Staff Report
Imagine coming home after a long day at work to find your home warmly lit. The shades have been drawn and the temperature is perfect. Your home has prepared itself for you so you can immediately start enjoying a relaxing evening.
Home automation technology allows you to control things like lighting, temperature, window coverings and other home functions all with the touch of a button. This technology is a luxury and until recently, it has not been a luxury the average homeowner could afford.
“Budget Blinds and Lutron have made home automation affordable and easy to use,” said Elaine Trotter, co-owner of Budget Blinds of Brandon. “Normally when you start to look at home automation with window coverings for most homeowners it’s not really an affordable option; now it is.”
Lutron’s Smart Home is a simple home automation system that allows you to control and schedule your window coverings, lighting and thermostat all through a touch of a button. You can control it with a remote or wall control, or through the Smart Home application on your smart device. The system is programmed to recognize your smart device as you approach your home and it will set your preferred home ambience before you even walk through the door.
“Budget Blinds works with both the natural and artificial lighting part of the Smart Home system and having automated window coverings will make you never want to live without them,” said Trotter. “You can set your window coverings to your time zone so they will rise and lower according to the daylight hours. People use this system to set their shades to come up at a certain time in the morning and use the natural light to wake them instead of an obtrusive alarm.”
Smart shades can also enhance your home’s security. You can set them to raise and lower at appropriate times when you are on vacation; making it appear as though someone is home.
The Lutron cellular and roller shades are cordless, making them safe for children and pets.
The Lutron technology leads the industry. Not only was the company the first to invent the light dimmer in the late 1950s, they have invested hundreds of lighting control devices and systems and have led innovations in window shade technology using wireless and wired systems to control both daylight and electric light.
Budget Blinds, located at 10437 Gibsonton Dr. in Riverview, recently received its certification from Lutron as Smart Home Consultants. For more information on the Budget Blinds and Lutron Smart Home integrated home automation system, call 445-7121 or visit BBSmartHomeNorthTampa.com.
