Luminette Sheers - recommendation?

9 years ago

We've got a '60s house with large, long windows, one with a sliding patio door. I like the look of ceiling mounted drapery for the room and want some UV protection for wood furniture and paintings, but don't want to have them drawn all the time since we have a pretty shaded and private backyard so the room isn't super bright. So, these seem like ones I could leave drawn but with the vanes rotated to make them sheers a lot of the time, giving some UV protection but not blocking out the view to outside entirely or feeling like a weird shut in. (DH wants automatic shades for UV protection, with smart home, sun detecting tech, etc, which I think would look a bit out of place and not be as effective at reducing echoing in a big room with lots of windows).

Anyhow, has anyone used the Luminettes? Did you like them? Or did, even with the fabric, they end up feeling like vertical shades at the dentist's office? And, given they cost a small fortune, did they last? I'm thinking of appeasing the desire for smart shades with getting the motorized, remote control mechanism but those suckers are, like, $300 each so I'll be furious if they break easily.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

Mike
9 years ago
Wow I can't believe no one has responded? Ok, I had a Luminette for quite a few years in my Master Bedroom and loved it. They look great and operate well. Then the problem came in the form of 2 cats for my kids. They both had dark fur and they loved to come into the bedroom and go behind the Luminette. Their hair would stick to the Luminette fabric and was a bitch to try and get off. So there is some of the good and bad.

Now I have put Luminettes in many peoples homes and they always look great. You can get it motorized if you want and if you would like to add a hub, you can even operate it over a smart phone. You can program it to open at a certain time or to close if you want and it will even work with Nest now. You can also just use the remote control if you want to keep it simple but motorized. So lot's of options but they are pricey!

The good news it that right now, as long as you buy from a dealer that is at least a Priority Dealer, you can get $150 rebate. Here is a link with the details.

https://www.hunterdouglas.com/campaign/2017-smart-shades-rebate-promotion

Now if you want to look at options for sliders I recommend you read this blog post. It may give you a few other ideas that are not as expensive.

https://dressthatwindow.com/i-hate-verticals-what-else-is-there-for-sliding-glass-doors/

Motorized Luminette with Drapery Side Panels and Cornice - Vanes Open

With Vanes Closed

Anyway Luminettes are great as long as you don't have pets or young children that will be a problem. They are expensive but if your budget permits, I think you will love them.

Good Luck!
mmcgee2
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank you for the feedback! We do have a furry dog who likes to do just like your kids' cats, so that's a concern. (Though it also means I'm used to vacuuming drapery , anyway).
Related Professionals
Clarksdale Interior Designers & Decorators · Lawrenceburg Interior Designers & Decorators · Enfield Interior Designers & Decorators · Kingman Interior Designers & Decorators · Jonesboro Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Rome Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Harrisonburg Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Grand Rapids Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Denver Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Daytona Beach Furniture & Accessories · Brunswick Furniture & Accessories · Pittsburg Furniture & Accessories · Charleston Furniture & Accessories · Murfreesboro Furniture & Accessories · Alpena Furniture & Accessories
HU-328889318
last year
Our Luminettes have turned out to be a huge disappointment. We have noone in our area to service them as far as cleaning. Three years ago we put $5000. Luminettes on our sliding door. We had a water leak and the water got on the Luminettes. At the time, had their been someone in our area to come and clean them, we might have been able to salvage them, but there is NO ONE. Finally, we took them down and trashed them. The Luminette shades on the other windows have bugs in them and we tried with a hairdryer to shoot them through, but cannot get in there to do so. Don't buy these if you have any obstacles in their way. They are not worth the money and if you live in St. Louis Missouri, there is no help. Dealers have no one to clean and no drapery cleaners in the area will take them on.