Michele can be in the kitchen zone cooking with Andrea Bocelli while Carter is in the den relaxing to Frank Sinatra. The pool area is always a favorite listening spot when family members are in town. Grand Home decked out the area with several weather-resistant Sonance speakers. When it’s time for a dip, the same panel is used to control the temperature of the pool and hot tub, the swimming pool waterfall and the landscape lighting.

Embracing Diversity
Given their diverse taste in music, the Eckerts have an extensive library of songs to pull from. Nearly 2,000 tunes reside on Carter’s iPod, there are some on the 160-GB Crestron Adagio media server, songs stream in from dual Crestron AM/FM tuners, and hundreds of music stations are available through the family’s HD satellite receiver.

All of this equipment (including a Crestron docking station for the iPod) is stored along with the 70-inch TV in the A/V cabinet in the media room. The cabinet also holds its fair share of video components, including the high-def DirecTV satellite receiver with digital video recording capability, a Marantz DVD player and a Panasonic VCR. The same Crestron system that distributes audio throughout the house can also deliver video from the sources to any TV. 

No matter where or when the Eckerts choose to listen to music or watch TV, their Crestron Cresnet automation system helps prepare the space for entertainment. From any touchpanel, they can open or close the motorized Lutron Sivoia QED shades, adjust the intensity of the lights on the Lutron HomeWorks Interactive system, check up on the GE security system, and warm up the pool and hot tub.

The Cresnet system integrates these various subsystems together so they can be operated as one cohesive unit. A goodnight command, for example, turns off everything that may have been left on downstairs, including A/V equipment, lights and gas fireplaces. “This is my favorite feature of the entire system,” says Michele. Another particularly handy command is vacation. The setting readies the beach house for the snowbirds’ departure to Arizona by turning off everything and engaging a random lighting routine that makes the house look occupied while they’re gone. Other scenes illuminate pathways through the house.

As was the case with the other amenities in their home, it didn’t matter to the Eckerts whether their system had 10 or 100 scenes. It was more important that each one have a practical purpose. A great amount of thought went into every function and feature in this home so that nothing would go unused, says Conklin. “Going through a stringent design process with us like the Eckerts did guarantees success.”

It also enabled the Eckerts to put away a little extra cash to spend on upgrades. One of the first items on their list? A Blu-ray disc player.
Click here to view pictures of this home.

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About the Author:
Lisa Montgomery - Contributing Writer

Lisa Montgomery has been writing about home technology for 15 years, with a focus on the impact of electronics on a modern lifestyle.