What Does Custom Mean? Let’s Talk Automated Shades

We live in Southwestern Ontario – and when it comes to weather it means two things: our winters get cold and our summers get hot. But even on the most frigid and fiery of days, there’s nothing like basking in the rays of natural sunlight. While sunshine has its time and place, design and practicality mean you still need something on your windows.

One of the most fashion-forward choices you can make is motorized window coverings. And no – this isn’t just a choice for contemporary or modern design lovers anymore. You can choose from dozens of shades and fabrics available at your fingertips – or choose your own custom fabrics. Let us show you what we mean!

Each shade at PMWYRE is – from the most expensive to the most inexpensive – custom-made for each client. Owner, Sarah Love, sets up a site visit at your home or office to review styles, colours, and measure each window. And that’s just the start. We look at the specifics of your home. Will the shade hit the handles on your window? Should it be inside mounted or outside mounted? Do we need to take humidity into account (think bathrooms)? Will children or pets be within reach (think durability)?

Next, comes the design! Each shade is made specifically for you! So, this means we can colour match your windows, walls, and even have your shades handwoven with the Hartmann&Forbes line. Each plant-produced fiber is hand split, hand-tied, and then either braided, twisted or modeled into a design.

PMWYRE carries Hunter Douglas, Hartmann&Forbes, Clara, Screen Innovations, and Crestron. Each shade is hand-assembled and then delivered to your home. All lines are durable, and many are affordable solutions (comparable with big-box competitors)!
Installation day is unobtrusive and quiet! Certified installers from PMWYRE will arrive, place drop cloths, and install. Once we’re gone, it’s like we weren’t even there. We leave everything as we found it (except for the new shades, of course). A standard single shade install is complete in less than an hour.

Just how custom can we go? Check out this project we did:

We integrated cord-free, automated shades into a beautiful local home. The home features big beautiful windows that the client didn’t want to obstruct (we wouldn’t either) – so they wanted to ensure when the shade was up, it would disappear completely. The perfect choice was going with a Crestron shade, with a modern, light, and airy aesthetic.

We took custom to the next level on this job. Each shade’s aluminum extrusion was colour matched to the aluminum windows (Big Foot Doors). We also reversed the roll to accommodate for handles.

The client wanted UV protection throughout the home – to reduce glare for visual comfort, reduce unwanted heat during the summer months, and add privacy from the street (while still having a view to outside). For here, we used a screen shade with a 3% openness.

Now – let’s look at our favourite part – automation.We integrated the shades into their Crestron home automation system with an automated schedule. This means our client doesn’t have to worry about putting shades up and down as the sun moves during the day. The shades can be set to scenes such as “good morning” or “good night”. They’re also remote access (you don’t have to get up!) and use ultra-quiet motors.
Here’s a look at some specific spaces in the home.

Bedrooms and Bathrooms

In the bedroom and bathroom space, we used a variety of black-out fabrics (all with a white streetside for a uniform look) to offer complete privacy and room darkening.

Front Entrance

The homeowner wanted the ability to have either complete privacy (or view through) as they did with the other shades in the house. Here we did a dual roller shade with a black-out in the rear and 3% openness in the front. Voila! The best of both worlds.

While this project is a wonderful example of all the bells and whistles that can go into a custom job – custom really is for every budget!