From jaw-dropping home theaters to ultra-connected kitchens to blissful outdoor A/V havens, more than 310 projects were submitted for Electronic House magazine’s 4th Annual Home of the Year awards.

The magazine’s editorial team spent days poring over the audio, video, lighting and automation systems, and ultimately awarded 39 winning installations in 15 categories.

Winners were announced during the Electronic House Expo Spring 2009 in Orlando, Fla., last week.

This year the categories included best overall Home of the Year, five levels of Home Theater, Green Home, Fun Room, Master Suite, Kitchen, Grand Space, Family Room, Outdoor Space, Before and After, and Themed Theater.

The top prize went to a stunning home in the Hollywood hills that combines chic design and super-slick automation and A/V installed by DSI Entertainment Systems, one of more than 110 custom electronics installation firms that submitted projects for awards consideration.

The entire May issue of Electronic House will be devoted to articles and photography profiling the 4th Annual Home of the Year awards, and winning entries will also be featured online at ElectronicHouse.com. Every submitted project will also be showcased online throughout the year. (And while you’re waiting for May to roll around, click here to see last year’s winners or the winners from 2007 and 2006).

“Electronic House has featured automated homes for 23 years, and you think you’ve seen it all,” says Electronic House acting editor Julie Jacobson. “But every year, the integrators amaze us with incredible new designs, easy-to-use controllers, and clever solutions to challenging requests.”

The winning homes were selected based on technological innovation, creative solutions to challenges, and design elements.

The complete list of winning electronics systems installers follows:
Home of the Year

• Gold: DSI Entertainment Systems, West Hollywood, Calif.
• Silver: EPI Systems Integration, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Bronze: Wireless Home, Naples, Fla.

Green Home

• Gold: SoundVision, Novato, Calif.

Fun Room

• Gold: Electronics Design Group, Piscataway, N.J.
• Silver: Stone-Glidden, Doylestown, Pa.
• Bronze: Gramophone, Timonium, Md.

Grand Space

• Gold: Home Systems, Pompton Plains, N.J.
• Silver: Conundrum Technologies, Denver, Colo.

Family Room/Media Room

• Gold: Rolling Thunder Group, San Rafael, Calif.
• Silver: Home Concepts, Calgary, Alberta

Kitchen

• Gold: Electronics Design Group, Piscataway, N.J.
• Silver: Sensory Environment Design, Minneapolis, Minn.

Master Suite

• Gold: Sensory Environment Design, Minneapolis, Minn.
• Silver: Audio Video Interiors, Medina, Ohio
• Bronze: Multimedia Innovations, Hallandale, Fla.

Outdoor Space

• Gold: Natural Audio, Tolland, Conn.
• Silver: DSI Entertainment Systems, West Hollywood, Calif.
• Bronze: ForTech Solutions, North Hills, Calif.

Home Theater $25,000 and under

• Gold: Hi-Tech Home, Clovis, Calif.
• Silver: Audio Video Concepts, Columbia, Ill.
• Bronze: The Audio Video Pros, Onalaska, Wis.

Home Theater $25,001-$50,000

• Gold: DistinctAV, McCordsville, Ind.
• Silver: Cyber Home Networks, Stormville, N.Y.
• Bronze: Home Concepts, Calgary, Alberta

Home Theater $50,001-$100,000

• Gold: DFS Technologies, Victoria, B.C.
• Silver: Automated Lifestyles, Berwyn, Ill.
• Bronze: Premier Home Theater, Newton, N.J.

Home Theater $100,001-$250,000

• Gold: Definitive Sound, Mississauga, Ontario
• Silver: Worthington Entertainment Systems, Lancaster, Calif.
• Bronze: Home Systems, Pompton Plains, N.J.

Home Theater $250,001 and over

• Gold: Future Home, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Silver: Advanced Home, Shelton, Conn.
• Bronze: Gramophone, Timonium, Md.

Before & After

• Gold: eLifespaces, Charleston, S.C.
• Silver: 1 Sound Choice, Pompton Plains, N.J.
• Bronze: Audio Video Interiors, Medina, Ohio

Themed Theater

• Gold: Robert Allen Multimedia, New Canaan, Conn.
• Silver: DreamSpace, Miami, Fla.

About the Author:
Arlen Schweiger - Managing editor of Electronic House Magazine

Arlen contributes product news items to electronichouse.com along with his role on the print publication. Got a tip? Send it along!