Room Ideas & Recommendations

This list will continue to expand. If you have something you think would be interesting that is not on the list, please send it over to us. While this list covers the home technology that we like for each room, it is also important to make sure that the capability for these systems exist. Please give us a call or send an email to get a copy of our prewire guidelines for when you are building or buying you home.

Room by Room Ideas

Front Yard

Doorbell

​The most popular smart home device at the moment is the doorbell camera system that connects with your phone. Our favorites in descending order are the Doorbird, Ring, August and finally the Doorbot.

Door Lock

Expanding from this simple device, we like to add a smart lock that integrates with the doorbell so that you can unlock the door remotely after screening your visitor. The Yale z-wave or zigbee lock (depending on your hub) is our favorite followed by kwikset and schlage.

Lighting

Lighting control on the front yard provides automatic on/off/dimming for sunrise, sunset or other time based events. The lighting on the porch, once integrated with the doorbell, will automatically turn on when a visitor approaches the door by using the motion detection built into the doorbell itself.

Surveillance

Almost all video clips that our clients send to us come from their front yard cameras. Not only is it interesting to see what is happening on the street, but keeping a watchful eye on vehicles and packages has become increasingly necessary.

Security

Wire the outside soffit with motion detectors. These can be used to trigger lights around the house when motion is detected and alert the occupants of people approaching the house.

Foyer

Touch Panel or Keypad

Once you enter the home, it is nice to have full control for disarming security, to executing lighting scenes, to opening shades, to checking cameras around the house. For this reason we like to install a touchpanel in the foyer next to the front door. Our favorite touchpanel involves using the launchport with an iPad.

Room Checklist

Room Checklist:
video
  • display
  • mount
  • source and source location
  • source to display link (cable, balun, tube)
  • display surge protector
audio
  • speaker (in-wall, in-ceiling, on-wall, surface mount, bookshelf, tower, soundbar)
  • subwoofer (in-wall, in-ceiling, standard)
  • amplifier (local amplifier or in a remote location)
  • source and source location
  • cabling
control / interface
  • remote type (handheld, touchscreen, phone, tablet)
  • wall control location (keypad or touchpanel)
  • voice control type and function (amazon echo, google home, apple homepod)
  • hub location
  • control cable from hub to source equipment location
  • control cable from hub to display location
network
  • wifi
  • hardwired connection
  • ethernet switch
power
  • power outlet in the right location
  • surge protection for all components
detection / security
  • motion detector
  • glass break sensor
  • contact sensor (doors or windows)
  • heat sensor
  • smoke detector
  • carbon monoxide sensor
  • water sensor
  • light sensor
  • temperature sensor
  • humidity sensor
comfort
  • lighting (single pole, 3-way)
  • fan control
  • shades