Hello everyone, I’m reaching out to brainstorm a solution for a unique smart home automation challenge. I have a small transom window above my kitchen cabinets that, while beautiful, causes a bit of a nuisance every morning. My kids often complain about the sunlight streaming through it during breakfast, and I’ve been looking for a smart way to address this issue without blocking the view entirely.
The window is 3 feet wide and 14 inches tall, which makes traditional shading solutions like roller blinds impractical. It’s situated right against the ceiling, leaving no space for a standard top-down shade. My goal is to find a compact, battery-powered device that can automatically raise a small, lightweight shade to block the sunlight when needed. Ideally, this setup would integrate seamlessly with my existing Z-Wave ecosystem.
I’ve considered a few possibilities:
- Motorized Shade: A slim motorized shade that can be mounted on the underside of the cabinet. This would need to be battery-powered and Z-Wave enabled for automation.
- Smart Blinds: A tiny set of blinds that can be programmed to open and close based on sunrise and sunset times or motion sensors.
- Custom Solution: Using a 3D-printed mechanism with a small motor to lift a piece of opaque material into place.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the best approach and any similar projects you’ve tackled. Have you worked with compact Z-Wave devices that could handle this kind of automation? I’m also curious about materials that are both durable and lightweight for the shade itself.
This project is a fun way to tackle a minor but annoying issue with some creative smart home automation. Looking forward to your ideas and experiences!