Insights & Innovations: The Integrated Home Blog

When you go to your local cinema, have you noticed the speakers they use? No, probably not, because professional theaters usually employ architectural speakers—speakers built into the walls and ceiling. If you’re building a home theater system, should you use in-wall speakers too? Continue reading to see how they’ll benefit your Charlotte, NC home theater, and our tips for the best setup.

SEE ALSO: How to Pick the Best ALR Screen for Your Media Room

Why Use Hidden Speakers?

In-wall speakers can make the most of any sized space and are particularly beneficial to smaller home theaters. Since hidden speakers can be installed behind a perforated projector screen, you’ll be able to install a large screen and direct sound straight from the action, enhancing your theater experience. In-wall speakers appear sleek and tidy, making the room look more like a well-planned theater than a space that happens to have speakers and a projector screen.

Brands to Consider

Made in Britain since 1977, Meridian crafts elegant and high-performance audio solutions, including their discreet in-wall loudspeakers. Meridian architectural speakers feature a full range sound with bass extension beyond 50Hz and can be mounted either horizontally or vertically. Its Centre Elevation Technology raises audio to match the video on screen and has a 100mm installation depth.

Monitor Audio, another British manufacturer, creates easy-to-install On-Wall and In-Wall speakers with a variety of grille colors and images to suit your room’s décor. The keyhole fixings for On-Wall and corner brackets on the In-Wall models allow for a wire-free look, connecting cables in the wall captivity from the back.

As 2019 comes to a close, it’s time to look ahead to the trends we expect so see in smart home systems in 2020. Consider adding these upgrades to your smart home system in Charlotte, NC to make your holiday season and new year extra special.

SEE ALSO: RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH SMART HOME AUTOMATION

Biophilia

First introduced in 2019, biophilia is the concept of bringing nature indoors using devices such as circadian lighting, air purification, aromatherapy, and automated shades to improve one's health. Research has shown that connecting to nature within your home helps memory, mood, ADHD, stress, inflammation, and immunity. It has taken the industry by storm and is expected to come to the forefront of smart home systems in 2020.

Landscape Lighting

Landscape lighting has been around for many years, but this year several new companies began making products that integrate into smart home systems. It is predicted that landscape lighting will continue to become popular in 2020. Traditional outdoor lighting bulbs will be outlawed on January 1, so you will need to upgrade to LED lighting to be compliant with new federal regulations.

8k Video

8k video is the successor to 4k video, which came out in 2016. It became more common in 2019, but as 2020 rolls around, it will become more prevalent in home theater systems. Why would consumers want 8K? The technology offers four times the pixel density of 4K and 16 times that of 1080p, giving users a more brilliant, lifelike image.

You have a lot to juggle when running your business, and wiring is one of the most critical aspects of building a new house. It might be tempting to do the installation yourself or to hire an electrician to do the work for you. The smarter choice is to hire a low voltage contractor to save both you and your client money in the long run.

SEE MORE: WORK WITH A LOW-VOLTAGE CONTRACTOR TO SET UP YOUR NEXT BUILD FOR SUCCESS

1. With a low voltage contractor, your budget will be more accurate.

One of the most important things to consider when building a smart home is your client’s budget. Unexpected expenses can completely throw your budget off and cost you more money. Low voltage contractors can prevent this as they are more familiar with the industry and can give you more accurate estimates on what electrician, HVAC installer, and security subcontractors will cost.

2. Low voltage contractors allow for a more cohesive design.

By getting a low voltage contractor involved earlier rather than later, your interior designer will better understand what technology you plan to include in the home, which will, in turn, allow them to create a more cohesive design. Your clients will love their carefully planned out home!

3. Low voltage contractors are up to date on the latest technology.

Low voltage contractors have the most up to date training on industry standards and new technology. They regularly attend workshops and research to stay on top of the latest news. Their commitment saves your client time and money in the future as they won’t have to upgrade their system down the line.

“Ambient lighting” is a term used frequently in the AV industry. It is the light that is present in a room before additional lighting is added, including sunlight, ceiling lights, and fireplaces, as opposed to task lighting or complicated, multi-layered lighting design.

Though it is an essential part of our everyday lives, ambient lighting should not be a part of your home theater experience. Ambient light rejecting screens combat this glare-causing nuisance with unique technology that we’ll discuss today. Read on to find out why you should use one in your next media room installation in Lake Norman, NC!

SEE ALSO: Tips for Media Room Installations in Your Next Design or Build Project

Types of Media Room Installation Screens

There are three types of reflection screens used in your Lake Norman media room installation. Regular screens use diffuse reflectors or reflectors that reflect incoming light in all directions uniformly. Most flat-panel televisions use diffuse reflectors, which is why when you watch them on a sunny day, you’ll see on the screen. Matte white screens are the perfect diffusers since white screens are designed to reflect light evenly across the display. In a dark room, projected pictures do not compete with ambient light. However, it is challenging to create a completely dark room when completing a media room installation.

Ambient Light Rejection Screens -Specular and Retroflective

Ambient light rejection screens are a recent trend in media room designs that reflect the image to the audience while reflecting any extraneous light away. There are two types of ambient light rejection displays: specular and retroreflective.

We take wellness for granted until we aren’t feeling great: Sluggishness, fatigue, and migraines are all common ailments that affect most of us. According to a poll conducted by YouGov, only 1 in 7 Americans wakes up feeling well-rested every day of the week. We can try our best to get enough rest and relaxation, but oftentimes, life gets in the way. But what if we told you your home’s lighting could improve your wellbeing?

Smart lighting control systems have been known for use in commercial spaces and theaters, but they have gained prominence in homes for their tunable color and brightness features. To see how smart lighting can improve wellness in your Charlotte, NC home, learn more below!  

SEE ALSO: Why Motorized Shades Are an Essential Addition to Your Space  

How Human-Centric Lighting Works

Since the dawn of electric lighting, we no longer have to go to sleep when the sun goes down, and we can ‘see’ in the dark whenever we want. Although it’s a miraculous technological advancement, many studies observe the negative effects lightbulbs can have on our body’s circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm regulates the cyclical behavioral, mental, and physical changes we go through in a day. Without natural light, our system can be thrown off course.

Enter lighting control. Now, smart home systems connected to lighting fixtures can personalize the color temperatures, spectral power, color, and brightness of each bulb in your home. From a smartphone or tablet, you can set your lights to automatically adjust throughout the day, mimicking the sun’s journey in the sky. In the morning, your lights should be brighter with a white-blue tint. That kind of lighting doesn’t fare well in the evening, however. By afternoon, your bulbs should shift into a warmer, softer hue, like the golden hour before sunset.