Haute couture may refer to clothing, but when it comes to window shades, the popular designs in roller shades are the popular direction. Ready to decorate, and high fashion are the "combination" of window shades in homes.

In terms of form and function, there are many reasons to consider motorized shades for your home or office in New York. The WOW Factor is a driver, but there are other important benefits, such as: energy efficiency, child safety, protecting interior furnishings, enjoying sunsets, avoiding service calls and home security.

This article is part of a series which intends to offer a complete answer to this common question. Knowing the history of each company and where they came from reveals the logic behind their respective strategies and the rationale behind their product offerings. The past informs the present.

Today's sophisticated home automation systems are designed and incorporated into architectural plans at the very early stages of a project. This has played a significant role in growing the overall market for motorized shades and has moved the decision point for which shade system is used much earlier on in the construction sequence. This new reality is due to the fact that while Somfy (and all other shade motor manufacturers) uses an open wiring architecture - Lutron's is closed. How a house is wired for shades largely dictates which shades will be used.

What is the difference between Lutron and Somfy? The primary difference is that Lutron sells motorized shades and controls whereas Somfy only sells motors and controls.