Today we’re talking about another theme that emerged from the Hunter Douglas Spring 2009 Premiers release show: motorized window treatments and home automation:

The next thing I noticed about the Premiers show was the prevalence of motorization products. Almost every product category now offers some sort of motorized option. This is a wise move on the part of Hunter Douglas. The reason why is because as much as we sometimes forget, we are truly moving to a “house of the future,” much like we would find in a Disneyland exhibit.

My wife and I went into one such exhibit at Disneyland where they showed many of the “modern” amenities that are actually available to current homeowners. They did have some amazing things in the exhibit like interactive mirrors that used a video camera to project your image on to a plasma television. They also had full wall displays to display art that could be changed at a whim. But the thing that really caught my eye was the exhibition of motorized window treatments, and the home automation systems that could control the shades, lighting and any other feature in the room.

Yes, home automation is the next big thing. I assert that in just a few short years you will walk over to your window treatments to adjust them as often as you use a knob on your television itself to change the channel. Hunter Douglas acknowledges this definite trend in the industry and is priming itself to be a leader. To truly benefit from what will be possible with home automation I highly recommend consumers use the services of a trained professional to assist in designing their motorized window treatments. Done properly, you can purchase products now that will ensure a seamless transition when you add home automation products…and you will when you see what home automation makes possible.

Tomorrow I’ll touch on the last, but often most talked-about theme in many industries; eco-friendly window treatments.