THE ADVANCES, AVAILABILITY, AND LOW COST OF STREAMING devices have forever changed the way we consume video. Cord-cutters swear by streaming technology, and an increasing number of consumers are starting to look at the technology as a viable option for watching movies and sporting events. If you have yet to be anointed into the streaming […]
Get the GuideArchives for January 2016
CES Treasures
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE congregate in Las Vegas each year in early January to experience the latest in smart home technology. From completely new generations of TVs and surround-sound systems to wearable technology and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, there was a treasure trove of new, innovative, and ground-breaking electronic products and systems at […]
Get the Guide12 Tips: Home Lighting on Steroids
ON ITS OWN, A LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM is a remarkably smart, versatile, and just a: plain cool piece of smart home technology. In an instant, it can illuminate your house perfectly for any occasion–be it a birthday party or a night on the couch with a book. It can create an easily navigable pathway from […]
Get the GuideHarley-Davidson Makes Its Mark
THERE’S A LOT OF GIVE AND TAKE between a husband and a wife when a home undergoes a major redesign; building a home theater is no different. From its placement in the home to its furnishings and equipment, creating a space that both he and she will love is a delicate balancing act–and one that […]
Get the GuideA McIntosh Marvel
McIntosh has developed a reputation for engineering high-quality audio equipment and is recognized by audio enthusiasts by its signature blue accent lighting on its products. The owner of this approximately 17-by-28-foot home theater was adamant about not only using predominantly McIntosh equipment for its quality, but also as a design element. “Originally, he requested that […]
Get the GuideDecked in Disney
DISNEY VACATIONS ARE ALL ABOUT FAMILY and having fun. It made sense, then, to the owners of this 425-square-foot space, who happened to have three young children at the time of the home theater’s inception, to use the popular theme-park destination as the room’s design inspiration. Classic Disney colors–bright red, yellow, and blue–dominate the furnishings, […]
Get the GuideOut of the Blue
SOMETIMES INSPIRATION FOR A THEATER’S DECOR and design comes from a favorite: hobby; other times it reflects a memorable vacation or a special destination. In this radically redone space, inspiration came from a much deeper place. Although the: theme is subtle–as requested by the owners–a combination of pattern, color, and: ceiling features evokes a seemingly […]
Get the GuideJungle Fever
WHEN CHOOSING A THEME for a home theater, it’s important to get the entire family: involved. The owners of this 415-square-foot entertainment room let their four young: children set the course for the design, with some massaging of the concept by Mom.Together, the family settled on a Jungle Book theme, inspired by the kids’ admiration […]
Get the GuideWeathering the Storm
This incredible home overlooking the Gulf of California in the Palmilla Development of Baja, Calif., took three years–from 2005 to 2009–to build. The home systems integration firm Fulkra, of Orange County, Calif., was involved in construction of the home as the original low-voltage contractor. Five years after its completion, in 2014, the custom-built house was […]
Get the Guide4 Home Audio Trends That Are Music To Your Ears
Flashback to 2001: The first ripple of the digital music wave starts. This was the year Apple released the iPod, the device that many of us would argue single-handedly ushered in the new era of how we listen to music. It was introduced with the amazing promise of “1,000 songs in your pocket,” which at […]
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