Tips From The Top

In our last blog we talked about the importance of shading systems to let the light in. Today, we want to talk about the other side: the value of keeping light out.

As we descend into these darker months (and here in Jackson Hole, we really feel those shorter days), we become more aware of how much the darkness in the morning and earlier at night can affect our well-being. We find that welcoming the darkness can be yet another source of comfort and well-being in our homes. There’s a magic interplay between interior and exterior light, and smart lighting systems make it possible to use both sources of light to create the homes we love.

Interconnected, automated shading systems, like preset scenes of our preferred home automation platform Savant, enhance our clients’ home lives in many different ways. Integrated lighting systems and motorized shades from companies like Lutron can create the right interior ambience for all kinds of activities, from morning coffee to an afternoon work meeting to an evening with friends or family.

In both systems, shading can be pre-set to raise and lower to desired heights at certain times of the day and evening. When integrated with a whole home system like Savant, the shades work with other smart devices to accomplish an overall vision for the home. With the climate system, shades can reduce sunlight or allow more in, to meet a perfect temperature indoors (and reduce energy costs). With audio systems, one button can start the music and lower the shades for the desired mood. In a dedicated home theater with windows, motorized shading systems can achieve the desired effect, whether it’s allowing in some light to enjoy a football game on a Sunday afternoon, or blocking all outside light for an immersive film experience. And all of this can be done with a single button. Ready for the movie? Just push the button, the shades lower to block the light, and the preferred streaming system turns on. Another button at the end of the film raises the shades and turns off the AV equipment.

Integrated shading systems also play an important role in interior design. They create ambience and a design aesthetic that complements and enhances the interior visual design of your home. This can mean lowering to create a special mood for a meal or a gathering. It can also mean following a pre-set schedule all day long, creating a visual aesthetic in the home with outside light. If you enjoy a softer light in the morning or in the afternoon, pre-set guidelines will raise and lower the shades to attune the outside light to fulfill these preferences for how your home looks and the effect of lighting within.

And of course, let’s not overlook the aesthetic of the shading systems themselves. The variety of design elements and styles only further complements the vision our clients’ have for their homes—details that are vital to an overall aesthetic unique to them and their families.

To learn more about smart automated shading systems in your home, call us at Jackson Hole AV. We’d love to discuss the possibilities.

 

**Image courtesy Lutron Motorized shades.