Here’s What Sets Lutron’s Signature Palladiom Shades Apart From Other Brands

As a leader in home automation in the Minneapolis/St. Paul region, people often ask our team where to begin. After all, not everyone wants to jump in with both feet to create a smart home from top to bottom. 

Some Twin Cities homeowners decide to incorporate one system at a time, perhaps customizing their entertainment setup before venturing to automated shades and lighting. Some stop at one system, while others eventually work their way toward a full-fledged smart home automation experience. Whatever your path, everyone begins somewhere.

Motorized shades are one of the systems we often recommend for an initial foray into smart home living. The convenience they offer is unparalleled! No more opening every window covering in the morning and closing them one by one at the end of the day. No more squinting at the TV or computer screen when the sun’s light hits it, and no more damaged furnishings due to overexposure to UV rays. 

Now, motorized shading solutions can help manage sunlight and privacy for you. 

At ICS, we partner with Lutron, the global leader in precision-controlled window coverings. With eight styles and over 1,000 different materials curated from leading textile manufacturers worldwide, selecting one can be challenging. However, one stands above the rest—their signature line, Palladiom shades. 

Here, we’ll explore their benefits and what sets them apart in the motorized shade category. Keep reading to learn more.

The Benefits of Upgrading to Lutron HomeWorks 

When you moved into your Twin Cities home, was it already equipped with a lighting control system? Or did you have a Lutron lighting system installed years—or even decades—ago? 

If you’re still using a legacy Lutron system like Lutron Interactive, LiteTouch, or Illuminations, you may have noticed poor performance after switching to LED bulbs. Maybe certain fixtures are no longer working, or you’re experiencing flickering lights, erratic dimming, and unreliable behavior. 

Why does this happen to older lighting systems? And how can you fix it? Here’s how (and why) we upgrade Lutron lighting systems for our clients in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. 

Customize Your Home Environment With Elegant Lighting Solutions

Walk into your home, and what do you see? Is your home perfectly illuminated with artificial lighting that’s balanced with natural light from the outside? With the tap of a button, it could be. Lutron HomeWorks QS offers precise lighting adjustments, allowing homeowners in Minnetonka, MN, to create elegant, luxurious environments that adapt to their unique lifestyles and preferences. Whether you're hosting a dinner party, unwinding after a long day, or just getting up in the morning, Lutron’s HomeWorks QS system helps you shape your home’s ambiance to match the needs of the moment.

Continue reading for tips on leveraging this powerful lighting system to enhance your living spaces.

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.