James Condon loves high-performance technology. Known to his YouTube fans and over 4.4 million YouTube subscribers as “TheStradman,” Condon has made his childhood dream come to life; he has turned his love of fast and beautiful cars into a remarkably successful career. And Condon’s highly curated supercar collection, housed in a two-level garage next to his Salt Lake City, Utah home, includes names like Lamborghini, Ferrari, Lotus, and Bugatti.
Over the last 14 years, Condon has grown his fanbase by demonstrating not only his knowledge of all things supercar but also by his ability to produce beautifully shot and edited videos. He understands the importance of showing himself and his cars in literally the best possible light. To this end, Condon has outfitted his property with 21 different custom automated shades from PowerShades, including six large shades in his garage.
Empowering Every Window
PowerShades is based in Joplin, Missouri. Yet the company and its products had a strong advocate all the way in Utah, where Josh Hix and his Salt Lake-based company, Elite Audio and Video Automation, touted and sold the products.
“We built the house in different stages during the Covid pandemic,” Condon says. “We started with the first floor in 2021, then the second floor in 2022, and finally completed the garage in February of 2025.
“Throughout the process, I worked with Elite Audio and Video Automation. Josh Hix and I were on the same page when it came to outfitting my home and garage with functional, convenient, and attractive technology, so he strongly recommended I go with PowerShades for the window treatments.”
Condon’s house was custom-built, and all the windows are custom sizes. With Elite’s sales and installation assistance, Condon outfitted (and perfectly fit) every window in the house with light-filtering automated shades from PowerShades. Almost all the shades are battery-powered, save for a couple on the first floor that use hardwiring already installed in the drywall.
Lights, Camera, Automated Shades
When Condon completed the garage next to his home, he knew he would want to continue to use PowerShades automated shades to control and modify the light coming through the garage’s six large, horizontal windows. His main reason for wanting to work with PowerShades in the garage was straightforward.
“I loved the PowerShades in the house so much that it was a very easy decision to go with the same products in the garage,” he says. “Plus, just like the windows in the house, the windows in the garage were a unique shape and size. PowerShades was able to provide window treatments that perfectly fit the space and the job.”
The garage is not only home to Condon’s collection of beautiful vehicles but is also a primary filming location for TheStradman’s video channel. Condon understood the importance of having the best possible lighting on himself as the narrator and, even more importantly, on the cars. This is one of the reasons why he opted for blackout shades on the garage windows.
“When the automated shades are raised, there’s a lot of backlight — the camera is constantly trying to make changes on the fly,” Condon explains. Plus, there’s a risk of overexposure when the camera is focusing on the cars or me. With the automated blackout shades, I can completely control the light throughout every shot and be sure that the image quality is consistently strong.”
Another important reason Condon equipped his garage with PowerShades was his need to protect the vehicles from the damage that can be caused by direct sunlight. Condon can use his PowerShades Dashboard remote to raise or lower the shades in real time, blocking out UV rays that can bleach or damage a vehicle’s paint, chrome, and leather. The shades can also be pre-set to rise or lower at certain times of day, depending on the season and location of the sun.
Of course, given that some of the windows are as high as 18 feet off the ground, Condon didn’t really have a choice but to equip his garage with automated shades.
“I certainly didn’t want the shot cluttered with long, distracting, unattractive cords dangling from manual shades,” he says. “I needed the window treatments to be sleek and unobtrusive. Now, with the cordless PowerShades, the light I need for filming is always within push-button reach, and all the equipment in the garage is technologically advanced.
“They may not be as cool as a Lambo, but the shades are a pretty sleek addition to the garage.”
Securing a Safer, More Comfortable Home
Condon’s home rests next to and is attached to the garage. The 14 automated PowerShades in Condon’s home can be found in almost every room, including the living room, office, master bedroom, kitchen, and all upstairs bedrooms. These light-filtering shades enhance the quality of Condon’s home life, promoting both security and comfort.
Not everyone thinks of automated shades when they are putting together a security system for their home. But Condon did.
“I’m in a neighborhood where privacy is a potential concern,” he notes. “Simultaneously lowering all the shades at dusk is a fast and convenient part of my evening routine. Of course, I also have a security system with motion detectors, alarms, and cameras throughout the house, but the PowerShades are part of that system.
“Believe it or not, I’ve had fans of my YouTube channel show up at my home unannounced. I feel safer knowing that my home’s complete security system includes automated shades on every window to help ensure privacy for me and my invited guests.”
Condon also appreciates the convenience of being able to use the remote to open and close all the shades at the same time, rather than walking to each shade and controlling it manually.
“I love opening the shades in the winter on a sunny day; it’s really nice to warm up the house with natural sunlight,” he says. “On the flip side, lowering the shades in the summertime and filtering out the Utah desert heat does wonders for making my home look and feel cooler and more comfortable.”
Revving His Motor (Quietly)
To The Stradman and the fans of his supercars, there’s nothing as beautiful as the sound of a Lamborghini or Ferrari engine. Conversely, none of TheStradman’s fans want to hear an automated shade motor, which is why Condon appreciates the low volume of the automated shade motors. “They are so quiet, I don’t even notice them,” he says.
In fact, Condon appreciates the fact that the shades seldom cry out for attention or maintenance. “The PowerShades haven’t needed any service at all to date. They’ve been perfect.”
Condon expects that the only time he’ll need the PowerShades service team back at his home will be when TheStradMan’s business grows and his needs expand.
“I plan on building a detached garage in the backyard someday. And I’ll certainly be installing a similar PowerShades setup when that day arrives.”
For more information, visit powershades.com.
