The ability to manage your home’s electronic systems from one main control system can make your household run smoother, feel better and save energy. The trick is to find a home automation system that will meet all the demands of your household, now and in the future. Most systems can be tailored by a custom […]
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Light up the Night: Outdoor Space Gold
YOU’D NEVER GUESS THAT HIDDEN behind this historic 1.6-acre estate in Pasadena, Calif., is one of the swankiest outdoor audio and lighting systems around. By day, guests and homeowners can saunter through lush gardens that do the city’s botanical heritage justice. By night, technology emerges to transform this daytime utopia into a world-class event home, […]
Get the GuideRadical Restoration: Home of the Year Under $50,000 Gold
IT ALL STARTED WITH A TINY, DILAPIDATED 800-SQUARE-FOOT HOUSE in the historic Frank Lloyd Wright district of Oak Park, Ill. Other than its revered architectural style, there was nothing remarkable about the residence, which owner Shireesh Reddy purchased on a short sale a few years ago. Despite the outward appearance of the rundown residence, he […]
Get the GuideExtreme Log Cabin Wild on Tech
A Colorado home combines log cabin charm with some of the finest home technologies available. Think Grizzly Adams meets Donald Trump.
A Colorado home combines log cabin charm with some of the finest home technologies available. Think Grizzly Adams meets Donald Trump.
Get the GuideSubsystems that Make Sense for Your Smart Home
On its own, a home automation system has the dexterity to juggle a variety of different tasks. Meticulously engineered and designed by the manufacturer and installed by a home systems integrator, it’s able to dim and brighten light fixtures, adjust the settings of thermostats, provide status reports of household electricity usage, and choreograph the operation of complex home entertainment systems. These, and a wide assortment of other tasks completed by controllable devices, are what the home automation industry refers to as “subsystems.” Without subsystems, a home automation processor’s many talents can go sorely underutilized.
Get the Guide10 Key Features of a Home Automation System
The ability to manage your home’s electronic systems from one main control system can make your household run smoother, feel better, and save energy. The trick is to find a system that will meet all the demands of your household, now and in the future. Most systems can be tailored by a home systems integrator […]
Get the GuideWIRELESS LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEMS: Knowing When and Why to Install Wireless Automatic Lighting
ONE OF THE BIGGEST ADVANCES in home automation and whole-house control has been the development of wireless lighting control. The availability and price associated with this piece of home technology has made it accessible to just about anyone. While I have been a huge proponent of wireless lighting control due to its flexibility, retrofit applications, and the ability to easily adapt to consumers’ growing needs, there are some things that you should know before investing in a system.
Get the GuideSensational Spaces
See how electronic components can blend beautifully into every room of the house.
There’s not a room in your house that shouldn’t benefit from the inclusion of at least a few pieces of technology. And thanks to innovative designs by manufacturers and clever installation techniques by home systems integrators, electronic components can be incorporated seamlessly into a variety of environments, whether contemporary media rooms or traditional master suites. Regardless of the style, size, or shape of the space, there’s a way to enjoy technology without it intruding on the room aesthetic. In this section of our Design & Technology issue, we showcase several different room environments that each houses a remarkable array of technology. You may be surprised at how difficult it is to detect some of the electronics that have been integrated.
Get the GuideThe Lighting Designer
By now, most people understand the energy-saving merits of LED light fixtures. But this is just one of many benefits homeowners can reap by switching over to LED technology. The impact of LED on residential lighting is so significant that more will change in the way homes are illuminated in the next several years than has occurred over the past 30 years. In fact, that change has already started.
Get the GuideDimmable, Controllable Lighting
A theater’s light fixtures will help set the mood for movie nights, and cre- ate some fantastic special effects.
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