2026-05-14
When to bring us into a build
The most expensive systems we install are the ones specified after the drywall goes up. A short case for an early phone call.
Journal
Smart Home Planning.
11 notes on smart home planning.
2026-04-02
Lighting scenes that age well
The best lighting programming is written twice: once on handover day, and once after a season of living with it.
2019-04-12
One system, not a drawer full of apps
The difference between a house with smart devices in it and a house that actually works is whether the pieces talk to each other.
2019-03-01
What Lutron actually buys you
Light changes a room more than furniture does. The technical reasons Lutron does it better are worth knowing.
2019-02-27
Distributing video over the network instead of over cable
AV over IP changed how video moves around a house. Here is what it means in practice.
2019-02-18
Smart devices are not the same thing as a smart home
Thermostats, doorbells and locks that each work perfectly, separately, are not a system.
2019-05-31
Where a DIY smart home runs out of road
Off-the-shelf devices are easy to buy and easy to install. The trouble starts at about the fifth one.
2019-07-10
The case for one app: and when it isn't the answer
Consolidating everything into one interface is usually right. Here is the honest version of when it isn't.
2019-12-23
Bringing an existing hi-fi into a Sonos system
Port or Amp, how to keep the amplifier and speakers you already own and still have music everywhere.
2019-09-04
Music in every room, and different music in each
Multi-room audio is less about volume than about the house doing several things at once.
2019-09-12
Why we specify Lutron for motorized shades
Hembar alignment, genuinely silent motors, and 1,500 fabrics, the specifics behind the recommendation.
Start a project
Tell us about the space. We'll come out and give you a straightforward plan.
The consultation is complimentary and it starts with a walkthrough or a set of drawings. You will leave it knowing what is realistic in your house, what it costs, and what can wait until phase two.