At The Integrated Home, we get a lot of questions about smart home automation. Our clients in the Concord, North Carolina area want to know what integrated technology can do for their property, and why it’s worthwhile to upgrade new and existing houses with the latest equipment. We’ve heard your questions, and we think it’s about time to answer some of them. In this blog, we’ll take you through the basics: what is smart automation, how it can improve your home, and why it’s a great investment for your present and your future. If you’re interested in enhancing your lifestyle with added convenience, security and fun, read on to learn more.

What is Smart Home Automation?

The answer is simple: it’s a way of taking control of the different devices in your house, and making them work together for an easier and more convenient life. It’s more than simply having remote controlled shades in the living room or motion sensing lights in the yard; it’s integrating these disparate components so that you can control them with the press of one button.

The Integrated Home’s professionals are experts at seamlessly incorporating technology into your home. Augment the look of your dining room with smart lighting, adjust the temperature with an automated thermostat, and choose the perfect playlist for an elegant dinner party with a single, intuitive control device. Do the same throughout your house for a more comfortable and beautiful lifestyle.

How Can Smart Technology Improve Your Home? 

Your home is a reflection of your personal style, and scientifically speaking, a reflection is nothing but light. That’s why a home lighting control system is so important to creating a beautiful, functional and enjoyable space in every room of your house. Whether you want to transform the appearance of your dining room or make your back yard a safer and more attractive place to spend those summer nights, smart lighting can give you total command of the look and feel of your spaces.  Read on to find out how an automated lighting system can transform the way you see your home.

Set the Scene for Sunday Dinner

The sun goes down and the doorbell rings – the family has arrived for Sunday dinner. You were planning to create the perfect atmosphere for everyone to enjoy their meal, but the food took longer than expected to prepare and time got away from you. The solution is simple: lay out a new table cloth, light some candles and sculpt a new, more beautiful space with integrated lighting. With the touch of a button you can lower the lights in specified zones, while leaving others brighter, to evince a layered ambiance that enhances your home décor. 

Summer Fun in the Backyard

Don’t ignore your outdoor spaces this summer. Whether you’re aiming to become the grill-master of the season or you want to cool off in the pool, home lighting control can help you create a lovely and safe place to enjoy the warmer months. Keep the fire going well into the night with an integrated landscape lighting set-up that illuminates every corner of your backyard. And by installing in-pool lighting, you can relax in the watery depths or simply enjoy the beauty of your neighborhood’s most elegant aquatic fixture. With smart lighting, summer evenings are full of illuminating experiences.

Many homeowners in North Carolina come into the world of smart automation because they want a top-of-the-line dedicated home theater. But while you might have the stunning new Sony 4K projector and the latest Dolby Atmos surround sound system from Integra and Monitor Audio, you still may not be getting the best entertainment experience. 

We highly recommend a Control4 system installation to make accessing your entertainment and controlling your space simple and convenient. With Control4, you have unprecedented access to all of the features that can make your home theater experience unforgettable. Read on to find out how The Integrated Home can enhance your entertainment space.

Set the Scene for Movie Night

Picture this: you settle down in your home theater ready to watch your favorite movie. Now all you need to do is dim the lights, lower the screen and projector, raise the volume on your surround sound system and start the movie. Now imagine that you can do all of this with the touch of a single button, so all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy your favorite flick. A Control4 system installation makes this possible by giving you the ability to save specific settings for future use. For example, program the lights to dim to a low level, set the volume to level 10, and the shades to lower. Once you create the scene, you can use it again and again using a mobile device like a phone or tablet. In just one touch, you’re ready for the perfect movie night.

Go all the Way with 4K Ultra HD

There are few more pleasant ways to wake up in the morning than with some quiet music playing low as you get out of bed. But with whole house audio throughout your Lake Norman, NC home, you’re morning bliss doesn’t have to end at your bedroom door. The music can follow you down the hallway, into the bathroom as you get ready for your day and into the kitchen as you prepare breakfast for your family. Creating a soundtrack to brighten up your life can make your home more enjoyable, keep the kids happy and provide a unique listening experience in every room of your house. Take a look at the ways whole house audio can enhance your smart home.

Music That Follows you Throughout the House

Imagine this: you’ve planned a dinner for family and friends. As your guests arrive, they’re greeted by the sound of music seemingly coming from the walls of the foyer. As they sit down for dinner, they are immersed in a surround soundscape that is fully audible but not so loud that they have to strain to hear each other. Afterward, the party moves to the dedicated listening room, where they are taken aback by the elegance of your Monitor Audio or Meridian speakers – pieces designed so well they are really more like furniture than perfect sounding pieces of audio equipment. From here the gathering can go on well into the night.

All of this is possible with whole house audio. And by integrating your sound gear with the rest of your smart home controls, you can control more than just the sound. Set the scene with perfect lighting, draw the shades to enjoy your surroundings and adjust the climate as you pick the perfect melody for the occasion with just the touch of a button on your remote, tablet or smartphone.

Continue the Party Outside With Outdoor Audio 

Control4 has been one of our longstanding partners, offering reliable and simple controls to families and individuals who seek high-quality technology. With mobile apps and smart home trends on the rise, Control4 has made some improvements to their systems and also added new products and features to their solutions.

The Integrated Home is excited to announce and explain some of this new technology to you. If you already have a Control4 system in your Charlotte, NC home and want to add some of these new features, or you have been waiting for the right system to come along to get you jump started, you should read on. Here’s a few of the latest innovations from this premier company.

OS 2.7 Software & Climate Control Features

Control4 has designed an elegant new user interface that provides easy and interactive climate control in the home or from miles away. Their “Comfort Control Experience” gives you quick access to all your thermostats’ functions and presets. The presets allow you to save all of your HVAC settings and recall them with one touch, or simply have them take effect automatically on a schedule or when a designated event occurs.

The climate comfort experience is designed to work with leading HVAC systems and includes control of temperature, heat/cool set-points, thermostat mode, fan speed, and humidity levels.

Control4 also now has their own battery-powered and wireless thermostat that has been designed in partnership with Aprilaire. It delivers a consistently comfortable home and features enhanced compatibility for use with more modern HVAC systems that have geothermal, dual fuel, and humidity control systems for increased flexibility and comfort. Additionally, the new wireless thermostat can be powered using AC power or batteries, allowing for maximum installation flexibility.