Steven Castle

Brent and Danielle Warner are creating a smart living environment at their new house in Wellesley, Mass. And what’s the centerpiece of their smart home? A thermostat. A very smart thermostat. With about six different brains, or sensors, positioned in several rooms in their house. The thermostat is the ecobee3, which uses its embedded sensors […]

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When you enter this house by stepping across concrete pads that appear to float over a lotus pond, you know you are in for a modernist Zen experience. Expanses of clean white walls and polished concrete floors are highlighted only by art and sculptures from Asia and India. Electronics Installation & Design Smart House Integration, […]

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As more homeowners are discovering, saving energy in your home doesn’t require sacrifice. You can actually add to the look and appeal of your house with energy-saving systems—while pocketing some extra cash to spend on great-looking designer wares. Whether you choose easily retrofitted products or more elaborate systems, efficiency technologies are trending. They may not […]

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Here’s the good news: The biggest energy hog in your house is not your flat screen. And it’s probably not your home theater system—unless you’re pumping out watts by the thousands. There are ways to save energy on those suckers, but why not concentrate your high-tech energy-efficiency efforts on the appliances and devices that the […]

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It’s the best of times for saving energy in your home. There are about a gazillion little Internet of Things (IoT) devices that promise to save you energy and connect to your home systems, your smartphones, and more. Sensors seem to be everywhere today, but few people actually use them in their homes for the […]

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Want to freshen up the appearance of your house, enjoy greater convenience and save some energy to boot? Then you should look into a lighting control system. A lighting control system can automatically dim your lights, enact preset “scenes” so only the fixtures you need come on, automatically turn on and off lights so you […]

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If you’re like many people, you want your home to be well-lit and bright. Lighting can be a big energy-user, however. The U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that a home’s lights consume up to 14 percent of residential electricity usage. Needless to say, energy use can add up quickly […]

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THINK THIS HOME THEATER LOOKS LIKE A NIGHTCLUB? This monster of a room can very easily pose as one. This space measures 33 feet long, 22 feet wide and 13 feet tall, with three levels and comfortable seating for 28, give or take. No typo: There are 10 recliners in the front, eight barstools, and […]

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TRADITIONAL OR MODERN? Ornate trim or clean lines? Basic or sophisticated? These are some of the questions many people grapple with when designing a dedicated home theater space. But there’s one decision that came easily to Rhett and Nina Hunter. They knew their new home theater would be state of the art. As someone who […]

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THE OWNERS OF THIS AWARD-WINNING OUTDOOR SPACE live for throwing “wicked” parties. “They’ll find an excuse to throw a party once a month,” says Scott Sullivan, principal of San Francisco Bay-area home systems integration firm SoundVision. Let’s first review the basic elements comprising a “wicked” party: â™:¦ Music everywhere â™:¦ Outdoor activities galore â™:¦ Kitchen, […]

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