Motorized shades are the upgrade you use every single morning. We specify Somfy on every motorized project because the motor is the part that has to last, run silently in a bedroom at 5 a.m., and integrate cleanly with the smart home you already own. Over thirty years and 1,500+ New York installations, we have learned exactly which rooms justify motorization and how to set it up so you are using it correctly on day one.
Why Somfy, every time
A Somfy motor is engineered for roughly 20 years of daily use. It holds its position precisely, so shades never creep down over months, and it runs quietly enough that a scheduled sunrise raise will not wake you. It connects to Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa through the Somfy TaHoma hub.
Generic motors save a little upfront and we have replaced dozens of them, usually within three to four years. On a custom installation in a New York apartment, that math rarely works in your favor.
Our answer on motors has been the same for fifteen years: Somfy, or wait until the budget is there.
— Glamour Decorating, from 30 years of NYC installs
The rooms where it pays off
The primary bedroom is the clearest case in the city — an east-facing window over the East River or a glass tower across the street means a motorized blackout shade is the difference between sleeping until seven and being up at 5:45 from May through August. The main living area with a view is next: a button or a scene instead of getting up every time afternoon glare hits the screen. A home office benefits too, where glare control without leaving your desk is a real productivity gain.
We will also tell you honestly where not to motorize — a guest room or a bathroom window that never moves rarely justifies a motor.
Set up to actually work on day one
Integration is not plug-and-play in a New York apartment with a mesh network and existing smart devices. We handle all of it: we name every shade by room, build your scenes (Good Morning, Movie, Leaving), and test every automation before we leave. Most clients end up using the simple wall remote ninety percent of the time — instant, no wifi required — with the app and voice as backup.