5 Ways to Control the Lighting and Shading in Your Albany Home

Sometimes the time change can affect your daily routine. You used to be able to enjoy the sunlight for hours after work, but now it’s already dark on your route home. But the good news is that you don’t have to be affected by the lack of light. A lighting and shading control system can help keep your spirits up in the dead of winter. Not only will smart home controls make it easier for you to manage the light in your home, but they will also help you save energy and time. Mobile controls are especially useful around the holidays when you have a lot to get done. So keep reading to learn about all the ways you can control the lighting and shading in your Albany, New York home.

SEE ALSO: Can Lighting and Shading Control Impact Your Wellbeing?

Dimmers: Dimmers allow you to raise or lower the lighting to various levels of brightness, instead of simply turning the lights completely on or off. Years ago, dimmers looked like round knobs on the wall that you would twist to the right or left. However, today we have more sophisticated controls to change the lighting. Lutron, for example, has a new LED lighting strip, called the Grafik T, which brightens as you raise the lights to a high level and darkens as they go down low. The lighting strip comes on with just the touch of your finger. We also have up and down buttons that you can press to change the setting.

Keypads: Another way to control your lights is by pressing a button on a keypad built into the wall. We can tailor these keypads to match the unique needs of every room. For example, list “All On,” “All Off,” “Away,” and “Good Morning” on the keypad in your kitchen. Or, imagine getting ready for bed and pressing the “Goodnight” button in your room. All of the house lights will go off, the shades will close, and the only light left on will be the lamp at your bedside. The best part about the keypads is that you never have to guess which switch does what; they are all labeled.

Mobile App: Keypads are ideal for quick and easy access while you’re hanging around the house, but mobile apps take your control system a step further and let you access your lighting and shading from any location in the world. With a strong network and a smart home app on your phone, you can turn off any light in the house and lower the shade on any window. Download the mobile app on your smartphone, tablet, or even your smart watch to manage the settings of your lighting and shading system.

Occupancy Sensors: Sensors do a lot of the work of controlling your smart home for you. Occupancy sensors detect your presence in a room and automatically turn the lights on. As soon as you leave, they turn them off again. For shading, daylight sensors are useful tools to regulate the light and temperature of every space. When the sensor detects light coming through the window, the shades will come down to prevent UV rays from filtering into your home and affecting the HVAC system and damaging your furniture. This technology particularly helps you save energy because you don’t have to worry about remembering to turn the lights off when to leave the room or drawing the shades when the sun is high in the sky. Your smart home does it for you.

Voice Control: Voice control is one of the newest technologies you can use to perform tasks at home. Amazon’s personal voice control assistant Alexa is a software that runs on the Echo, Dot, or Tap and lets you control the lights and shades with your voice. Walk into your home and say, “Alexa, draw the drapes” and she’ll confirm “OK” and the motorized drapes will open.

The best part about working with Ambiance Systems is that we can customize your smart home to fit your electronic lifestyle. Pick from this list of lighting controls, and we’ll install it for you. We know that every family has different needs, so whether you want a remote control in every room or just want to use the app on your mobile devices, we can tailor your New York home to match your personal preferences.

Please fill out this online form if you are interested in learning more about our lighting and shading control installation services.