Simple and Time Saving Window Coverings

*This post is in partnership with Somfy, but all thoughts, opinions, and selections are my own.  

When I first became a stay at home mom, the monotony of taking care of a home and a family really got to me.  I remember when Xander was only a few months old that the thought of opening and closing the blinds in our house every day for the rest of my life felt overwhelming.  I know some hormones were at play, but the little things in life can add up to lots of time over the years.  Fast forward to now, nine years later.  We live in a different house with even more windows to contend with.  48 to be exact.  48 windows!  That was one of the things I loved about this house from the moment we walked in.  The light was incredible, and it’s because there are windows at every turn.  Our sunrooms are my favorite place to be on a bright, winter day.

The house came with lots of dated window coverings, and one of the first things we did was take most of them down.  I don’t mind the living spaces feeling like a fishbowl, but there are more issues to no window coverings than just privacy.  Windows that aren’t covered allow in the elements: the sun, the heat, and the cold.  Along with effecting our energy bills, the sun can be absolutely damaging to dark furnishings and home decor.

The living room faces west and gets the most intense sun of the day.  One of the first big purchases I made was the curtains in here.  I knew I needed something to protect the furnishings in the space.  I loved the look, and it was a functional purchase too.  But the curtains ended up staying closed for days at a time in the summer to keep heat out or open for days at a time in the winter to bring light in: I’ve never been religious about moving them.  I knew I wanted to add some shades for more protection and the additional layer would bring more texture and warmth to the space.  But I also knew traditional shades with a cord would end up being stuck in one position or another for long periods of time too.

Enter Somfy and their motorized shades.  I don’t know how I’ll ever go back!  Seriously.  I chose a natural shade (Antiqua in Bahia).  You can find a local dealer here.  It’s a very calm pattern with a neutral brown not too red, not too yellow, not too grey that is classic enough to last a lifetime.  A contractor came out and did all of the measuring, the shades were shipped directly to my house, and then that same contractor was back a day later to install them.  We all know my husband is handy, but when I don’t have to put another thing on his to-do list we’re all happy!

Somfy motorized shades come with a remote that can be attached to your wall like a light switch, but I just keep ours in a decorative brass bucket on the coffee table.  You can program several different channels.  Our first channel controls all three shades at one time.  Literally the press of a button and they all go all the way up or down, just like the windows of your car.  In the morning I can tap the button on my way to the kitchen.  No more standing there thinking about how much time this adds up to doing it every day.  I am probably the least tech savvy person in our family, but you can also connect the shades using the MyLink app to your Amazon Alexa!

Strauss’ music equates to how my brain feels when I hit the button each time…ahh. 

Window coverings are rarely cheap, but these motorized shades with installation were less than what I paid for the curtains.  Beautiful convenience at a reasonable price has me ready to add these beauties on the other 45 windows!

Have you ever had motorized shades?  What’s your favorite part about them?  

Go here for more living room styling ideas.

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