Motorized Blinds & Automated Window Treatments in Minneapolis–St. Paul
Motorized blinds and automated window treatments make it easier to control light, privacy, and comfort throughout your home. Adjust hard-to-reach windows, manage changing sunlight, or schedule your shades to move automatically throughout the day.
Aero Drapery & Blind offers custom motorized shades, blinds, shutters, and drapery for Minneapolis–St. Paul homes, with options ranging from simple remote control to PowerView® Automation and smart home integration.
Let’s Talk See Remote Control Blinds in Action
See Motorized Blinds in Action
See how motorization works across different window treatment styles and spaces. From shades on hard-to-reach windows to automated treatments across larger expanses of glass, motorized control makes everyday adjustments simple.
Use a remote, app, or compatible smart home system to adjust individual window treatments or coordinate multiple shades throughout your home. Explore the examples shown here to see how motorization can fit different windows, rooms, and routines.
Ready to explore your options?
What Are Motorized Window Treatments?
Motorized window treatments use a built-in motor to open, close, raise, lower, or tilt the window covering without manual operation. Depending on the product and control system, motorized blinds and shades can be operated with a wand, remote, app, schedule, voice command, or compatible smart home system.
Motorization can make it easier to:
- Adjust individual window treatments or groups of shades
- Control hard-to-reach or frequently adjusted windows
- Save preferred shade positions and customized settings
- Schedule adjustments for light and privacy throughout the day
- Connect compatible window treatments with your smart home
How Do Motorized Window Treatments Work?
Motorized window treatments use a built-in motor to raise, lower, open, close, or tilt the window covering without traditional manual operation. Depending on the Hunter Douglas product and motorization system you choose, control can be as simple as touching a wand or using a remote—or as advanced as schedules, app control, and smart home integration.
Choose the control option that best fits your windows, routines, and level of automation:
Remote Control
Adjust individual shades or groups of window treatments from a handheld remote.
App-Based Control
Use your phone to operate compatible motorized window treatments and create customized settings.
Smart Home Integration
Connect compatible shades with voice assistants and other smart home systems for more advanced automation.
Motorized Wand Control
SoftTouch® provides motorized operation directly at the shade.
Motorized vs. Smart Blinds: What’s the Difference?
Motorized blinds and shades use a built-in motor to adjust the window treatment without manual operation. They may be controlled with a wand, remote, wall switch, or app, depending on the system.
Smart blinds take motorization a step further by connecting compatible window treatments with smart home technology. This can allow you to create schedules, use voice control, and coordinate your shades with other connected devices and routines.
Motorized is about movement. Smart is about integration.
Learn more about how smart blinds work and the features available for connected homes.
Benefits of Motorized Shades
Custom Scheduling
Set your shades to adjust automatically around your daily routine. Let in morning light, reduce afternoon glare, or close shades for privacy in the evening—all without having to adjust each window yourself.
Comfort & Energy Management
Schedule your shades to block intense sunlight and reduce solar heat gain. When paired with an insulating window treatment, automation makes it easier to manage comfort throughout the day.
Maintain Your Privacy
Schedule your shades to close when privacy matters most, such as after sunset or while you’re away from home. You can also make adjustments whenever needed using your compatible remote, app, or smart home controls.
Favorite Scenes
Save preferred positions for multiple shades and recall them together with a single command. Create scenes for routines such as “Morning,” “Dinner,” “Movie Night,” or “Bedtime” so your window treatments adjust together when you want them to.
Power Options for Motorized Shades
Motorized window treatments can be powered in several ways depending on the product, window location, and needs of your home. Aero Drapery & Blind can help you determine the best power option for each installation.
AA Batteries
Disposable AA batteries offer a straightforward power source for compatible motorized shades without requiring access to an electrical outlet or wiring. The batteries are housed discreetly with the shade for a clean installation.
Rechargeable Battery Wand
For compatible PowerView® shades, a rechargeable battery wand provides a rechargeable alternative to disposable batteries. When it’s time to recharge, the battery can be connected to its charger rather than replacing individual batteries.
Solar Charger
A solar charger can help maintain the charge of a compatible rechargeable battery wand using light available at the window. It offers another convenient way to reduce the need for manual charging while keeping the motorized shade battery powered.
Hardwired Power
Hardwiring provides continuous power without batteries or routine charging. It’s especially worth considering during a new build or remodeling project, when wiring can be planned before the window treatments are installed.
Smart Home Compatibility
Hunter Douglas PowerView® Automation can connect compatible motorized shades with popular smart home platforms, allowing your window treatments to become part of your connected home.
PowerView® Gen 3 integrates with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home through Matter, as well as professional home automation systems such as Control4®, Crestron®, Savant®, and others. A PowerView® Gateway is required for smart home integration.
With the right setup, you can use voice commands, coordinate shades with other connected devices, and incorporate your window treatments into customized home routines.
Which Window Treatments Can Be Motorized?
Motorization is available with many styles of Hunter Douglas window coverings, including shades, blinds, drapery, vertical window treatments, and shutters. Explore the options below to find the right combination of style, function, and automated control for your windows.
Motorized Shades
PowerView® Automation is available with a wide range of Hunter Douglas shades, making motorization a popular choice for convenient light and privacy control. Explore favorites including Designer Roller Shades, Duette® Honeycomb Shades, Silhouette® Shades, Vignette® Modern Roman Shades, and Provenance® Woven Wood Shades.
Motorized Blinds
Motorized tilt makes it easy to adjust the slats of Hunter Douglas blinds for changing light and privacy throughout the day. Explore Parkland® Wood Blinds, EverWood® Alternative Wood Blinds, and Modern Precious Metals® Aluminum Blinds. Aria™ Fabric Blinds offer the additional option of motorized lift.
Motorized Drapery
Motorized drapery uses a specialty track system to open and close drapery panels with convenient automated control. It’s especially useful for wide windows, layered window treatments and spaces where you want to schedule drapery to adjust throughout the day.
Motorized Vertical Shades
Large windows and sliding glass doors are ideal applications for motorized vertical window treatments, allowing wide expanses to open and close with effortless control. Explore Luminette® Privacy Sheers, Skyline® Gliding Window Panels, and Duette® with Vertiglide™.
Motorized Shutters
Palm Beach™ Polysatin™ Shutters bring automated control to the classic look of interior shutters. Motorized tilt adjusts the louvers together for convenient control of natural light and privacy.
Explore Motorized Window Treatments in the Twin Cities
Aero Drapery & Blind designs and installs custom motorized blinds and shades for homes throughout Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding Twin Cities. Whether you’re building, remodeling, or upgrading existing window treatments, our team can help you choose the right style, power source, and control options for your windows.
Schedule an in-home consultation or visit one of our local showrooms to explore custom window treatments and motorization options in person.
Motorization: Frequently Asked Questions
Do motorized blinds require WiFi?
No. Motorized window treatments can be operated without WiFi using options such as SoftTouch® or a compatible remote control. WiFi and a PowerView® Gateway are used when connecting compatible PowerView® shades with smart home platforms and connected features.
How are motorized blinds and shades powered?
Depending on the window treatment and installation, power options can include AA batteries, a rechargeable battery wand, a solar charger used with a compatible rechargeable battery wand, or hardwired power. Aero Drapery & Blind can help determine which option works best for your windows.
Existing compatible PowerView® shades that use AA batteries may have the option to upgrade to a rechargeable battery wand.
How often does the rechargeable battery wand need to be charged?
Charging frequency varies based on factors such as shade size, how often the shade is operated, and the installation. A compatible solar charger can also help maintain the rechargeable battery wand’s charge.
Can motorized blinds be installed in an existing home?
Yes. Many motorized window treatments can be installed in existing homes without adding new electrical wiring. Battery-powered and rechargeable options make motorization possible for many retrofit projects, while hardwired power may be considered during remodeling or new construction.
Can existing manual blinds or shades be converted to motorized window treatments?
No. Motorization cannot be added to existing manual blinds or shades. If you want motorized operation, the existing window treatment will need to be replaced with a compatible motorized product.
Are motorized shades safe for homes with children and pets?
Motorized shades eliminate the need for traditional operating cords, making them a convenient option for homes with children and pets. The exact operating system and product should still be selected with the needs of your household in mind.