Motorised Curtains & Blinds for Sea-Facing Penthouses

Watch the room for a few days and note when the sun first touches the floor through the glass. Set the sunscreen blinds to lower a little before that, and to rise again after sunset so you get the evening sky. In Goa the time shifts through the year, so adjust the schedule at the change of season, or use a system that follows sunrise and sunset automatically.

When you're away for weeks, a schedule that keeps the blinds down in the afternoon protects floors, rugs and sofas from fading, and keeps the apartment from overheating.

The classic penthouse set-up is a motorised sunscreen roller close to the glass with motorised sheer and blackout curtains in front. Each runs on its own motor and is grouped into scenes: 'Day' lowers the sunscreen; 'Evening' raises it and closes the sheer; 'Night' closes the blackout.

Plan recesses deep enough for blind and curtain tracks together; adding a blind later is often impossible without dropping the ceiling.

On doors to the terrace, a blind that lowers in a strong wind can swing and strike the frame. Side guides keep it in place. Some systems can close or raise blinds automatically when wind or rain is detected — useful on an exposed terrace.

Wired motors are the most dependable; run power to each recess before the ceiling is finished. Put motor circuits on the inverter so power cuts don't leave blinds stuck. Wall switches in each room, plus phone control, keep the system usable by everyone.

In a finished apartment where chasing walls isn't welcome, battery motors are a workable alternative for smaller blinds. For long, heavy curtains across a full glass wall, wired motors are worth the extra work.