Why are more and more people refusing to drill holes during home renovations?

A current home furnishing trend and the eight-year persistence of a blinds company

Last weekend, my friend Xiaolin moved into the apartment that he had rented for two years.

The house is nice, facing south and having good lighting. The only problem is that in the afternoon, the sun shines too strongly from the west, causing the computer screen to reflect light and the floor to get very hot.

She wants to install a set of blinds.

But the landlord clearly stated: No drilling holes, no damaging the walls.

Xiaolin posted a message for help in the decoration group. As a result, there were over a dozen replies below. Half of them were "I had the same problem", and the other half were "I recommend the model without holes. I've been using it for two years."

This message was later captured by the employees of Mingchen Sunshade and posted in the company group. Someone replied below: "This is exactly the reason why we initiated the project back then."

I One, a question that has been asked for ten years

Mingchen Sunshade's product manager remembers it very clearly.

Ten years ago when I first started in this business, the most frequently asked question by clients was: "How much is this type of blinds per meter?"

Five years ago, the question changed: "Is there a way without punching holes?"

Now, the issue has become even more specific: "What width of window frame can be installed without drilling holes? What is the load-bearing capacity? And will it leave no trace when removed?"

This change is driven by the rise of two distinct groups of people.

The first category is the renters.

A rental report from Lianjia shows that the average house-hunting cycle for renters in first-tier cities is 18 months. This means that they have to move house once every one and a half years.

For these people, "portability" is more important than "good packaging". If a window shutter cannot be removed and taken away when moving, then it essentially becomes a gift for the landlord.

The second category consists of owners of fully furnished houses.

The custom-made curtains developed by the manufacturer often fail to meet individualized needs. But changing the curtains requires drilling holes, and drilling holes means damaging the brand-new walls - the proportion of such concerns among the owners of luxury apartments is so high that it exceeds imagination.

II. The "no-drilling" technology is not that simple

You might think: "No-drilling is just about using glue, right?"

Mingchen's engineers would shake their heads when they heard this question.

The problems with the adhesive are as follows: Firstly, it ages and peels off over time. A hundred-kilogram set of blinds falling down is no joke. Secondly, the adhesive will seep into the wall paint, and when it is removed, both the paint and the wall plaster will come off together. Thirdly, the adhesion strength of the adhesive varies greatly depending on the different materials of the window frames.

Mingchen took a more challenging path: the pieces were fixed without glue.

It took them three years to develop a set of adaptive pressure-adsorption tracks.

The back of the track is not a rubber strip, but a row of miniature pressure-sensing modules. When installing, simply attach the track to the window frame and tighten the adjusting knob on the side - the sensor will automatically measure the current clamping force. When it reaches the optimal fixation value, it will emit a sound alert.

This process does not require a level, an electric drill, or even any installation experience on your part.

The track can accommodate various window frame materials ranging from 1.5 centimeters to 4 centimeters in thickness: wooden, aluminum, ceramic, and glass. They can all securely fit. The maximum load capacity is 15 kilograms, which is more than enough to support the blinds.

When disassembling, turn the adjustment knob counterclockwise to release the track automatically. The window frame is completely clean, with not even a single mark on it.

III. Those improvements "forced out" by users

Mingchen's R&D department has a whiteboard where user feedback is meticulously recorded.

One of the sentences was circled: "The window frame in my house is made of tiles. Can your track accommodate it?"

The problem with the tiles is that their surface is too slippery and there is insufficient friction. The research and development team conducted dozens of tests and finally added a layer of micro-scale anti-slip patterns to the inner side of the track. These patterns were not simply attached but were integrated with the track as one piece.

Now this set of tracks can be compatible with over 95% of the window frame materials available on the market.

Another feedback came from a cat owner: "The leaves are covered with fur, and cleaning them every day is too tiring."

The solution is to apply an anti-static coating to the fabric. This prevents the accumulation of electric charges, and when cat hair falls on it and is blown away by a gentle breeze, it will come off easily.

One more point: "The morning sun was too bright and I was awakened by the brightness."

This demand led to the development of the light sensor model - at sunrise, the blinds slowly open and the sunlight gradually enters, not suddenly startling you.

IV . The intelligent aspect lies in the details.

The no-drilling feature has solved the installation problem, but users still have more demands.

"Before I leave work, I want to turn off the blinds to prevent the floor from getting damaged by the sun, but I often forget to do it."

Mingchen's approach was to equip the blinds with a "brain" - a low-power Bluetooth module and a light sensor. Users can control them remotely via a mobile app, or set them to an automatic mode: when it's too sunny, they will automatically reduce the angle of the blinds; and when there is insufficient light on a cloudy day, they will automatically open.

"How long can it last after being charged once? I don't want to climb up the ladder to remove the battery every month."

The answer is 6 to 8 months. It features a 6000mAh lithium battery and is equipped with a deep sleep circuit design - when the motor is not in use, the system power consumption drops to an extremely low level. Charging is done using a mobile phone cable, without the need to climb a ladder; it can be charged while standing.

"Can it be controlled by voice?"

Xiaoya, Tmall Jing, Alexa, and Google Assistant are all compatible. Just lie on the sofa and say "Adjust the blinds to 50%", and it will do as you say.

V. A Verified Trend

Data never lies.

According to internal statistics within Mingchen, over the past three years, the annual compound growth rate of "no-piercing" related products has exceeded 40%. Among them, more than half of the users are renters, and another 30% are owners of fully-furnished houses.

In the comment section of the e-commerce platform, "no need for drilling", "easy installation" and "can be moved with the house" have become the most frequently used words.

One user wrote very truthfully: "In the past, when renting a house, I never dared to buy curtains because once they were installed, they couldn't be removed. Now, I can finally decorate the room according to my own preferences. After all, when I move out, I can just take them off."

This comment was captured by Mingchen's staff and posted in the company's public group. The founder replied, "This is the meaning of what we are doing."

VI. Not Just About Removing Holes

Back to Kohei's story at the beginning.

Later, she bought Mingchen's smart non-drilling blinds. She assembled them by herself in just twenty minutes. When the landlord came to inspect, he stared at the window frame for a long time and asked: Where did you install this curtain?

Xiaolin said it was installed. The landlord didn't believe him. So he pulled on the blinds himself a couple of times to confirm that they were indeed firmly attached.

On the day of moving, Xiaolin removed the blinds and the window frame was clean. The landlord said, "You did a good job. Will the next tenant still be able to use it?"

Xiaolin didn't say anything. What was on his mind was: I have no idea if the next tenant will be able to use it. Anyway, I can use it.

This is probably the most straightforward value of this "no-holes-needed" feature – it transforms the act of installing blinds from a "decorative project" that requires a lot of deliberation to a simple "purchase option" like choosing a lamp.

Mingchen's team said that their next goal is to make the installation process even simpler: instead of using knobs, just press to secure. The next goal is to increase the battery life even further: no need to charge for a whole year. And the one after that...

The endless demands from users mean that they cannot complete all the tasks.

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