Blinded by Lutron shades

On the 15th of November, a few of the team at Inspired Dwellings attended a Lutron training day on selling Lutron shades. As someone relatively new to the world of AV tech and anything smart home, I was intrigued to visit the experience centre of one of our biggest and most valued partners - Lutron. AV technology fascinates me in the same way new technology did when I was much younger. 

So, upon reflection of the day, here are a few things I learnt about Lutron shades, reasons why they are a luxury worth buying and things I took away from the day.

Something mentioned was that sometimes it is difficult for AV companies to work with Interior Designers because of the reputation that technology has within the world of interior design. Not a bad one, but one which is a bit blurred. It is not hard to imagine why this is the case. How can technology be fused with beautiful wallpaper, intricately designed fabrics and exceptional furnishings? Well, put simply, it can! AV technology can be integrated so perfectly that it is unnoticeable. For example invisible speakers, that are positioned behind a very thin material which blends seamlessly into the wall. They leave behind a clean and smooth wall. On the other end of things, automated home technology can also preserve all the beautiful interior designs in the way that shades can prevent glare from damaging furniture and art. 

The next thing that struck a cord, was the Lutron blind's ability to control natural daylight. Their unique selling point. This struck me initially as it sent my mind to something elemental. Technology which can control natural elements! Whilst obviously this is not literal, it was interesting to see the extent to which blinds could completely alter the light balance within a room. Not only did they alter the light balance but it can also totally alter temperatures within the home. This is done in two ways: harnessing natural daylight, by having the blinds drawn when the sun is shining and also using a thermal material to limit cold air getting in and hot air getting out. 

For the case of security, shades can enhance security by means of privacy and allusion. Privacy is simple - the shades can limit the ability to see into the property during the day but does not prevent light from getting in. Allusion is created when Lutron blinds are programmed to open and close throughout the day when the home owner is out of the property, so burglars will be warned off as they will be under the impression the home is not vacant. 

One thing which particularly intrigued me was describing the shift from manual to automated shades as a paradigmatic one. The person leading the training day suggested that in the same way manual window control in cars has almost completely shifted to automatic windows, shades will be the next shift. In a similar way when dimmer switches were invented, they are now a very popular household object.

Finally to keen this blog short and sweet, the three major things to consider when choosing your blind are the openness of the fabric, the colour of the fabric and the finally the purpose of the fabric, whether it be decorative or simply performative.