With the weather getting colder and your home starting to creak with age, it’s high time you started thinking about some new house additions. Your windows are a good place to start!

Not just replacing your windows, but adding better curtains and blinds to control how light enters your home. Lighting is a complex subject for many homeowners, able to bring out the best in furniture as well as the worst in furniture depending on how you go about it. This goes for that new chandelier you’re thinking of adding in the kitchen and it goes for the motorized blinds you affix over your living room windows. When good natural light can affect everything from your mood to the quality of your sofa and rug, this is one area you’ll want to brush up on now so you can reap the benefits over the winter.

What kind of treatments will suit your home best and why? Find out with the list below.

It’s Time To Toss Out Your Old Shutters And Drapes

You might not think much of your regular window blinds. Surely a little extra natural light isn’t too harmful to your living room and master bedroom, right? Think again. Letting too much light filter through your windows can leave you in the frustrating position of constantly adjusting your home’s temperature and even swapping out your furniture. Leather furniture is recommended to stay out of direct natural sunlight to maintain its quality and antique rugs run the risk of developing bleached patches you can’t buff out.

Good Draperies Can Help You Save Money On Heating

Here’s something that’ll put some early holiday cheer on your face. Thick, high-quality draperies are able to reduce heat loss from a room by up to 10% during the winter, perfect for helping you save on those frustrating heating and cooling costs. According to a study by Angie’s List, convenience has become the number one reason homeowners switch to motorized window treatments for their most frequented areas of the home. Draperies are also a classic addition, with beautiful colors and textures to breathe new life into your interior design.

Motorized Blinds Filter Light Far Better

It’s not just heat retention you can enjoy. You can also better control how natural light enters your home. Motorized window shades, such as the Hunter Douglas PowerView, are carefully designed to break up sunlight and provide you a soothing, calming effect to spread throughout the entire room. Your typical shutters can last up to 20 years with minimal maintenance, so you can also check ‘constant replacements’ off the list early. Just make sure to dust them once in a while and always store them properly to prevent breakage or wrinkling!

Cellular Shades Are Classic And Effective

Your automated window blinds can reduce natural light from staining your furniture and ruining your leather. Good drapes can help you retain heat while still giving you privacy. Adding a cellular shade can also increase a window’s R-value from the standard 3.5 to almost 7. A recent study revealed over 30 million people in the United States said they live in a household that bought drapes or various window treatments over the past 12 months. The wonderful thing about motorized window shades are their obvious short-term and long-term effect on your home’s comfort.

Bolstering Your Home With Automated Window Blinds

Now that you know all the different ways a better pair of motorized window shades can improve your home, it’s time to think about where to put them. The most popular places for homeowners to place a new pair of cellular shades or drapes is the living room, master bedroom or kitchen, where the most activity tends to be and the most furniture is. If you’re only thinking of getting one or two additions, just choose the area of the home that’s been leaving you the most frustrated. Enjoying deeper sleep because of less light or a warmer living room will speak for itself.

Winter can take a toll on your home’s comfort. Nip it in the bud with drapes and shutters that work around-the-clock to retain heat and filter natural light.