The shading category continues to be a growth area for the industry. Here are some of the more recent innovations in shading.
Draper Gabled Bottom Shade
What do you do when you have an angled window that requires interior shading? A new solution from Draper means you don’t have to use a square shade and overlap the window opening. The Gabled Bottom-Up FlexShade can be sill-mounted in the window. It can handle angles up to 45 degrees in either direction.
The shade panel is kept under constant tension by thin cables that deploy from tensioned spring boxes and attach to a flexible hembar. Draper uses a .06-inch (1.5 mm) low-stretch, high-fatigue cable with a polyester jacket.
To help installers get it just right, the Draper engineering team has built tracking adjustment right into the idler endcap. It’s a two-part process to adjust the tracking of the fabric panel so it always looks perfectly straight.
The Gabled Bottom-Up FlexShade is available with a variety of motors and control options and can be integrated into smart home networks.
Legrand Shading Systems Cord Keeper
The Legrand Shading Systems Cord Keeper is a safe, compliant solution for chain-operated shades. Legrand’s Cord Keeper provides safety and peace of mind for commercial and residential applications using manual chain-operated shades in locations where children may be present. The Cord Keeper is compliant with existing chain regulations, including ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2018 in the U.S. and the latest corded window covering regulations under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (SOR/2019-97). With a patent-pending design, Cord Keeper can be ordered with any new manual shades or can be retrofitted to most shades on the market that use a #10 bead chain, extending safety to existing applications.
Legrand Shading System’s Cord Keeper is intuitive in how it operates. To raise the shade to the desired height, press the lever up and then move the slider up and down. To lower, press the lever down and repeat moving the slider up and down. Cord Keeper installs in four simple steps. Its switch mechanism comes preinstalled, and the cover is cut to size with the appropriate labeling for each shade. The Cord Keeper mechanism can either hang freely or be anchored with the included anchor to the window jamb. With a low-profile design that doesn’t impede the view, it’s suitable for a variety of shading sizes and applications.
Hunter Douglas Silhouette and Luminette Expansions
Hunter Douglas has expanded the portfolio for two of its most popular shade styles. The debut of Silhouette Halo Shadings, along with new fabric and hardware options for Luminette Privacy Sheers, deepens the customization and design opportunities available to custom integrators through the Hunter Douglas portfolio — complemented by the PowerView Gen 3 Automation system.
The new multi-functional Silhouette Halo Shadings prioritize ambiance and privacy, combining the distinctive design of the flagship Silhouette style with practical enhancements. Silhouette Halo Shadings retain the style’s innovative S-shaped fabric vanes, positioned between two sheers, to create a soft radiance throughout a room. For more flexible movement and natural lighting control, Silhouette Halo is designed with dual-layered fabric vanes that can over-rotate to precisely redirect sunlight. This feature enhances UV protection for furnishings, eliminates harsh shadows, and optimizes comfort and privacy at any time of day.
Distinctly designed to diffuse light into a soft glow, Luminette Privacy Sheers feature vertical panels with fully integrated vertical vanes to provide UV protection, comfort, and privacy. The sheers merge the functional benefits of blinds with dynamic design, making them particularly suitable for sliding doors or large panes of glass. The latest Luminette release boasts improved hardware that enables shades to traverse while vanes are partially tilted and grants homeowners easier, more granular control over shade position.
PowerShades Integrates With Crestron Home OS
The complete range of PowerShades’ AC- and DC-powered, RF, solar-powered, and True PoE motorized shades can now be integrated with the Crestron Home OS Operating System. PowerShades offers indoor and outdoor motorized roller shades with a broad range of customization and automation options. Its automation features include setting scenes and schedules, voice control, cloud-based connectivity, mobile app control, and more. All these features can be set up with the company’s PowerShades Dashboard.
With the Crestron Home OS platform, the homeowner can easily orchestrate their home’s environment, from lighting and acoustics to temperature and entertainment, as well as how their home interacts with the outside world to create an oasis that enhances their life.
Bond Home Sidekick for Shades and Sidekick Scene Keypads
Bond Home has launched two keypads for home tech professionals: Sidekick for Shades and Sidekick Scene. Sidekick for Shades ($79 MSRP) is the only (according to the company) universal remote capable of operating window shades and awnings that utilize Rollease, Somfy, Dooya, Nice, and AMP motors. Sidekick’s 5-channel buttons can be programmed for individual or batch control. And no bridge or cabling is required — battery-powered, the keypad mounts flush on the wall or electrical control box. A matching white decora faceplate is included.
If integrated with the Bond Bridge Pro RF-to-Wi-Fi device control hub ($379), the keypad gains increased functionality. This includes expanded range (3500 square feet), plus now the Bond Home App and automation system can depict the shade’s status (i.e., open or closed).
Sidekick Scene Keypad ($79 MSRP) is an eight-button, fully programmable keypad. Working in concert with the Bond Bridge Pro and Control4 and ELAN automation systems (soon RTI and URC), the keypad triggers shades, entertainment, HVAC, lighting, and more.
Somfy Integrates With Control4
Somfy’s Control4 to Digital Motor Interface enables seamless integration of the Somfy Digital Network (SDN) motor family with Control4 systems to deliver an integrated home automation solution.
Somfy North America’s interface operates as a wireless end node within a Control4 system. With reliable bi-directional communication, real-time motor position status updates, and incremental positioning from 0-100 percent, end users can more easily control their compatible smart home devices for better natural light management.
The Control4 to Digital Motor Interface is designed to fit smaller shade pockets for roller, roman, and woven shades and can be seamlessly integrated into the existing smart home system for enhanced privacy, comfort, and energy efficiency. This interface can also be the ideal solution for new residential construction, as SDN motors are AC- or DC-powered, which is easiest to deploy at the same time as construction for built-in bi-directional communication in various torque and power options.
Brilliant Integrates With Hunter Douglas
Brilliant now integrates with Hunter Douglas PowerView Automation for window shades. Available now, the new integration will enable Brilliant users to control and automate Hunter Douglas PowerView Gen 3 shades connected to a PowerView Gen 3 Gateway from in-wall Brilliant touchscreen controls or the all-in-one Brilliant mobile app.
This new integration gives builders and professional installers the ability to offer complete home automation systems at a mass market price point with no custom programming required.