For anyone who dabbles in selling a lifestyle upgrade like a fancy AV system or all-encompassing smart home controls, a showroom is an absolute must. After all, how are you going to be able to sell people an experience if they can’t see it or touch it, especially if normally, that experience would center around kitting out their entire home in AV and home automation technology? Seems a bit overkill for an integrator to lug around a portable smart home system to every project.
It’s so important we have a category open each year in the CE Pro Home of the Year Awards (which submissions are open for right now) dedicated for the Best Showroom.
From an entirely custom built smart home replete with voice control and hydroponic rooftop gardening, to an extensive lighting showroom that blends together the realms of home technology and design, we’re digging back through the CE Pro Project Archives to look at all the innovative ways integrators have found to highlight the raw potential of what it is they do best.
If you’re interested in checking out any other projects from the CE Pro Project Archives, be sure to look at our more recent articles that feature motorized shades built for stunning coastal properties and home theater systems.
The Experience Lab, Boston, Massachusetts, TSP Smart Space
When creating the Experience Lab, Michael Oh, president of TSP Smart Spaces knew the company had to move away from the traditional product-focused showroom, and instead needed to focus on creating an immersive, real-world demo space that would be able to capture the smart home experience for its high-end clientele visiting.
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Read more about The Experience Lab.
Customer Experience Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, Pavion (formerly CTSI)
Pavion, (formerly CTSI) the U.S.-based integrator of fire, security, critical communications and audiovisual technology solutions, opened its new regional office in Raleigh, N.C. with the goal being to establish a space for the company to showcase its cutting-edge technology solutions whilst providing an updated working environment for its employees.
Read more about Pavion’s Customer Experience Center.
System 7 Experience Center, Boston, Massachusetts, System 7
Rather than flashy, large microLED screens and shoving other smart home technology in the face of visitors, the System 7 Experience Center isn’t about excess and superficial displays. Instead, the company’s showroom takes a subtle, yet immersive approach to showcase luxury smart home and entertainment solutions.
Read more about the System 7 Experience Center.
Gramophone Experience Center, Timonium, Maryland, Gramophone
Coming together in a grand display, the Gramophone Experience Center combines the expertise of Gramophone’s in-house design, build, lighting, and electrical teams to bring together what it calls “the best of the best” to create a truly luxurious showroom experience for visitors looking to learn more about the wild potential of smart home living.
Read more about the Gramophone Experience Center.
ConferLuxe Showroom, West Palm Beach, Florida, ETC Florida
ETC Florida’s ConferLuxe Showroom in West Palm Beach, Florida serves as a way for the company to highlight its capabilities in audio, video and conferencing solutions, while also showing off its smart home offerings from Control4, Lutron, Origin Acoustics, Salamander Designs, Sony, Samsung, Leon Speakers, Stealth Acoustics and Biamp.
Read more about the ConferLuxe Showroom.
SoundVision Showroom, Mooresville, North Carolina, SoundVision, LLC.
SoundVision LLC.’s 3,150-square-foot technology showroom was designed to cleanly represent the same smart home experience SoundVision seeks to create in each home they visit. For Mark DiPietro, this meant featuring enterprise-grade networking solutions, Wi-Fi connected control system, remotes, TVs, lighting, surveillance cameras, doorbells, window shades and other smart home solutions throughout the demo space.
Read more about the SoundVision Showroom.
19th Hole on Main, Vancouver Washington, Current Home Technologies
Amid the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, golf was among the early activities OK’d in many areas, and, while many custom integrators dealt with local and state mandates impacting indoor activities, Tony Curtis, Current Home Technologies, started to see his pre-pandemic investment into making his showroom a hackers’ haven (or a low handicappers’ haven, for some) pay off.
Read more about 19th Hole on Main.
New Home Technology Center, Los Gatos, California, cyberManor
For the ambitious construction of this showroom meets show home, cyberManor collaborated with several trades, while providing the smart home system designs and integration, of course. Project partners included architect Kohlsaat and Associates; builder Lundgren Construction; interior designer Celia Boutell of Lydia Lyons Designs; plumbing work by Santos Plumbing; and HVAC installation by Residential Heating and Cooling.
Read more about the New Home Technology Center.
Mozaic Showroom, Madison Alabama, Mozaic Smart Technology Design
When it comes to design, Mozaic Audio Video Integration’s mission is to make “Technology Beautifully Simple,” which is the central theme in all aspects of its design of the renovated smart home showroom. CEO Michael Johnson notes that the mantra not only applies to the showroom but also to the business as a whole, especially now that the showroom more easily aligns with the company’s stated mission.
Read more about the Mozaic Showroom.
Ovation Retail Showroom, Carmel, Indiana, Ovation
The Ovation retail space, owned by Bob Poynter in the suburbs of Indianapolis, utilizes a clear line of sight from front to back with an enclosed A/B switching room on one side, an ultra-high performance listening room on the other side, and an enclosed Atmos BTS theater room in the back.
The rest of the open floor space is populated with multiple discreet seating areas showcasing standalone audio systems each set up against a low half wall, a stunning video wall that can be seen from all angles within the store, and various home theater systems, all accessible on the main floor.
Read more about Ovation’s Retail Showroom.
Relationship Center, Dallas, Texas, Devance Electronic Lifestyle
When Matt and Dana DeVance set out to build a new smart home showroom and offices that were twice the size of DeVance Electronic Lifestyle’s previous digs, they were determined that the space would be something more than demo rooms or a mecca for great design.
Matt’s vision was to build a destination that transcends brief experiences to create lasting relationships and further entrench this innovative integrator into the community of Carrollton, Texas, about 20 minutes north of Dallas.
Read more about the Relationship Center.
Sensory Dispensary Showroom, Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape, Africa, Sensory Dispensary
Sensory Dispensary‘s new showroom, which is in a residential property, provides the integrator with a space to invite customers, providing them with the opportunity to immerse themselves in what can be achieved in their own homes. Because the showroom is based in a house, the installation had to be as discreet as possible and fit into the existing design and décor, according to the company.
Read more about the Sensory Dispensary Showroom.
Consexto Showroom, Porto, Portugal, Consexto
The impetus for the creation of Portugal-based Consexto’s show-stopping smart home showroom was to demonstrate how big screens can integrate seamlessly with the design of any room. Consider it mission accomplished, as the results have impressed potential customers and trade partners alike.
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