On Kauʻai, the same sun that lights up the lanai at breakfast turns a west-facing living room into a glare-filled oven by mid-afternoon. Trong UV rays can fade floors and furniture over the years, and the tropical climate push your AC to work harder than it should.
Motorized window treatments put light back under your control. With a tap on your phone or a press of a remote, set your shades, blinds, shutters, and drapery to raise, lower, tilt, and close on their own—no cords to pull, no chains to wrestle, and nothing to climb for the high windows.
At Window Trends, we’ve been covering Kauai since 1978, and motorization has quickly become one of the most requested upgrades we install. As the island’s only dedicated window covering storefront, our design consultants help you choose the right system for each room, and our own technicians measure, install, and program everything so it works the way you want from day one—and we’re here if you ever need service or repair down the road.
What We Can Motorize
Almost every treatment in our showroom can be automated, so motorization is an easy upgrade you add to the window coverings you already love:
- Blinds: Horizontal and vertical blinds with motorized tilt, so you can angle the light without touching a wand.
- Shades: Cellular, roller & solar, sheer, woven, Roman, and vertical shades, raised and lowered on command.
- Shutters: With motorized louver tilt, shutters are perfect for hard-to-reach or oversized openings.
- Drapery: Drapery can run on a motorized track to glide panels open and closed.
- Outdoor Shading: Motorized solar & lanai shades and retractable awnings that bring the same hands-free control to your outdoor living space.
Smart Window Treatment Automation Systems We Install
We work with leading motorization platforms that run quietly, are reliable, and are built to handle island living. Here’s how the main systems differ.
Hunter Douglas PowerView® Automation
PowerView® Automation is Hunter Douglas’s smart-shading platform and the system we install most often. You control your shades from the PowerView® app, a handheld or wall-mounted Pebble® remote, or your voice through the PowerView® Gateway when paired with a smart home platform like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Home. Plan scenes—set schedules that operate on their own—to move with the afternoon sun, or a single “good morning” scene that opens every shade in the house at once.
PowerView® Automation is available across most of the Hunter Douglas lines we carry—including Duette® Cellular Shades, Silhouette® Sheer Shades, Sonnette® Cellular Roller Shades, and more. PowerView® Automation it runs on a rechargeable battery wand for a fully cordless install with no wiring required or it can be hardwired on renos or new builds.
Somfy® Motorized Blinds & Shades
Somfy® is one of the most established motor makers in the world, and it’s exceptionally quiet and smooth. Shades raise and lower with a soft hum rather than a mechanical whir—the kind of difference you notice.
Somfy® systems are available with rechargeable, battery, or plug-in power, with two-way radio technology that reports shade position and battery status back to you in real time. They’re also a natural fit when window treatments are joining a larger whole-home system—Somfy® also integrates with top smart home platforms, so your shades can work alongside your lighting, audio, and entertainment on a single scene.
Lutron Motorized Shading Systems
If you already run Lutron for lighting, Lutron shading is the obvious extension. Lutron calls its shades “a dimmer for the sun,” and that’s the right idea: shades, blinds, and even drapery respond to the time of day, the season, or a single tap. Lutron’s motors are engineered to be whisper-quiet and precisely aligned, so a long row of shades across a wall of windows opens and closes in perfect sync.
Alta Motorization
For homeowners who want automation at a more accessible price, BLISS® Automation from Alta uses rechargeable motors with voice control through Alexa, Google Home, and Siri, and is available across honeycomb, roller, sheer, and natural woven shades; Alta also offers a Somfy-powered option with two-way connectivity for a quieter, premium step up.
Horizons Motorization
Horizons motorized shades are built for cord-free, whisper-quiet operation, and scheduling them around peak sun is an easy way to keep the house cooler in the afternoon and hold warmth in the evening without changing a single habit.
Outdoor & Lanai Motorization
Your patio, sunroom, or lanai takes the full force of the sun, salt air, and rain shower. This is where our Kauai-based window treatment store upgrades island homes with spaces built to extend our time indoors and out. Motorized exterior shading lets you manage the sun and weather without getting up.
- Motorized solar and lanai shades drop at a tap to cut glare, heat, and UV while keeping your view and letting the trade winds through, then roll away when the sun moves on.
- Motorized retractable awnings extend for instant shade over a patio or dining area and retract to protect the fabric when the weather turns.
Pair your exterior shading solutions from leading brands like Shade Sense Outdoor, Insolroll, Fenetex, and Sunair, so your shading can respond to conditions on its own—down when the afternoon glare hits, up before a gust can catch an open awning.
How Motorized Shades Are Powered
- Replaceable batteries tucked into the headrail and swapped every couple of years with replacements on a standby.
- Rechargeable battery wand recharge as little as once a year.
- Hardwired low-voltage is best for new construction, remodels, and large or heavy shades or built-in shutters.
- Solar energy is available on select systems. A small panel keeps the battery topped off using the sunlight for power.
If you’re building or remodeling, tell us early. Roughing in power for motorized shades before drywall is far cleaner than adding it later, and it’s the kind of detail we’re happy to coordinate with your builder.
Works With Your Smart Home
Every system we install offers hands-free voice control through major smart home assistants and systems like Lutron, Creston, matter, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri. If you’re running a whole-home platform, we can program your window treatments into the scenes you already use, to set the shades, lights, and more together. Already have a smart speaker or hub you like? Bring it up at your consultation and we’ll confirm compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I motorize the shades I already have?
A. It’s possible! But in some cases, the motor is built into the headrail when the treatment is manufactured, so automation is something you choose when you order. If a room’s on your wish list, let’s discuss.
Q. Do motorized shades need wiring?
A. Not usually. Most of our installs run on replaceable or rechargeable batteries with nothing added behind your walls. Hardwiring is a smart option on new builds or remodels, but it’s not a requirement.
Q. Are they safe for kids and pets?
A. Yes, and this is one of the best reasons to motorize. With no operating cords, there’s nothing for a child or pet to reach. Many of the lines we carry, including Hunter Douglas PowerView® Automation, are certified with kid safety in mind.
Q. How do I control them?
A. Whatever’s easiest in the moment: a phone or tablet app, a handheld or wall remote, your voice, or an automatic schedule you set once and forget. Most homeowners use a mix of operating systems.
Q. Will you set everything up for me?
A. Yes. We measure, install, and program your shades, scenes, and schedules, and we’ll walk you through the your preferred control systems before we leave so it’s working the day we finish.
Schedule Your Motorization Consultation
Ready to make the switch to automated window treatments? Contact Window Trends to schedule a free, in-home consultation. We'll bring samples, talk through Hunter Douglas PowerView® Automation, Somfy® Motorization, Lutron, Alta, Horizons™, and outdoor motorization options, and help you find the right fit for your home.
We proudly serve homeowners across Kauʻai, including Kalaheo, Princeville, Lihuʻe, Kapaʻa, and Poʻipu (Koloa), Hawaiʻi—and we’re here for repair and blind cleaning long after the install is done.
