Lift
Honeycomb, roller, solar, Roman, and SmartFold™ shades raise and lower to any position, with a saved favorite for the everyday setting.
Motorized Shades
Motorized shades: every window on the wall, on one schedule.
Norman® Smart Motorization on Portrait™ honeycomb, Soluna™ roller and solar, Centerpiece™ Roman, PerfectSheer™, SmartFold™, and SmartDrape™ shades. Remote, wall switch, the ShadeAuto™ app, or your voice. Installed and paired by PAPABLINDS in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond.
Which shades motorize, and how.
Every shade line we sell has a motorized version. What the motor does depends on the shade.
| Shade | Motorized versions | What moves | AutoWand™ option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait™ honeycomb | Bottom up, top-down bottom-up, Day & Night, skylights | Lift; two motors on top-down bottom-up and Day & Night | Yes |
| Soluna™ roller and solar | Bottom up | Lift | Yes |
| Centerpiece™ Roman | Bottom up, Day & Night | Lift | Yes |
| PerfectSheer™ | Standard | Vane tilt and lift | Yes |
| SmartFold™ | Standard fold | Lift | Yes |
| SmartDrape™ | Left stack, right stack, center opening | Traverse | No, manual wand instead |
Blackout matters here too: a motorized schedule is only as dark as the shade. See blackout shades for side channels and outside mounts.
Three motions, one remote.
Lift, tilt, and traverse can share a remote and a routine, so a room with honeycomb shades on the windows and SmartDrape™ on the door closes with one press.
Tilt
PerfectSheer™ rotates its fabric vanes from open to closed, then lifts the whole shade when you want the glass clear.
Traverse
SmartDrape™ vanes glide along the track to the left, the right, or both sides, and you can still walk through them by hand.
Controls, power, and the details people ask about.
- Remote
- A five-channel remote or the SmartDial G2, and a five-channel wall switch. Each channel is one shade or a group; press once for the favorite position, or up, down, and stop.
- App and voice
- The ShadeAuto™ hub connects to your router by Wi-Fi or Ethernet. The ShadeAuto™ app runs daily and weekly routines from anywhere and adds Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.
- Power
- Rechargeable battery in the headrail (charged with a wireless charging wand or an adapter), an AC adapter plug-in for shades near an outlet, or DC low-voltage hardwire on a remodel.
- Charging
- The wireless charging wand reaches windows up to 11 feet high with the optional extension pole. A dual power meter shows the charge in the motor and in the wand.
- Battery life
- Months, depending on the size of the shade and how often it moves. Norman’s reference guide cites about seven months on one charge for a center-opening SmartDrape™.
- Safety
- Auto-brake stops the shade when it meets an obstruction. No lift cords on any motorized shade. A manual button on the headrail works without the remote.
- AutoWand™
- The no-remote option: a pendant with three buttons and a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, charged through micro-USB at the bottom of the pendant. Wand lengths of 2, 5, and 6 feet; certified Best for Kids.
Rooms where motorized shades earn their keep.
The clerestory row
Reachable honeycomb shades below, motorized ones above, same fabric. Nobody climbs a ladder in December.
Down at dusk, up at the alarm
A routine in the ShadeAuto™ app closes room-darkening shades before you get home and opens them when you want to wake, not when the sun does.
West glass at three o’clock
Solar shades on a schedule drop before the glare reaches the screen. Six windows, one channel.
SmartDrape™ on the slider
Vanes traverse from the remote in the evening; in the daytime you walk through them like drapes.
From the visit to the first routine.
Motorization adds a power plan and a pairing session to a normal shade order. We handle both.
- 1Measure and choose the shadeFabric, opacity, mount, and lift type are chosen exactly as for a cordless shade. We bring a motorized sample so you can hear it and try the remote.
- 2Plan power per windowBattery and charging wand for most windows, an adapter where there is an outlet, hardwire if the wall is open. We check charging access on tall windows.
- 3Install and pairShades go in, channels are set on the remote, and the ShadeAuto™ hub is connected to your Wi-Fi. Groups and favorite positions are saved before we leave.
- 4Set the routinesMorning, evening, and the afternoon sun on the west side. You get a walkthrough of the app and the remote, and you can change everything later.
© 2021 Norman®. All Rights Reserved.Options on motorized shades.
- Norman® Smart Motorization: remote, app, voice
- AutoWand™: three-button pendant, no remote
- Groups: several shades on one channel
- Daily and weekly routines in the app
- Manual and motorized in the same room, same fabric
- Motor added to shades you already own
- Solar charging on shades: ask at the visit
Motorized shade questions.
Remote or app?
Both, if you like. The remote and the wall switch work without any hub; the ShadeAuto™ hub adds the app, routines, and voice control on top. Most of our customers keep the remote on the nightstand and use the app for schedules.
Do I have to charge every shade separately?
Yes, with the wand, but not often. The battery lasts months, and the power meter tells you which shade is getting low. Shades near an outlet can run on an adapter and never need charging.
Can the top-down bottom-up shade be motorized?
Yes. Portrait™ top-down bottom-up and Day & Night shades use two motors, one per rail, and both are on the remote.
What happens during a power outage?
Battery shades keep working; the remote talks to the shade directly. Only the app and voice control need the hub, which needs the router.
Is AutoWand™ the same thing?
It is motorized lift without the remote: three buttons on a pendant and a rechargeable battery. Good for one or two reachable windows where you want a motor but not another remote in the house.
Motorized shades for Seattle-area homes
PAPABLINDS installs motorized shades in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and neighboring communities. Norman® Smart Motorization is available on every shade line we carry: Portrait™ honeycomb in bottom-up, top-down bottom-up, Day & Night, and skylight versions; Soluna™ roller and solar shades; Centerpiece™ Roman shades; PerfectSheer™ layered shades; SmartFold™; and SmartDrape™ vertical fabric shades for sliding doors. AutoWand™ motorized lift is the option for a single window where a remote is more than you need.
How the controls work
A five-channel remote or wall switch runs the shades without any network. Add the ShadeAuto™ hub, connected to your router by Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and the ShadeAuto™ app takes over: daily and weekly routines, control from anywhere, and Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. Each shade has a saved favorite position and an auto-brake that stops it at an obstruction.
Power and charging
Most shades run on a rechargeable battery in the headrail, charged with a wireless charging wand; the optional extension pole reaches windows up to 11 feet high, and a dual power meter shows the charge in the motor and the wand. An AC adapter suits shades beside an outlet, and DC low-voltage hardwire is an option when a remodel opens the wall.
What to have ready for the visit
- Which windows you cannot reach, and which rooms should run on a schedule.
- Where outlets are, if you would rather plug a shade in than charge it.
- The phone you will use for the ShadeAuto™ app and the voice assistant you already use at home.
Request a free in-home visit to try a motorized sample and get a quote for the windows that need one.