Infiniti Shading - Case Studies

Project: Canford Cliffs, Poole , Dorset

Sector: Private residential development

Date of install: 01/2025

Products: Lutron Sivoia QS Roller 64, Blindspace boxes , Glydea curtain tracks

The Brief

Setting and specification requirements

Canford Cliffs occupies one of the most prestigious residential addresses on the Dorset coast — a tree-lined neighbourhood between Branksome Chine and Sandbanks, with substantial homes overlooking Poole Bay and the Purbeck Hills. Buyers in this market expect a standard of specification that reflects the setting. This luxury development was no exception.

The project’s AV integrator had already specified Lutron as the lighting and shading control platform for the development. Consequently, the window treatment contractor needed to supply a blind system that sat natively within the Lutron ecosystem — not bridged via a third-party protocol adapter, but specified and commissioned as a genuine Lutron product. Furthermore, the development’s principal rooms featured bay windows and curved glazed bays, each requiring a motorised curtain track bent to the exact radius of the opening. Two distinct challenges, two specialist solutions.

The systems we specified

To meet the Lutron requirement, we specified the Lutron Sivoia QS Roller 64 electric roller blind throughout. The Roller 64 is a Lutron-native motorised roller blind system — it communicates directly with the Lutron QS wired processor without any bridging equipment. As a result, every blind appears in the Lutron interface exactly like any other Lutron shade device, available for scene programming, keypad control, app control and automated scheduling.

For the bay and curved windows, we specified the Somfy Glydea Ultra motorised curtain track, bent in-house to the measured radius of each opening. This is the correct system for any window where a straight track would leave a gap between curtain and glass. We bent each Glydea track at our premises before delivery, using the Somfy bending tool, and test-fitted each one before installation. In addition, we produced a full suite of bespoke hand-made soft furnishings — wave curtains, pelmets and cushions — completing the interior from a single point of supply.

The Lutron Sivoia QS Roller 64 — electric roller blind

Why Lutron-native matters

When a development already uses Lutron as its control platform, specifying a non-Lutron roller blind motor creates an integration problem. Third-party motors — even those bridgeable via RF Bond or RS485 drivers — add a layer of protocol translation that increases commissioning complexity, creates potential failure points and limits the blind’s behaviour within Lutron scenes. Specifically, non-native devices often cannot report accurate position feedback to the Lutron processor, which means group scenes and percentage-position commands cannot guarantee consistent results.

The Lutron Sivoia QS Roller 64 eliminates all of these issues. It communicates directly with the Lutron QS wired processor via the proprietary Lutron QS protocol. No bridge, no adapter and no driver are required. Furthermore, it provides full bidirectional position feedback — the Lutron processor always knows the exact position of every blind, enabling percentage-position scenes, fade commands and conditional automations that depend on accurate blind state.

System specification

The Roller 64 uses a 64mm aluminium tube, which accommodates fabric widths up to 4,300mm as a single system — essential for the wide spans of floor-to-ceiling glazing across this Canford Cliffs development. The motor is wired and powered via the Lutron QS network cable, which carries both power and data in a single run. Consequently, each blind requires only one cable from the Lutron QS hub to the motor — simplifying the M&E first fix considerably compared with systems requiring separate power and control wires.

We specified two fabric types across the development. Blackout Lutron Collection fabric covered all master bedroom and dressing room windows, achieving full light exclusion with the same clean bottom bar profile throughout. In the principal living areas and studies, we used a solar screen fabric with a 3% openness factor. This controls glare from the south and west elevations whilst preserving the view of the garden and Poole Bay. Both fabrics are available in the Lutron hardware finish specified for this project.

Scene programming and control

The project’s AV integrator programmed the Lutron Roller 64 blinds into the development’s Lutron QS system during a joint commissioning session attended by our team. Four principal scenes were set up for the window treatments: a Morning scene that raised all blinds to 50% and activated the lighting programme; a Privacy scene that closed living area solar screens whilst maintaining the lighting level; a Night scene that closed all blackout blinds to full; and a Whole Home scene that opened every blind simultaneously for maximum daylight.

Beyond scene control, every blind is individually accessible from the Lutron app on iPhone and Android and from the in-room Lutron keypads. The AV integrator also configured automated sunrise and sunset schedules, adjusting blind positions based on the solar calendar for Canford Cliffs’ latitude and orientation. As a result, the blinds move throughout the day without any manual input from the resident.

Blindspace concealment cassettes

Concealment with Lutron QS wiring

Blindspace ceiling cassettes work particularly well with the Lutron Sivoia QS Roller 64 because of the Lutron QS network wiring architecture. Each Roller 64 motor requires a single Lutron QS cable run from the closest QS network junction to the cassette position above the window. There is no separate power feed and no separate control wire. The single cable carries everything. This simplifies the carpenter’s cassette design and the electrician’s chase routes considerably — making the Blindspace integration on this Lutron project cleaner than on most comparable roller blind schemes.

Our team confirmed the QS cable entry position for every cassette during the design phase site visit. Each cassette was then built to accommodate the Lutron Roller 64 tube, the motor and a clean cable entry point on the correct side. When our installation team arrived, every cassette was formed, the cables were pre-terminated and the ceiling was painted. Consequently, the Roller 64 installation proceeded entirely within the finished ceiling void without any on-site modification.

Glydea Ultra motorised curtain track — bent to bespoke radius

Why the bay windows needed a bent track

The development’s principal rooms feature bay windows and curved glazed bays — a common architectural detail in Canford Cliffs properties that creates a specification problem for curtain tracks. A straight track installed behind a bay window leaves a gap between the curtain and the glass at each corner. The curtain hangs from the straight track but the glazing curves away from it, creating a light gap at the sides and an unsatisfactory appearance from both inside and out.

The solution is to bend the curtain track to follow the exact radius of the bay. This is not a technique all curtain track suppliers offer — it requires access to the correct bending tool, the ability to measure the bay geometry accurately on site, and the experience to bend the aluminium track profile to a consistent radius without distorting it. We specified the Somfy Glydea Ultra motorised curtain track for these positions precisely because its aluminium profile bends cleanly and holds its radius under motor load.

The bending process

We measured every bay window and curved glazing panel on site during the design phase survey. For each opening, we recorded the bay angle, the radius of any curved section and the total track length required. Back at our premises, we bent each Glydea track using the Somfy bending tool — a process that applies consistent pressure along the track profile to produce a smooth, even curve without kinking the aluminium or distorting the glider channel.

Before delivery, we test-fitted each bent track against a replica of the measured bay geometry to confirm the radius was correct. This off-site test-fitting step eliminates the on-site adjustment problems that occur when tracks are bent without verification. Consequently, every bent Glydea track arrived on site ready to hang without any further adjustment to the track profile.

Bespoke soft furnishings

Brief and making approach

Every soft furnishing on this project came from our workroom. We made all pieces to the interior designer’s exact specification and delivered them pre-pressed to site. The brief called for wave curtains for all bay and curved window positions on the Glydea bent tracks, fabric-covered pelmets at each window, scatter cushions throughout and upholstered pieces in the principal bedrooms. All fabrics came from a single co-ordinated designer palette, creating the material continuity that a resolved interior requires.

Co-ordinating the soft furnishings with the two window treatment systems required close attention at the making stage. In rooms where both a Lutron Roller 64 blind and a Glydea curtain track were installed in the same Blindspace cassette, the pelmet bridged the cassette opening and framed the curtain layer below it. We confirmed the vertical dimensions for every pelmet during the site survey and incorporated them into the cutting plan before any fabric was cut.

Installation, commissioning and programme

Pre-installation survey and co-ordination

At the start of the programme, our team attended site to carry out a full pre-installation survey. The visit confirmed the ceiling void depth at every window, the Lutron QS cable routes for the Roller 64 motors, the cassette dimensions for each Blindspace position, and the bay angles and radii for the Glydea bending programme. All confirmed information went to the main contractor — the Blindspace cassette construction details to the carpenter, and the Lutron QS wiring schedule to the M&E contractor — before ceiling boarding began.

Bent track fabrication and blind installation

After the site survey, we bent every Glydea track at our premises to the measured bay radii. We test-fitted each track before delivery and adjusted where necessary. The Lutron Roller 64 blinds arrived pre-assembled from the Lutron factory, requiring only connection to the QS network cable and limit-setting on installation day. Both systems were installed after the main contractor completed ceiling boarding and the first coat of decoration. By that stage, every cassette was formed, cabled and ready. Our team installed the Roller 64 blinds first, connecting each motor to the QS cable and testing its full travel. Next, we installed the Glydea bent tracks, hung the wave gliders and confirmed the draw direction and motor limits.

Lutron commissioning and handover

Once all Lutron Roller 64 blinds were installed and travelling correctly, the project’s AV integrator attended for the Lutron QS commissioning session. Our team supported this session by confirming each blind’s position reporting and adjusting any limit settings that the AV integrator identified during scene testing. The four principal scenes were programmed, tested and adjusted during this session. Consequently, every blind was fully operational within the Lutron system before we moved to the Glydea and soft furnishings stage.

The Glydea tracks were then commissioned separately via the Somfy TaHoma platform. Our team configured the TaHoma gateway, registered all Glydea motors and set the bay-specific intermediate stop positions. Curtain installation and dressing followed, with our dressers setting the wave on every curtain and adjusting the pelmet heights. To close the programme, we demonstrated both the Lutron and Somfy systems to the client — covering keypads, apps and voice control for each.

Specification summary

Full specification of systems and soft furnishings supplied, installed and commissioned at this Canford Cliffs, Poole development.

Frequently asked questions

Lutron specification and integration

What is the Lutron Sivoia QS Roller 64 and how does it differ from other roller blinds?

The Lutron Sivoia QS Roller 64 is a motorised roller blind that communicates natively with the Lutron QS wired control system. Unlike non-Lutron roller blind motors — which require a protocol bridge or RS485 driver to integrate with Lutron — the Roller 64 connects directly to the Lutron QS network via a single cable that carries both power and data. As a result, it appears in the Lutron interface as a native shade device, with full bidirectional position reporting, percentage-position commands and integration into all Lutron scenes and automations. The 64mm aluminium tube accommodates fabric widths up to 4,300mm as a single system. We supply, install and commission Lutron Sivoia QS Roller 64 systems across Dorset, including Canford Cliffs, Poole, Sandbanks and Bournemouth.

Glydea bent track specification

Can the Somfy Glydea track be bent for bay windows and curved glazing?

Yes. The Somfy Glydea Ultra motorised curtain track can be bent in-house to any required radius for bay windows, curved glazed bays and other non-linear window openings. We measure every bay or curved opening on site during the design phase survey, recording the bay angle, radius and total track length. We then bend each track at our premises using the Somfy bending tool, which applies consistent pressure along the aluminium profile to produce a smooth, even curve. Before delivery, we test-fit each bent track against a replica of the measured geometry to confirm accuracy. We supply and install bent Glydea tracks for bay windows across Canford Cliffs, Poole, Sandbanks and the wider Dorset area.