Silver Winner: Acoustical Solution Answers Aesthetic Request Too This spectacular looking theater shows the importance of following standards and meeting customer challenges is something custom integrators address on a worldwide basis, as with this customer in China. With an emphasis on its 7.2.4-channel sound system that centers on Dynaudio loudspeakers, SentimentHiFi delivered a theater room that also adhered to CEDIA standards and met tight deadlines, according to CEO GuangYu Feng. “At the very beginning, we recommended the Dynaudio custom system to the client and we told him: When you inv ..read more

Silver Winner: Ultra-Modern Amenities Artfully Enhance NYC Residence For this project that Rich AV Design outfitted on New York City’s Upper West Side, the owner had purchased three units for renovation into one and wanted a Savant system solution similar to the one in family’s existing home, only with some extra technology. The integrator collaborated with the client’s interior designer, Nick Deramo of Ingro Inc., through the Highline Construction Company, to execute their vision. “We focused on combining technology and style. This meant working with some untraditional partners and unique ins ..read more

Silver Award: Stellar Sound Takes Center Stage Looking to finish a basement with a dedicated theater room a few years after initial home construction and tech systems installation, the owner hired the Erskine Group to draft and design the project. Union Place, which had installed a Control4-based system in the rest of the house, worked with the Erskine plans to pull together this phenomenal room. “The design was modern and minimalist with the color palette chosen to minimize any bright reflective surfaces, hence the gray and black theme. They also factored in the Triad speakers for performance ..read more

Silver Award: Vaunted Video Options, Custom Crafted Inside & Out Sometimes a homeowner will leave all the technology decisions to the systems integrator; other times they have a good idea of what they want. For an integrator, the latter can be tricky but the process can lead to success, such as the case in this project. photo by Brad Montgomery “Long before the clients became some of our favorites, they were our toughest clients,” says Brad Montgomery, creative director of Tym Smart Homes & Home Theaters. “In a lot of ways, his requests were very simple. … With him, each piece of the s ..read more

Silver Award: Past & Present Blend Perfectly in Meticulous Remodel Dubbed the “historic and modern D.C. row home” project by systems integrator Atlantic Control Technologies, this remodel somehow manages to tread modern flair by Robert Gurney Architects that also preserves elements of the 250-year-old structure — with smart home technology needing to walk that same line. “These two competing factors gave the installation certain challenges. The system installed had to be minimal. In truth, because of the building’s historical status, at times it was impossible to lawfully alter it in any w ..read more

August 30, 2018 – Framingham, MA – Electronic House, the leading information site for smart home consumers, announces the winners of 2018 Products of the Year Awards recognizing the best technologies, products, and services for the smart home.   “Our annual Products of the Year contest exemplifies the amazing diversity of smart home technology, and this year’s submissions and winners are some of the most innovative products and systems available to consumers looking for ways to smarten up their homes,” says Electronic House editor Lisa Montgomery. “Selecting the best entry for several sma ..read more

There are football fans who love watching the sport then there are super fans who relish the opportunity to critique every aspect of the game: compare stats, study and analyze players, review key plays, basically live and breathe the game. The owner of this media room marvel fits into the latter category, especially when it comes to the University of Texas Longhorns. As his home was being built, he sequestered a 1,500-square-foot space where he could dive deep into football territory, but all from the comfort of his couch. Related: Check out these five fabulous football themed theaters.  ..read more

Not everyone has the luxury of installing home theater gear in a room that’s of perfect proportions. Nor are the conditions always right for a beautifully arranged rack of A/V gear. For a space this unaccommodating, it’s often necessary to start completely from the beginning. That’s what the owners of this award-winning space (our 2018 Gold Winner for Best Before and After Transformation) did when they contact the home systems integrators at BNC Technology, of Johannesburg, South Africa, to transform their outdated home cinema into something modern and spectacular. See other Home of the Year a ..read more

Smart home products run the gamut, from door locks and light switches to thermostats and garage door openers. Finding them from one source makes the shopping experience convenient and if they are all designed to work together, that’s even better. Monoprice is doing just that with launch of its STITCH line of smart home products. The new products will be available for purchase now, releasing throughout the remainder of the year. Additionally, the brand is releasing the STITCH app (available on iTunes and Google Play), an Amazon Alexa and Google Home compatible integrated app that ..read more

Whether it’s a single light bulb or a comprehensive whole-house lighting system, the lights in your home just keep getting smarter and smarter. Consequently, they offer a wide range of features and benefits to your household. From making your home more secure to a better place to entertain friends and family, today’s lighting solutions are amazingly versatile. There’s something for just about everyone. Here are 10 ways smart lighting can make an impact in your home. Energy Savings. LED bulbs consume less energy than incandescent bulbs, and when you tie them to dimmer switches, the energy savi ..read more