A common misconception about motorized shades is that homeowners will be forced to choose from one of five generic patterns if they want their window treatments to be part of a smart home automation system. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Below, we outline the different possibilities to make motorized shades fit the style and décor of your Westlake, Texas home. 

SEE ALSO: 3 Reasons to Invest in Motorized Shades for Your Home

Fabrics

The type of material used for motorized shades is entirely dependent on which room you’re planning on installing the window treatment. You wouldn’t have the same shades in a media room that you would have in a bedroom, for example. Here are some of the most common types of fabric to consider:

• Blackout: This type of fabric is ideal for home theaters, media rooms, or bedrooms because it completely blocks sunlight from entering through the windows. Particularly useful during Texas’ scorching summers, blackout shades also help to reduce solar heat gain.
• View Preservation: If you have a room with a gorgeous view, you obviously don’t want to hide it away behind curtains. By choosing a fabric style that allows you to see through it while closed, you get the benefits of reduced sunlight glare without compromising on your view.
• Thermal Management: You don’t have to go straight to blackout shades if you want to reduce solar heat gain. There are plenty of fabric types specifically engineered to have a high reflectance value, turning the sun’s heat away while still allowing some daylight into the room.
• Eco-Friendly Materials: For the environmentally conscious homeowner, choose from a strong selection of sustainable fabrics designed to keep your ecological footprint small.

Styles                                       

• Roller: When you want your motorized shades to be a subtle addition to the room, roller shades are a good option. The shades are practically unnoticeable when raised, but still provide complete window coverage whenever you want it.
• Drapery: The perfect shading choice for bedrooms and formal living rooms, traditional drapery can make a big statement. The great thing about motorized drapery rods is that you can add your own draperies to the room for a truly customized design while also taking advantage of the automation technology. Of course, you can still go with drapery fabrics specifically designed for motorized use.
• Honeycomb: The unique design of honeycomb shades makes them easy to fold up tightly, and the air pockets that expand as the shades lower can actually help insulate your home from heat.
• Roman: Similar to the honeycomb style, Roman shades pull the fabric straight up and down. Roman shades offer more variety in pleat and fabric style, so you can find the perfect option for each room.

Patterns

Whether you want your shades to be one neutral color or the fashion statement in the room, there are plenty of patterns to choose from. DB Media Solutions can provide you with a comprehensive selection of patterns and work with you or your interior designer to decide on the best option for each room. Beyond the pattern of the fabric itself, you also have options for the color and material of the curtain rods, finials, and other hardware.

We’ve barely scratched the surface of the different options available for motorized shades, but the point is clear: whatever design or style you’re seeking for your home, we can supply it. To learn more about motorized shades or our other smart home automation technologies, contact us today.

If you have a smart home in the Dallas, Texas area, the odds are likely that you have TVs, speakers, gaming systems, Blu-Ray players, and other A/V devices spread throughout your home. Managing all of those different devices separately can be a pain, but there’s a better way. By connecting everything into one audio video system, you can access all of your entertainment from any TV or speakers, no matter which room you’re in. To learn how, keep reading.

SEE ALSO: What is the Best Entertainment Gear for Your Outdoor Spaces?

Start with a Matrix Switcher

A matrix switcher is a device that allows you to gain access to multiple audio and video sources for each TV in your home. This device makes it easy for you to watch movies, play video games, listen to music, and enjoy other entertainment, even if the Blu-Ray player or PlayStation is in a completely different room. The switch transfers the audio and video to whichever room you’re in, seamlessly transitioning your media without any extra effort on your part.

Set Up Entertainment Zones

In order for every member of your family to enjoy different media at the same time, entertainment zones control the audio and video in each specific area of your home. This allows dad to watch the game while he’s grilling outside, the kids to watch a movie in the home theater, and mom to relax with some music in the living room—all at once. Entertainment zones streamline media management so that everyone can watch and listen to whatever they want without inconveniencing others.

Reduce and Hide the Equipment

You don’t need a separate DVD player in every room of your home in order to enjoy your movie collection. A distributed audio video system allows you to use one device for all of your rooms. Beyond the cost savings of fewer systems, this setup cuts down on the devices and cords that are cluttering your room’s otherwise spotless décor. You get to hide your equipment in an A/V closet or a cabinet out of sight if needed while still enjoying the benefits of those devices throughout your home.

Home surveillance is an important aspect of securing your Westlake, Texas home. Surveillance cameras can deter intruders and provide evidence in the event of that a determined individual manages to break through your home defenses or a natural disaster like a flood occurs. In one of our previous posts, we discussed the main features to look for in a home security system. One of those features was a surveillance system. Today, we’re going to dig deeper into the specifics of surveillance cameras and how to identify which options are best for you.

SEE ALSO: What Features Should Be Included in Your Home Security System?

The Cameras
Modern surveillance cameras no longer create black and white images so grainy you can barely make out faces. Instead, high-end surveillance cameras can produce crystal clear images in 360-degree environments, giving you a complete view of your home’s access points. Using the newest updates to video data compression, you can view and store high-resolution footage without overloading bandwidth.
When choosing your surveillance cameras, it’s important to know the different types that are available. Here are some of the most popular options:
• Dome Cameras: Named for the domed shape of their lens, dome cameras are designed to stick out of ceilings and entryways so that potential intruders are aware that they are being observed. The dome camera’s 360 view and unobtrusive design make it the go-to option for indoor monitoring.
• Discreet Cameras: Unlike dome cameras, discreet cameras are useful when you want to hide the cameras from view without compromising the footage quality. Discreet cameras can be made to resemble fire sprinklers, smoke alarms, and even decorative objects such as clocks.
• Bullet Cameras: Bullet cameras are typically used in entryways because they monitor a fixed location as opposed to having a 360-degree view. Designed in the shape of a bullet, these cameras are optimized for indoor and outdoor use.
Which camera type is best for your home will depend on a number of factors, such as a camera’s desired location, your home’s décor, and your other security features. One of our security experts can assess your environment and offer recommendations on the appropriate camera types.

The Interface
The days of security rooms with dedicated monitoring computers are long past. Now, you can pull up your surveillance camera’s view on your smartphone, enabling you to monitor your home in real time from your living room or halfway around the world. In addition to smartphone access, you can also take advantage of touch panel interfaces. The sleek wall mounted interface gives you touchscreen access to all aspects of your smart home automation system, from security to lighting control to intercoms. By integrating your intercom system and your surveillance system into one seamless interface, you can see and speak with visitors from within the safety of your home.

Our Recommendation: IC Realtime
IC Realtime is the leading supplier of home surveillance equipment ranging across security cameras, intercom systems, Digital Video Recorders, and more. IC Realtime’s products are durable and built to endure the rigors of the Texas outdoors while maintaining polished and minimalist designs that complement your décor. Their comprehensive security solutions can handle all of your home’s surveillance needs.