Have you resisted installing motorized, remote-controllable window shades that just roll up or down on cue, because you prefer the finer adjustability that slatted blinds offer?
You're in luck. Longtime maker of lighting controls and automated shading solutions, Lutron Electronics is now launching an affordable option. Its Caseta Smart Wood Blinds are mid-priced custom-tunable slatted window coverings that tilt open/closed to any angle. And they do so on command from an app, voice control, or automatically using a location setting and a custom adjusting tool called Natural Light Optimization. (More on that in a moment.)
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I'm optimistic about this product, given the steadfast performance and quiet movement that I’ve observed in a lot of Lutron shades and drapes. Installation should be a snap – requiring just a few screws and no wiring. Smart Wood Blinds can run for very long spells – three to five years – on a set of conventional alkaline batteries.
Made of North American basswood, these custom blinds feature two-inch slats in either a painted white or stained walnut finish. Pricing is simple and quite competitive, at $429 per blind for any variation covering windows up to 48 inches wide and 80 inches tall. Larger versions (up to 72-inch width 80 inch height) can also be had, with a max-sized white blind going for $853 and a walnut variant for $895. Not offered, at least for now, is either a 1-inch mini slat version or a motorized lift/drop option. You'll have to grip the blinds’ bottom rail to manually lift or lower them.
Caseta Smart Wood Blinds are available today for order on Lutron's website. The company promises delivery in two to three weeks.
When activated by the user, Lutron's Natural Light Optimization software uses your address to determine the exact location and combines that with the direction the window faces to thereafter adjust shade positions automatically. For example, Lutron suggests that west-facing blinds would ideally tilt wide open at the start of the day, then close some to reduce the stronger direct sunlight of the mid-day to reduce glare and heat. Then in the evening, the blinds would be mostly shuttered for privacy while still allowing some filtered natural light to enter.
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Rather adjust them your way? Say, to shed full sunlight on indoor plants or (conversely) protect furnishings from fading? Caseta Wood Blinds offer full user control via the programmable Lutron app, Pico smart remotes (sold separately), and the voice assistant in smart home platforms including Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home.
These smart wood blinds work in tandem with Lutron’s Caseta lighting controls. So you could pair the products to create an energy efficient and comfortable blending of natural and powered illumination.
[Image credit: Lutron]
