home theater triggers, and voice assistants for a seamless experience.
Choosing the Right Brand of Motorized Shades
When selecting motorized window treatments, the first decision is which brand to trust. Lutron has long been considered the leader in this space, known for its ultra-quiet motors, exceptional reliability, and seamless smart home integration.
Other brands like Hunter Douglas, Screen Innovations, and Crestron have also entered the motorized shade market, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. When comparing brands, focus on four key factors:
- Reliability: Will the shades function flawlessly for years?
- Quietness: Do the motors operate silently in quiet spaces like bedrooms and offices?
- Design Aesthetics: Do the fabrics and hardware match your home's style?
- Flexibility: Does the brand offer both wired and battery powered options to address all possible situations and still be able to match the fabrics?
- Smart Integration: Can the shades easily tie into your lighting control or smart home system?
At Audio Advice, for new construction, we generally design fully hardwired systems, meaning that you don’t need batteries, and all of the wiring is totally hidden. For additions and renovations, Lutron battery-powered shades offer ultra-quiet motors and several years of use between battery changes. Our experts can help compare brands and find the best fit for your needs.
Understanding Fabric and Openness Factor
One of the most important aspects of motorized shading is the fabric. Different fabrics affect how much light enters your room, how much privacy you have, and how much of your view remains visible.
The Openness Factor refers to how much of the fabric is open to light and view. For example, 10% openness means 10% of the fabric is perforated, allowing more light and clearer views. 5% openness lets in less light and offers more privacy, but with slightly reduced visibility.
Darker fabric colors usually provide better views because they reflect less light and glare. Lighter fabrics tend to brighten the space but can reflect more sunlight and reduce transparency. We often see homeowners initially lean toward light-colored fabrics for aesthetic reasons, only to later wish they had chosen something slightly darker after living with the shades.
If possible, visit a showroom to experience different openness levels and fabric types in person. Audio Advice showrooms feature all the different permutations of shades, allowing you to see and experience them firsthand. Fabric swatches help, but real-world lighting makes a huge difference in how a fabric performs and looks throughout the day.
Mounting Options and Hidden Installations
Another major design decision is how the shades will be mounted. In many luxury homes, the goal is to make them nearly invisible when not in use. Small details like pocket depth, bracket width, and power routing can have a big impact on the final result, so working with experienced installers is essential.
Recessed Ceiling Pockets
Recessed ceiling pockets allow the entire roller shade to disappear into the ceiling when raised. This is best planned during the construction phase and requires detailed coordination to ensure proper spacing, wiring, and mounting support.
Surface-Mounted Shades
Surface-mounted shades are more common in retrofits or renovations and can be designed to blend seamlessly with window trim using decorative fascia or custom valances.
Lutron Triathlon Contemporary Shades
Lutron Triathlon Contemporary shades offer a clean, modern aesthetic ideal for minimalist spaces. These battery-powered shades feature a slim headrail design with no exposed wiring, making them perfect for surface-mount installations where recessed pockets aren't feasible.
Ideal Fabrics by Room Type
Living Rooms & Kitchens
Use 5% to 10% openness fabrics that allow natural light and preserve views, often in darker tones for better glare control.
Bedrooms & Media Rooms
Use blackout fabrics or dual-shade systems for complete privacy and light blocking, especially during movie nights or early mornings.
Offices & Studies
Opt for solar shades or Venetian-style blinds that provide privacy while still allowing usable daylight to enter the space.
Rooms with Large Windows
Dual roller shades can offer the best of both worlds: one light-filtering fabric for the day and one blackout shade for nighttime privacy.
Advanced Shade Options for High-End Homes
For clients looking for something beyond traditional roller shades, there are several high-end options available:
- Motorized horizontal blinds: These provide full control of light and privacy with adjustable slats. They’re more complex to specify and install, but offer a modern, layered look.
- Electronic Venetian blinds: Ideal for executive offices or wood-paneled rooms, these blend traditional aesthetics with modern automation and look stunning when paired with warm-toned interiors.
- Dual-shade systems: Combine two layers (solar + blackout) in one window, offering unmatched flexibility in lighting control and ambiance
Smart Home Integration & Automation
Motorized shades become truly powerful when integrated into a complete smart home system. You can automate shades based on:
- Time of day or sunrise/sunset
- Room occupancy
- Temperature sensors or climate control systems
- Home theater or lighting scenes
- Voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit
At Audio Advice, we often pair motorized shades with Lutron lighting control systems, Control4, or other smart home platforms. With the right design, you can create preset scenes like “Good Morning,” “Dinner Time,” or “Movie Mode,” where shades, lights, and music all work together in harmony. If you watch some of our smart home showcase videos on our website or YouTube, you’ll see how we’ve integrated all of these systems seamlessly into all types of homes.
Energy Efficiency & Sustainability
Motorized shades also play a role in improving your home's energy efficiency. By blocking solar heat during peak hours or insulating windows on cold nights, shades can reduce the workload on your HVAC system. Some fabrics are even designed to reflect UV rays or trap heat for improved insulation.
Pairing automated shades with climate sensors or time-based routines allows you to reduce energy consumption without lifting a finger.
Why Professional Design & Installation Matters
Motorized shade systems are custom-built to exact measurements. If your order is off by even a quarter of an inch, the shades may not fit or function correctly. Once ordered, custom shades are typically non-refundable. That’s why choosing a partner, like Audio Advice, with deep experience in design and installation, is critical. Look for a provider who:
- Specializes in motorized shading (not just manual blinds)
- Can show real installations or a portfolio of finished projects
- Understands smart home integration, wiring, and programming
- Has in-house system designers and certified installers
- Has a strong technology team
- Has an electrical license
At Audio Advice, we’ve helped thousands of homeowners design and install electronic shading systems that are beautiful, functional, and reliable. We work closely with architects, interior designers, and builders to ensure everything fits seamlessly into the home.
Explore Smart Home Automation Guides
We offer custom solutions across every category of smart home technology. Tap into any area below to learn more, see real installations, and discover how each system can be tailored to fit your lifestyle.
Experience It for Yourself
If you're considering motorized shades, there's no better way to explore your options than to see them in person. Visit one of our world-class showrooms, such as those in Raleigh, Charlotte and Wilmington to try out different fabrics, see hidden pocket installations, and experience automated scenes in real time.
You can also contact us by phone, email, or live chat to get personalized advice from our smart home experts.
Ready to Design the Perfect Shade System?
Start a conversation with our team today and let us help you bring your vision to life. Visit one of our world-class showrooms or schedule a private consultation.
