Serena Shades - Buy Direct or Through Dealer?

Where this came from: this question was asked on r/Lutron — not here. We answered it there, in public, and this is that answer.

Buy direct again. Serena is Lutron's own retail line and, as far as I know, there's essentially no dealer margin in it, so I'd be surprised if anyone can beat Lutron's own price on two shades. If a dealer does quote you under it, I'd want to know what he's actually putting on the order. One phone call to Lutron before you order is still worth it, just to ask whether there's anything on a multi-unit or repeat order. Worst case they say no.

Two things I'd do before you click buy, and they matter more than the price. First, measure the new windows yourself even though it's the same room and the same house. I've been in enough Brooklyn buildings to have measured three "identical" openings in one room and gotten three different numbers, and shades are cut to order and non-returnable. Second, order the exact same fabric and colour name off your old order, and ask Lutron whether they can tell you anything about dye lot. Fabric run to fabric run can shift a shade lighter or darker, and it's the sort of thing you don't notice until all five are hanging in daylight next to each other. If they'll send a swatch first, take it.

On the install side, adding two to your existing bridge is a few minutes in the app. The thing I'd check first is how much room you have left on that bridge, and if you're driving them off a Pico, add the new two to the same group or scene the first three are already in rather than making a second one. Otherwise you end up with a room that opens in two stages.

The point where a dealer actually earns his money is different from this. If down the road you want the whole apartment done, wired keypads, shades in the living room on the same buttons as the lights, that's a different Lutron product line and it is dealer-only, and that's the conversation to call someone about. Two more shades in a nursery is not that. You already did the hard part in 2025.

If you want a second set of eyes, tell me the model number off the label on the bottom of your bridge and roughly how many Lutron devices you have on it, and I'll tell you whether you've got headroom for two more or whether you're near the ceiling. No charge, takes me a minute.

For disclosure: I'm a Lutron dealer, have been since 1999, and I do remote Lutron and Control4 work for a living. On this particular question there's nothing for me to sell you.