Shades have taken the custom installation industry by storm. And, given the variety of products offered by industry manufacturers, it is not hard to see why. Here we take a look at some of the shading sensations that will be making their way to Denver this September.
Draper at Home
Expect more Draper at Home innovation indoors and out at the 2023 CEDIA Expo.
Inside, in booth #3912, you’ll find new roller shade innovations as well as the debut of a new fixed frame screen. Draper’s latest roller shades on display will include the FlexStyle Cassette, a trim and elegant shade that ships assembled and ready for mounting, and the Gabled Bottom-Up FlexShade for angled windows. While you’re there, try the Ascend roller shade, a safe manual shade that retracts with the touch of your hand. Then take a look at samples and examples of Draper’s custom fabric color capabilities.
Then head to the parking lot out front for “Destination Outdoors” — that’s where you’ll find the motorized, wind-tunnel-tested FlexShade ZIP, the roller shade that resists wind, weather, and insects to create comfortable outdoor spaces. The Exterior Motorized FlexShade is an economical and easy-to-use outdoor shading solution. Side channels or cable guides keep the shade fabric in place. Draper at Home will also showcase unique shading solutions from European partners exclusively available through Draper at Home.
Hunter Douglas
Hunter Douglas bolsters its century-long commitment to shade innovation with the official launch of Aura Illuminated Shades at CEDIA Expo 2023. Aura Illuminated Shades feature a transformative, three-in-one design: A traditional-looking front shade, a reflective room-darkening liner, and ambient illumination via programmable LED work in tandem to deliver a customized experience that elevates mood and ambiance in the connected home.
Aura Illuminated Shades allow homeowners to control natural and artificial light, providing precise, comfortable illumination at any time and extending light into the early morning and evening hours. Aura is available with some of the most popular Hunter Douglas shade styles — including Vignette Stacking Roman Shades, Sonnette Cellular Roller Shades, and Designer Roller Shades — which are customizable by a variety of fabric options to suit the aesthetic needs of any space.
Visit booth #3147 at CEDIA Expo to experience Aura Illuminates Shades and connect with the Hunter Douglas team in Booth #2947 to learn more about the Hunter Douglas portfolio and PowerView Gen 3 Automation.
Legrand Shading Systems
Legrand Shading Systems will present the latest in luxury and smart home shading solutions at CEDIA Expo 2023. In the Experience Room, Legrand Shading Systems and Vantage are better together with lighting controls and shading systems natively integrated, offering flexibility in control, simple user interfaces, and unparalleled support.
The company also brings its curated fabric collections, featuring the latest and most popular decorative, solar screen, sustainable, and room-darkening options from Coulisse, Twitchell, Phifer, Mermet, and more. Integrators can control natural light with shades that cover from the smallest windows (15.5 inches wide) up to windows 13 feet wide and 15 feet tall for many fabrics. They can choose from over 750 different fabrics.
Also on display will be Legrand Shading’s Designer Series decorative brackets open-roll shades. To match the aesthetics of any space, Designer Series decorative brackets and hembar endcaps are available in 15 finish styles across three collections: Premium, Glass, and adorne. Vantage keypad finishes also match the Designer Series decorative brackets finishes. These premium finishes offer clean lines and are color-matched to Legrand’s radiant wiring devices, while adorne finishes complement switches and outlets from Legrand’s adorne Collection. Glass finishes are inspired by the Vantage EasyTouch Glass keypad and offer a reflective, mirror-like surface. Likewise, the Designer Series hembar endcaps’ modern shape completes the look with a consistent finish.
PowerShades
PowerShades will be at CEDIA Expo to introduce Version 2.0 of its industry-first and only TruePoE automated window shades. This new version of PowerShades’ innovative PoE shades arrives with an abundance of new features and benefits, including indoor shade sizes up to 19 feet, quieter motors, and 13x more processing power. These new automated window shades, powered by a reliable, quiet PoE motor, bring increased flexibility, ease of installation, and potential cost savings to Powershades’ already feature-rich automated window coverings.
The new PoE 2.0 shades include more dry-contact functions, including “Stop” and “Favorite,” as well as an enhanced networking stack that will enable new features such as VLAN Tagging capable and IPV6 support. A built-in web server offers configuration of motor and limits, modification of network setting, programmable dry-contact functionality, and advanced diagnostics.
Check out PowerShades Version 2.0 at booth #532.
Somfy
Somfy will show the new Sonesse 30 PoE motor at CEDIA Expo booth #2724, which enhances control for users to create custom commands and manage large spaces using a single application to help lower operational costs and improve efficiency.
The Sonesse 30 PoE motor allows for a seamless installation process due to the low voltage and easy wiring, increasing safety and eliminating the need for an electrician. Plus, motors are immediately discoverable and ready for commissioning by using a web GUI eliminating the need for a physical setting tool. The Somfy Synergy Application Programming Interface (API) is also available to simplify integrations with third-party control systems. For building owners that are seeking a solution to reduce operational costs, the networking feature of PoE allows network cables to carry electrical DC power and IP data connectivity over an existing data connection with a single Cat5e/Cat6 ethernet cable.
The motor is equipped with independently adjustable speed in both directions, as well as soft start and soft stop features. It is a convenient solution for glare reduction and privacy and offers real-time feedback on shade positioning. The motor has the ability to operate on preset scenes and schedules plus the silent performance makes it a seamless addition to any space with reduced light leakage due to the minimal light gap. The shorter motor length allows for installation in smaller windows and the thin round head with interchangeable color options creates a smooth transition into the shade and tube profile, allowing it to easily match any interior decor.
Nice
We are expecting to see Nice’s new Sun Shades, the company’s first-ever line of custom smart sun shades. Advanced electronics offer enhanced versatility, enabling the sun shades to be integrated into a project at any stage of the building process. Highly customizable with options for indoor and outdoor use, the custom roller-shade line offers stunning finishes to complete any space.
The range of sun shades for interior needs include open roll, cassette, fascia, and pocket-mounting options, as well as options for dual roller and total blackout shade. Offerings are available for more complex needs, such as skylights, bottom-up applications commonly used in bedrooms, and peaked or angled windows. Powerful shade motors by Nice also enable more options for windows up to 18 feet.
Nice can be found at booth #2538.
Screen Innovations
We don’t know exactly what new products Screen Innovations will be showing at booth #1832, but given that it is the company’s 20th anniversary, you can bet they’ll have plenty of news to share.
Bond
CEDIA Expo 2023 attendees will see Bond’s technology at 10 exhibits. The Bond RF-to-WiFi platform is increasingly becoming recognized as the preferred way to control motorized window shades, drapery, screens, awnings, and ceiling fans. It has earned this position for its extreme flexibility (collaborating with many brands), simple setup, exceptional range, and reasonable pricing. Products on display include the Bond Bridge Pro RF-to-WiFi bridge ($379) and the Sidekick for Shades Gen2 keypad ($99).
CEDIA Expo 2023 attendees will see Bond featured at these 10 exhibits:
- Bond (Booth 1838): Demonstrating its Bond Bridge Pro and Sidekick for Shades Gen2.
- MagnaTrack (Booth 4101): Selling two Bond Bridge Pro bridges designed for Defender Series of Outdoor Hurricane Screens and Shades Motors.
- PowerShades (Booth 532): Now Bond Bridge Pro compatible.
- Savant (Booth 2519): Savant’s Shades by J-Geiger now Bond Bridge Pro compatible.
- Specialized Shading Solutions (Booth 739): Selling Bond Bridge Pro.
- Motion Blinds (Booth C1112): Bond Bridge Pro compatible.
- Nice (Booth 2538): Indoor / outdoor shade motors now Bond Bridge Pro compatible.
- WALL-SMART (Booth C1103): Developed, selling in-wall / in-ceiling mounting solutions.
- Screen Innovations (Booth 1832): Bond Bridge Pro compatible.
- Draper at Home (Booth 3912): Bond Bridge Pro compatible.
