Month: May 2022

While missing out on sleep doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, it actually is a huge deal. A lack of sleep is linked to a whole host of health problems from depression and anxiety to hypertension, obesity, stroke, and heart attack. Sadly, over half of the people in America don’t get the amount of quality sleep they need. But how can you increase the amount and quality of your sleep? Just start with your bedroom. From getting a white noise machine to installing motorized shades in your bedroom, these tips can help you sleep better.

The quality of your sleep is closely tied to your surrounding environment, so make sure your bedroom is a relaxing oasis that is conducive to restful sleep. These tips can help:

1. Keep it Cool – While everyone has a slightly different ideal sleeping temperature, we all need something around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. This cool temperature mimics our bodies’ natural temperature dip when we sleep. Keep your bedroom at an ideal low temperature by installing the right kind of window treatment. Shades and shutters can help keep the sun out during the day, which helps manage the temperature at night. They can also help lock in the cool air and keep your HVAC system from working too hard.
2. Install Motorized shades – Bright lights from streetlights to the morning sun can mess up your sleep cycles and keep you from getting the rest you need. Keeping your bedroom as dark as possible will help make sure you’re sleeping well. That’s why installing the right kind of window treatment, like motorized shades, can go a long way toward helping you sleep better. Shades can be adjusted to let in no or just a little light, depending on your preferences, making it easy for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Shades can also help reduce noise pollution to make your bedroom even more relaxing.
3. Keep Electronics Out – This one is really hard, but it’s necessary. The bright lights from phones, tablets, TVs, and computers prevent our brains from shutting down at the end of the day and therefore keep us tossing and turning well into the night. Break the habit of scrolling right before bed by leaving your electronics in a different room. If you can’t leave it in another room, at least keep yourself off of it for at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
4. Get a White Noise Machine – White noise machines can block out loud or annoying sounds that can keep you up at night. Plus, once you’ve used one for a while, the sound of the machine can act as a cue to your brain that it’s time to go to sleep.

Creating a sleep oasis in your bedroom can go a long way toward improving your sleep. If you want to learn more about how to make your bedroom better or how to add some motorized shades, just call or visit us!

Curb appeal, or the way a house looks from the outside, is a big point of pride for all homeowners. You want your house to look nice, but unfortunately, home improvement projects can get expensive. However, there are a few simple, easy, and low-cost ways you can boost your home’s curb appeal. From cleaning your siding to installing new motorized shutters on your home, these tips will come in handy for boosting your curb appeal:

1. Install Shutters –Motorized shutters offer a whole host of benefits for homes, one of which is boosting curb appeal with classic charm. Plus, shutters are functional and energy-efficient.
2. Update a Statement Window – Replacement windows have great benefits for any home, from bringing down heating and cooling bills to enhancing the home’s appearance. While you might not be able to afford replacement windows for every window in your home, you can choose to install one replacement window to make a statement window. Installing something more dramatic, like a bay window or stained-glass window, can bring some personality and flair to your home to help boost its curb appeal.
3. Paint Your Shutters – Yes, completely repainting your home would certainly boost its curb appeal. But, again, that’s a very expensive project. Instead of repainting your entire home, try repainting the shutters and trim. You can choose a bold new color to add some flair, or just do a new coat of your existing color for a cleaner, more fresh appearance.
4. Clean Your Siding – You wash your clothes, floors, and even curtains. But when was the last time you washed your home? Dirt, animal droppings, pollen, spider webs, and all other kinds of grime can accumulate on your home’s siding. While replacing your siding is a definite fix, a full siding replacement is a big investment. But a quick wash? Cheap and easy. Rent or borrow a pressure washer and spend an afternoon scoring away the layers of dirt off of your siding. You can also use a long-handled soft bristle brush and a gentle solution of water and vinegar.
5. Resurface Your Driveway – An old, cracked driveway can really detract from a home’s overall appearance. Luckily, it isn’t too hard to resurface asphalt or concrete on your own. The job will take about a day, and it will be a good workout, but it’s very doable. You can also freshen a stone driveway by adding a fresh layer of matching stone and pulling any stray weeds.
6. Plant Flowers – Nothing makes a home more welcoming and lovely than greenery and flowers. You should refresh your home’s landscaping at least once a year. If you don’t have plant beds or greenery, make a trip to your local gardening center. The salespeople will be able to advise you on what kinds of plants would be best for your home. All plants are lovely and, as an additional bonus, more plants mean less grass to mow.

We are here to help if you want to learn more about these tips or motorized shutters. Call or visit us today!

Shades with motorization have lots of uses, from reducing noise pollution and keeping your home energy efficient to reducing light contamination. Blackout shades with motorization are even more useful. You can easily use shades to blackout a room for a wide variety of reasons all around the home. Get inspired by these ideas:

1. Computer Workspace – Most regular home offices don’t necessitate a dark room. In fact, most people prefer lots of natural light while they’re working. However, some jobs like editing photos, working on graphic design, editing videos, or making web design projects need a darker room. Shades are the perfect addition to an at-home office that doubles as a computer workspace. They will block out any incoming sunlight to reduce glare on your computer screen. Plus, when you’re done working on that project, you can open the shades back up to enjoy the natural light again.
2. Bedroom – Whether you have a young child that needs naps during the day, you like to nap during the day, or you work the night shift and need to rest while the sun is up, it can be hard to get to sleep with light streaming in the windows. Use shades to blackout the windows in your bedroom to make the room dark enough for some daytime rest.
3. Home Theater – One of the best parts of seeing a movie in a movie theater is the total darkness in the room. You can recreate that same experience in your home with shades! Shades will reduce the light coming into the room to prevent glare from forming on the screen. Block out the sunlight during the day or street lamps at night by shutting the shades, then use a dimmer switch to lower the light in the room to your desired level. Add some comfy chairs, and a bowl of popcorn, and you have yourself an awesome at-home theater.
4. Photography Studio – You can easily use shades to block out unwanted light if you’re a photographer and want to set up a studio in your home. Dark studios are perfect for low-lit photos or for portraits when you need to have complete control over the light in the shot.
5. Photography Darkroom – If you’re shooting photos at home you might also want or need to develop them at home. You can use shades to completely block out any windows in a small room so you can set up that room as a darkroom. Try turning a spare bathroom or laundry room into a darkroom by adding shades to block the light and clotheslines to hang your developing pictures.

These are just a few of the ways that motorization and shades can help you customize the light in your home, but motorization, shades, and other types of motorized window treatments can do so much more! If you want more ideas or want to learn more about motorization or shades, just get in touch with us. Call or visit us today.