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Bringing Natural Light into Your Home as Fall Turns to Winter

As summer turns to fall and the days grow shorter, our bodies attempt to adjust to the decreasing daylight. While the exact amount of daylight you lose depends on where you live, it’s astonishing to realize that from the first day of fall to the end of the year, many in Minnesota will experience over three hours of diminishing light. 

So, what does this reduced light do to our bodies? For many of us, decreasing sunlight disrupts the internal time clock known as the circadian rhythm. For those who are susceptible in St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN, lack of adequate sunshine can lead to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression associated with chemical changes occurring in the brain due to less daylight. 

Here, we’ll explore the circadian rhythm, how the body responds when it’s disrupted, and the lighting technology that can bring your body back into balance as the seasons change.

Enhancing Your Home's Natural Light and Beauty

Today, more homeowners and interior designers than ever before are embracing the power of natural light. As the main source of ambient lighting, it brings immense beauty, warmth, and illumination. In the process, it reduces energy consumption and enhances your sense of well-being. It's a potent element that deserves a special place in our homes. 

Yet, it comes with a cost. As the sun arcs across the sky, harsh UV rays enter our homes, damaging the interior. In response, we close our shades and there they remain, blocking the many benefits natural light brings. 

The answer is motorized shades. These automated masterpieces adjust throughout the day, protecting your home while letting in the gift of natural light. If you're wondering how roller shades will blend in with your home's design, you'll be pleasantly surprised to learn these window coverings come in vast styles, colors, and materials.

At Innovative Control Systems, we partner with Lutron, the global leader in motorized shades and lighting control, to bring our clients the greatest selection and enhanced functionality. Let's explore what these window coverings offer your home in Minnetonka, MN.

Enhance Your Home’s Aesthetics While Reducing Energy Consumption

In the late 1950s, lighting control was complicated and expensive, with few homes having the power to control the intensity of their lighting. Then, in 1959, Joel Spira, a physicist, invented the first solid-state dimmer that could replace the light switch. 

These dimmers not only enhanced the home environment but also saved energy. Realizing the future of lighting control and its long-term appeal, Joel and Ruth Spira incorporated Lutron Electronics in 1961, changing how we light our homes forever. 

Let’s explore today’s Lutron dimmer and how it’s transforming lighting control in homes throughout Minnetonka, MN.

Imagine a Home That Creates the Ideal Illumination Effortlessly

Lighting has a powerful effect on the human body and emotions. Soft, warm hues signal to the body it's time for rest. Bright, blue tones make it easier to concentrate with focused attention. When the sun's natural light enters a home, it brings warmth, renewed energy, and immense beauty.

Light, at its very essence, changes the world.

Yet, because of its ubiquitous existence, we've come to take it for granted. We flip a light switch, and a room illuminates. Today, however, home lighting control offers so much more. 

It readies your Minnesota home in the morning, turning on the perfect lights at just the right hue and intensity before you wake. When you return from work, your home greets you as soon as you pull into the driveway, setting the tone for the evening with warm landscape and interior lights. When you go to bed, you press a ‘Good Night’ button, and every light throughout your home dims to darkness. 

Are you ready to experience the incredible world of automated lighting and how it's transforming homes in the greater Twin Cities region? Let's view a day through the eyes of smart lighting.