The vertical blind replacement
Norman SmartDrape for sliding doors and walls of glass
SmartDrape hangs like soft drapery, slides like a vertical blind and lets you walk straight through it. On a big sliding door it is the first thing we show, and usually the last.
Overview
Everything a vertical blind does, without the vertical blind
Vertical blinds solved a real problem: a sliding door needs something that moves sideways. They just solved it loudly, with clacking vanes and a cord that always seems to be tangled. Norman SmartDrape keeps the sideways part and fixes everything else.
Fabric vanes hang from a slim headrail with a sheer fabric running between them. Rotate the vanes open and you see out through the sheer. Rotate them closed and the door is covered. Slide the whole thing to one side with the wand, or walk straight through the vanes on your way to the deck. They swing back into place behind you.
Norman SmartDrape: a sheer fabric runs between the vanes, so you see out through the sheer when they are rotated open. Left stack: the wand hangs at the right. Slide your finger across the door to draw the fabric to the left.
Try it
Draw it across the door
- Slide your finger across the door to draw the fabric, the way the wand does at home.
- Tilt the slider to rotate the vanes from closed to open.
- Pick a stack: left, right, a traveling center stack, or the motorized center opening that parts in the middle.
- Tap Room darkening to see the opaque fabric, or Side by side to compare both.
How it works
Three parts, one headrail
The vanes
Soft fabric vanes that rotate 180 degrees. Open for the view, closed for privacy, or anywhere between.
The sheer
A sheer fabric runs continuously behind the vanes, so when they are open you see out through a soft screen instead of a bare gap.
The headrail
One slim aluminum track carries the whole thing. A wand draws it open and closed and tilts the vanes. No cords, no chains.
What you can choose
Options to choose from
Light filtering fabrics
Soft, translucent vanes that glow with daylight. The door stays private and the room stays bright.
Room darkening fabrics
Opaque vanes for bedrooms that open onto a deck, and for media rooms with a slider.
Stacking
Stack left, stack right, split to both sides, or a traveling center stack that gathers wherever you leave it. We pick the side that keeps the door you actually use clear.
Smart Motorization
Norman Smart Motorization opens and closes SmartDrape from a remote, the app or a schedule. On a wide wall of glass it is worth it.
Walk-through
The vanes part when you walk through them and swing back into line behind you. Dogs figure it out in a day.
Wide spans
One headrail covers a four-panel door or a wall of glass. No seams, no gaps, one continuous run of fabric.
Photos
From our installs
Swipe through recent work.
Good to know
Details worth deciding early
Stack room
The vanes need somewhere to go when they are open. We measure the wall beside the door so the stack clears the glass and you get the whole opening back.
Mounting
SmartDrape mounts to the ceiling or the wall above the door on one continuous headrail. It needs a few inches of clearance above the trim, which we confirm at the measure.
Cleaning
The vanes are a durable fabric that vacuums with a brush attachment. Spot clean with a damp cloth. Nothing to take down.
Pairing with drapery
SmartDrape already looks like drapery, so most homes do not layer anything over it. If you want color at the edges, side panels on a rod above the headrail work well.
The process
How it works
Three visits at most, and usually two.
We come to you
We bring the samples, so you can hold fabrics and finishes up to your own walls, trim and light. We measure every window while we are there, including the ones up the ladder. The visit is free.
You get a written quote
A clear price for each window, for exactly what you picked. Change it, trim it or take your time with it.
We install
Your order is built to our measurements and installed by our own team. We haul away the old blinds.
Replacing vertical blinds
Most SmartDrape jobs start with a set of vertical blinds coming down. We remove them, patch the old bracket holes, mount the new headrail and haul the verticals away. The whole swap usually fits in one visit.
Answers
SmartDrape questions
What is Norman SmartDrape?
A soft window treatment for sliding doors and wide windows. Fabric vanes hang from a headrail with a sheer running between them. The vanes rotate for light and privacy, the whole thing slides sideways like a vertical blind, and you can walk through it.
Is SmartDrape better than vertical blinds?
It does the same job more quietly and looks like drapery instead of an office. There are no cords or chains, the vanes do not clack, and you can walk straight through it to the deck.
Can SmartDrape be motorized?
Yes. Norman Smart Motorization runs it from a remote, the Norman app or a schedule. Motorized SmartDrape can also open from the center, with the fabric parting in the middle and stacking to both sides.
How wide can SmartDrape go?
One headrail covers a wall of glass. Four-panel doors and multi-door walls are routine for us. We measure the opening and the stack room beside it at the free consultation.
Can you see through SmartDrape?
With the vanes open you see out through the sheer, a soft, screened view. With the vanes closed, light filtering fabric glows and room darkening fabric blocks the light and the view.
Do you remove the old vertical blinds?
Yes. We take them down, patch the holes from the old brackets and haul the blinds away as part of the install.
Also worth a look
Let us bring the showroom to you
Book a free in-home consultation. We bring the samples, measure your windows and help you choose what suits your home. There is no charge and no pressure to buy.