Case study · South End, Boston, MA
A new single-family home on one of the South End's best streets, with 11-foot ceilings and a glass wall across the back. The owners wanted it to feel open without living in a fishbowl.
Finished
2023
Shades
18 Lutron Palladiom
Lighting
Lutron
Wi-Fi
Ubiquiti
The home and the goal
The house is new construction behind a classic South End front, with tall parlor-floor windows, a curved staircase with a turned handrail and a glass curtain wall facing the back garden. Neighbors are close on every side, so privacy matters as much as light.
The owners asked for shades that disappear when they are not needed, lighting that looks right in rooms with 11-foot ceilings, Wi-Fi that reaches every floor, and music and TV that are easy to use.
The hard part
The window openings are tall and the shade wiring was not planned in early, so we used 18 Lutron Palladiom wire-free shades. They run on batteries and mount inside the window frames, so there was nothing to cut into. We picked a different fabric for each room: a 3% sheer in the kitchen, dining room and guest rooms, a slightly darker fabric in the parlors, and a full blackout fabric in the primary bedroom.
With 11-foot ceilings, ordinary downlights can look harsh. We used Lutron downlights and Lutron controls so the light is even and every room dims smoothly.
The result
The shades now lower on their own when the sun or the neighbors need them to, and open again in the evening. Ubiquiti Wi-Fi covers all floors, Sonos plays music throughout the house, and Samsung TVs are set up so one remote does everything.
“Adam and his team were fantastic. Great communicators with incredible attention to detail and passion. They genuinely care about getting things perfect, treating you like family.”
Mike, Boston
18 Lutron Palladiom wire-free shades
Sheer, light-filtering and blackout fabrics by room
It depends on the room. Sheer fabrics keep the view and cut glare, darker fabrics give more privacy, and blackout fabrics are for bedrooms and media rooms. We bring samples and often use different fabrics in different rooms.
Yes. Lutron wire-free shades need no wiring and mount inside or outside the window frame. See our Boston smart home work.
We design and install smart home, lighting, shade and theater systems across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Tell us about your house and we'll set up a walkthrough.
