When Draper first introduced the Draper at Home collection of shades for the residential market at last year’s CEDIA trade show, standard window shades for the smart home were the topic of most discussions. But did you know Draper has many shading innovations that aren’t everyday products available everywhere? These products and custom designs showcase our ability to provide a solar control solution for any application.
Here are four examples:
Privacy and light-at the same time.
When new owners took possession of a lower floor New York City apartment with nice street views, privacy was a concern. But the last thing they wanted to do was compromise the integrity and beauty of the space.
Standard roll-down shades were not the answer, nor were mini blinds. The residents needed an aesthetically appealing solution that would keep the space well-lit, yet private.
The Draper® Bottom-Up FlexShade® provided the perfect solution. On Bottom-Up shades the fabric rolls “up” from a spring roller located at the bottom of the window.
When they are deployed on the lower half of the 9-foot-high apartment windows, they simultaneously provide privacy and light.
Covering a non-standard skylight.
A high profile Chicago architect has designed some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers. So when he made some updates to his glass, brick and stucco Chicago home built by architect Larry Booth, not just any standard features would do.
Case in point: A large skylight that required a shading solution to mitigate heat buildup and glare. However, standard skylight shading systems wouldn’t work. The opening was not a standard rectangle or even a square. Draper designed custom motorized wedge-shaped skylight shades for the space. The two wedge shapes approach one another from opposite ends of the skylight, like two spaceships carefully preparing to dock. The result: a shading solution that is both functional and a spectacle.
How to handle a trapezoid window.
When renovating a post-retirement seasonal residence in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, one of the first things the new owner updated was the window treatments. In most of the house, roller shades were added. But a set of trapezoid windows on the west facing elevation of the living room presented a problem.
The windows had been covered by manual vertical blinds with unsightly control chains and draw cords. A new solution was needed.
Draper® looked at a dimensional drawing outlining the area, and our drafters soon had a custom designed FlexLouver™ Rack Arm System to match the shape of the windows.
The FlexLouver™ Rack Arm System is a non-retractable louver system for interior or exterior use. The louvers—or slats—can open and close to control solar energy, light, and glare. Each system uses standard components but is custom designed to meet the specific application requirements.
In this instance it provides a clean and uniform look and can be adjusted quickly with the press of a button.
Stunning in cedar.
This beautiful home on Martha’s Vineyard is a glass box with cedar trim details. With all that glass, a solution for heat gain and glare control was necessary. The Draper-designed exterior venetian blind system provides optimum solar heat gain control while maintaining the beautiful cedar aesthetic of the structure. But solar control solutions shouldn’t just function and look great now. They will be in place for many years and will need to continue working and looking just as good. Draper used cedar slats because they not only match the house now, but they will also weather along with the cedar around them and continue to look like they were always meant to be there.
Does your home present a solar control challenge? Click here to look through our Draper at Home collection and reach out to your Draper representative with questions. You’ll soon discover why Draper at Home stands for innovation!
