Baumeister Electronic Architects showed these homeowners the ropes on how tech can enhance areas such as their family room.
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It’s hard enough for professionals in the home electronics business to keep up with technology. So when consumers start looking at TVs, speakers and Blu-ray players, the options can seem overwhelming.
Choosing technology for a home becomes even more complicated when you realize that there are more than just TVs and sound systems to consider. Automated lighting, motorized shades and whole-house control systems are just a few of the lesser-known systems that can add real value to your home.
Exploring New Options
A Chicago couple was just so enlightened during the construction of their 8,000-square foot home. “At the beginning of the project, we just wanted our house to have a cutting-edge stereo system and some flat-panel TVs,” says the homeowner. But that was before he and his wife became acquainted with the technology experts at Baumeister Electronic Architects in nearby Niles, IL. Per the recommendation of their architect, Mark Demsky of Chicago, the couple arranged to meet with Baumeister president John Baumeister.
“He really opened our eyes to what the options were,” the owners recall. “A lot of what we talked about was completely new to us, but once we saw [the systems], it all made sense.”
Demonstrating technologies to potential clients is standard procedure at Baumeister Electronic Architects. However, unlike many firms that use their own showrooms to display working systems, Baumeister opts to take clients to the homes of previous customers.
“John took us to a home nearby and gave us a demo of the home control system,” the owners explain. “When we saw how easy the system was to use and what a difference it could make in the home environment, we knew we had to have something like it for our own home.”
Tying It All Together
That “something” ended up being a Crestron home control system. The field trip left quite an impression on the homeowners, and they decided to put the system in charge of nearly every electronic device in their home, including the lights, thermostats, security cameras, motorized draperies, and audio and video equipment.
The robust controller could have been set up to regulate those devices automatically, like turning off the lights and shutting the drapes every evening at midnight. Some families might have jumped at the chance to put their lives on automatic pilot, but not this couple.
“We envisioned using the system to simplify tasks like finding a piece of music to listen to or getting the family room ready for a movie,” they explain. In other words, they wanted it to help them manage the electronic devices in their home, not totally take over. That task-oriented approach was perfectly fine with Baumeister. Because the Crestron system is driven by software, his team of engineers would be able set up the system however the homeowners wanted.
Systems Design and Installation
Baumeister Electronic Architects, Niles, IL
www.bavi.net
Architect
Mark Demsky, Chicago
Builder
Reid Johnson of Edison Design + Build, Chicago
Interior Designer
Marilyn Wittenberg of Carol Wolk Interiors, Chicago
EQUIPMENT LIST
Home Control System
Crestron CNMSX-PRO2 processor
Crestron CNXRMC Room Solution boxes (4)
Crestron MT-1000C Mini-touch remotes (8)
Crestron TPS-2000L color touchpanels (3)
Crestron PAC2 lighting control processor
Crestron CNX-B2-12 keypads (26)
Crestron CLX-1FAN4 lighting module fan controllers (2)
Crestron CHV-RSS climate control slab sensors (10)
Crestron CHV-TSTAT thermostats (6)
Crestron CHV-RTHS remote temperature and humidity sensors (8)
Whole-House Audio and Video Systems
Apple AirPort Express
Apple iPod Shuffle MP3 player
Channel Master Rain Fade Remover satellite dish
Channel Master HDTV outdoor antenna
Crestron CNX-DI-PAD8 audio distribution processors (2)
Crestron CNX-PIVD8x4 video distribution processor
Crestron C2N-TFM FM tuner
Crestron C2N-TXM XM satellite tuner
Crestron C2N-TXM C50 XM cable
Crestron CNX-RMCLV Video Room interface boxes (4)
Crestron C2N-IVDS intercom video distribution system
Crestron C2N-TAMWX AM/WX tuner
DirecTV HR-21 TiVo satellite receivers (5)
Pro Video waterproof surveillance cameras (4)
Sony CDP-CS455 400-disc CD players (2)
Sony DVP-CX777ES 400-disc DVD player
SpeakerCraft two-channel amplifier
SpeakerCraft 8-channel amplifiers (2)
Speakercraft OE6 Three outdoor speakers (2)
Speakercraft VS160 volume control
Xantech 12-channel amplifier
Xantech AV61 distribution amplifier
Entertainment Systems
Artison Portrait LCR speakers (2)
Chief swing-out mounts (2)
Chief plasma mount
DVDO iScan HD+ video scaling engine
Escient E2-300 CD controller
Escient Fireball DVDM-100 DVD and CD manager
Extron MTP DA4 distribution amplifier
Fujitsu 55-inch plasma TV
Genelec HT206B active bi-amplified speakers
Lexicon MC-4 surround-sound processors (2)
Lexicon LX-7 7-channel power amplifier
Lexicon RT-20 disc player
Pimaire DVD player
REL Q201E subwoofer
REL Britannia B3 subwoofer
Runco 61-inch flat-panel display
Runco 50-inch plasma display
Sharp Aquos 13-inch LCD TV
Sharp Aquos 15-inch LCD TVs (2)
Sharp 30-inch LCD TV
Sonance Silhouette II speakers (3)
Sonance Virtuoso 833 round speakers (6)
Sony 26-inch LCD TV
Triad Inwall Bronze subwoofer
Triad Inwall Silver 4 speakers (2)
Cabling, Equipment Racks and More
Middle Atlantic Products SLIM-5 rack systems (2)
Monster structured wiring
Monster Cat-5E cabling
Monster RG-6 cabling
Monster speaker cabling
Monster HTS5100 power protection systems (2)
Monster HTUPS1000 power sources (3)
Monster HTS-1000 MKII power protection systems (2)
Monster HTFS-500 plasma protection (2)
Panamax surge protectors (2)
Panasonic KX-TDA100 phone system
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or how it compares to the comparably priced Runco
Equipment List
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