When you invest in fine furniture, it is critical to make sure your pieces are protected. Beyond the standard polishing and treating of wood furniture and leather, it's important to recognize how other factors may affect the longevity of your pieces. Of those all-important factors that could cause potential damage is natural light. Natural light is a beautiful and coveted quality in all homes, however, if it isn't carefully monitored it can damage furniture that is frequently exposed.

Did you know that wood is affected by sunlight in similar ways that your skin is? If hardwood furniture is in the direct path of sunlight, you might want to be mindful of the pieces you dress the table with. Especially in high-heat temperatures, it is possible for your furniture to develop sun rings, these sun rings are most like tan lines that people get. Depending on the type of wood, your pieces may become lighter or darker in the exposed areas.   If you have leather furniture, you need to mindful of the amount of light exposure your pieces get. Over exposing leather furniture to the sun can cause the fabric to dry and fade. A good way to protect it for the long term is to move the furniture every six months and to make sure that the leather is treated and cleaned at least once a year.

While there are many UV treatments out there for leather and wood, another great way to further protect your furniture is to invest in motorized blinds for your home. Motorized blinds can be controlled remotely and even timed to close when the sun is at its peak. With this level of home automation, you can even control your blinds when you're away. This could be a beneficial feature when you're out of town or just forget to close the blinds while you're at home.  

By investing in motorized blinds, you're further investing in the protection and longevity of your furniture too.