The mandate

The Mount Stephen, a luxurious Montreal hotel that combines neoclassicism and contemporary style, approached us when its construction was almost complete. The challenge was to give a level of privacy to hotel clients in an expensive suite without blocking the beautiful daylight that downtown Montreal offers. We also had to consider the potential of paparazzi in the condo towers opposite given that that the suite is priced at nearly $10,000 a night. The 33-degree angle of the windows was also an issue. In short, we had to respond to the need for intimacy, warmth, and reduced glare.

The solution

First, we chose shade fabric: TexLucent Eco 1699 white. This is a fabric that lets in a lot of natural light, without allowing visibility from the outside. It’s ideal for maximum privacy but it also allows natural light to filter through. For the control system, we developed a custom motorized roller liner system with ZIP channels to keep the fabric from leaving the channels despite the 33-degree angle. Due to the very pronounced window inclination, gravity alone was not enough to lower the shade completely. A tensioner system was also needed to make sure the shade ran down to the base. This system also helped keep the fabric taut.