Why Automating Your Window Treatments is a Smart Upgrade

Automated blinds and curtains can be viewed as a luxury, but they're also a smart, practical addition to your home. Whether you’re planning a full refurbishment or simply upgrading one room, window automation is more accessible and versatile than ever. And the benefits go well beyond convenience.

When’s the Best Time to Add Automation?

If you’re refurbishing or renovating, this is the ideal time to consider hardwiring your window treatments into the electrical system. This approach gives a clean, discreet finish and can be easily integrated with lighting or smart home systems.

However, if you’re not opening up walls or rewiring, there are still options for you – battery-powered automated blind headrails or tracks are an excellent alternative. These require no mains wiring and can be recharged periodically, just like your phone (except only every few months rather than every day) or trickle charged with a solar panel.

Why Automate?

1. Convenience at Your Fingertips

   Whether it’s the morning sun waking you gently or the late afternoon heat streaming through the west-facing windows, automated blinds allow you to control light, room temperature and privacy at the touch of a button – or on a schedule. They also make everyday living more accessible, giving back control to anyone who might find manual operation difficult.

2. Home Security

   Heading away for the weekend? Automate your blinds to open and close at set times to give the appearance of someone being home. Paired with lighting timers, this can add an extra layer of security and peace of mind.

3. Energy Efficiency

   Smart blinds can help regulate the temperature in your home. In summer, they can lower to block heat, and in winter, they can close at dusk to retain warmth. All without you lifting a finger.

4. Smart Home Integration

   Today’s systems – like Somfy’s – work with a wide range of smart home platforms, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. That means you can voice-command your blinds, or automate them based on time of day, sunlight levels, or even temperature.

   
   

   A smart home is essentially an internet connected set of devices (lights, security systems, thermostats, window treatments etc) that can be controlled remotely via an app or central hub.

5. Keep Your Window Treatments Looking Fresh

   No matter how careful you are, blinds and curtains can pick up marks over time - whether it’s a chain rubbing against the side of the blind or grabbing the curtain when you forget the draw rod. With hands-free automation, there’s no need to touch the fabric, so everything stays cleaner and fresher for longer.

Real-World Cost Comparison

To help you get an idea of the investment involved, here’s a real example: two estimates created in May 2025 for the same home, 18 windows in total (varying sizes from 2m to just under 1m), one with automated blinds using Somfy Zigbee headrails, and one with manual operation. No face fabric is included in these costs as this can alter an estimate wildly, it's simply fabrication, linings and the headrail.

Estimate Type	Total
18 Roman blind plus the automation tech to support it	£13,201.80
18 manually operated Roman blinds	£8,670.86

The Somfy system quoted here includes one Tahoma Switch hub, 11 remote controls (one per room), three signal boosters and 11 chargers – all of which support full smart integration and customisation.

That's a difference of £4,530.94, so just over half again for automating Roman blinds for 18 windows in 11 rooms. Now think about how long it will take you to walk around lifting and lowering all those blinds every day compared to the feeling of ease as your blinds rise automatically (for example) 30 mins after dawn breaks and lower at dusk without you doing a thing.

Curious about how automation could work in your home? Let’s chat about options that fit your space and your lifestyle. Book a home visit consultation here.