Restoration Man - HMS Owl - Electric Blinds With Smart Phone Control

Key Project Features:

• Smart phone Tablet control - Privacy or panoramic views at the tap of an Phone/Tablet.
• Electric blinds with high speed motors. Quiet operation. Smooth start/docking.
• Specialist extra-wide blinds fabrics allowed manufacture without unsightly joins.
• Extra-wide 4.6m automated blind.

In July 2014, we received a telephone call, enquiring as to whether we’d be interested in supplying electric blinds for an old World War II bomber command control tower, that was being transformed into a family home in the Scottish Highlands.

We were intrigued at the thought of taking part in the renovation of this piece of history. However, the enquiry became even more compelling when we found that our blinds would also appear on Channel 4 show – “The Restoration Man”. How could we possibly say no?

“The Restoration Man” is a Channel 4 show that focuses on rescuing neglected architectural treasures across Britain, and is presented by Architect, George Clarke. You may have also seen his other show, ‘George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces’. Restoration Man is a hit with property and home improvement enthusiasts and historians alike. Over 1.6 Million people watched a single episode of ‘The Restoration Man’ in January 2014.

The control tower, named ‘HMS Owl’ was first built in 1941, named then as RAF Fearn. Almost three quarters of a century later, it stood derelict. Justin and Charlotte, the couple behind this ambitious renovation, decided the tower, located in the remote Scottish Highlands would make the perfect family home.

As the Creative Director of a London advertising agency, Justin decided he wanted to escape from the madness of the city. He and Charlotte saw this as an ideal opportunity to turn the history packed building in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands into a place of comfort and tranquility for their family.

After an initial specification meeting with NewBlinds Director, Tim Pendleton, Justin and Charlotte decided NewBlinds.co.uk would ideal for their project.

In December 2014, after a very long drive from Manchester to HMS Owl, our team installed electric roller blinds powered by with Elero fast motors. The motors feature quiet operation and smooth start/docking.

For the ultimate in convenience, Blinds can be controlled from an iPhone or iPad app using the state of art mobile app control system. From the app, Justin and Charlotte can also activate dawn/dusk scenarios or create custom timed actions. The ability to simulate occupancy rang true for Justin as he will often commute to London and Amsterdam, so security is key. The ability to control the blinds from any location will come in handy too!

The tower itself contains over 70 windows. Some of the blinds are over 4 metres wide.This would be a big problem for most blind companies. However, with our specialist manufacturing equipment, extra wide fabrics by Louvolite and powerful Elero blind motors, no challenge is too big (or wide) for us!

We had a lot of fun completing the project. We even got to stay the night in the control tower, which was quite an experience!

Justin and Charlotte loved the fact that we were as passionate about providing cutting edge electric blind solutions as they were about their building. They appreciated the end-to -end specification-to-installation service that we provided. This is an approach we bring to every project we undertake big or small, so please get in touch if there’s anything we can do for you. We’re always happy to provide advice on blind type, smart home integration, fabric samples and an extremely competitive price.

If you prefer a DIY approach, then electric blinds are available to buy online and mobile app control is available from as little as £299.00

We hope you enjoy the show as much as we enjoyed working on the project! Check out some photos of the project in our facebook post below.

NewBlinds.co.uk | Call us FREEPHONE 0800 169 3765 | Or fill out our Electric Blinds Projects Enquiry Form