Short answer
The best time to plan motorised curtains is before ceiling, wall and joinery details are closed. Decide the curtain treatment and likely finished load, then coordinate track position, motor side, power, controls and future access with the design and electrical teams.
01
Start before the electrical plan is fixed.
Identify every window where the curtain will be wide, high, layered or frequently moved. Decide whether the room needs one curtain, independent sheer and blockout layers, or another treatment entirely. An approximate finished curtain weight helps identify feasible motor families, but final selection follows the confirmed fabric and dimensions.
Ask where power can be supplied and whether a rechargeable system offers a useful alternative. In NSW, new or altered fixed electrical wiring needs a licensed electrical worker. Place responsibilities and provisional choices on the drawings before the ceiling closes.
02
Coordinate the architectural space.
Confirm track position, recess or pelmet depth, structural support, motor side, curtain stack and clearance from handles and sliding doors. For double treatments, allow two working tracks rather than one attractive but overcrowded slot.
Do not conceal the motor so completely that a later replacement requires destructive access. A removable panel or reachable end of track is part of the design quality, even though it may not appear in the final room photograph.
03
Document controls and handover.
Choose the level of control the client actually needs: local switch, remote, group scenes or integration with a compatible home system. Name the proposed motor and control protocol before promising an app or voice feature.
At handover, demonstrate operation, charging if relevant, what happens after a power interruption, and whom to contact for service. A good installation is one that remains usable after the builder and decorator have left.
- Curtain type and finished load
- Track, recess and stack
- Motor side and power
- Controls, commissioning and access
Apply it to the room
What changes the recommendation?
CCBD can review window plans before plasterboard and joinery close, so curtain construction, track and motorisation can be specified together. Confirm electrical work with the project’s licensed electrical worker.
Source notes
Check the proposed model.
These references support general selection principles, not a claim that every product has the same capacity or functions. Confirm current specifications and any electrical requirements for the actual project.