Motorized Shades in South Florida
What Works (and What Doesn’t)

South Florida light is different—brighter, harsher at certain hours, and full of glare off water and glass. The right motorized shades solve that while keeping your view and your AC bill in check. Here’s a straight-talk guide from the field on picking fabrics, motors, and controls that actually work in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach homes and condos.

Why motorized shades here aren’t “one size fits all”

• Oceanfront glare & heat: East-facing rooms need tighter openness (1–3%) or layered solutions (sheer + blackout). West-facing rooms get late-day heat; think reflective backings or dual shades.
• High-rise realities: Slab-to-slab concrete, limited pocket depth, and strict condo rules mean precision measuring and the right brackets/hem bars.
• Humidity & salt air: Hardware finishes and fabrics matter—coated components and stable weaves hold up better over time.

Lutron vs Somfy: how we choose

• Lutron shines when you want ultra-quiet motion, tight group control, rock-solid scenes, and native integration with Ketra, RadioRA, or HomeWorks.
• Somfy offers versatile motors (wired, battery, solar) and excellent price-to-performance—ideal for condos and retrofits.

Fabric & openness: keep the view, dump the glare

• Sheer weaves (1–5%): Daytime privacy with view-through.
• Blackout rollers: Bedrooms, media rooms, nurseries—pair with side channels for full darkness.
• Drapery: Adds softness and acoustic balance while layering style and performance.

Power options (no regrets later)

• Wired (low-voltage): Near silent and maintenance-free long-term.
• Rechargeable battery: Perfect for condos or finished walls, easily concealed.
• Hybrid: Combine wired and battery systems for flexibility.

Controls that feel effortless

• One-tap scenes: Morning, Movie, Away—set once, live luxuriously.
• Voice & app control: Works seamlessly with Alexa, Google, and Apple.
• Wall remotes: Simple, reliable, and elegant.

County snapshots

Miami-Dade: Oceanfront condos get 1–3% sheers and blackout in bedrooms. Lutron drapery tracks look seamless in minimal interiors.

Broward: Popular combo: 3% solar rollers with ripplefold drapery. Somfy battery rollers retrofit easily.

Palm Beach: Layered treatments—tailored drapery over quiet wired rollers—for classic, cool luxury.

Our process (so installs go right the first time)

• On-site consult with sunlight study and real fabric samples.
• Precise specification of pockets, wiring, and controls.
• Fabrication in local workrooms with certified hardware.
• Professional install and programming of smart scenes.