Every year, the CE Pro Home of the Year awards showcase the pinnacle of custom installation. These projects represent the cutting edge of residential technology, design, and integration. While each home is unique, an analysis of the winning projects reveals distinct trends in the brands that top integrators trust to deliver exceptional experiences. By looking at the equipment lists from this year’s winners, we can see which manufacturers are leading the charge across key categories.
It is important to note that this analysis is based on the brands mentioned in the project writeups by editors and contributors. It may not capture every single piece of equipment used, but it provides a strong snapshot of the most popular and trusted names in the custom integration industry today. These are the brands that the best in the business rely on to build award-winning smart homes.
Top 5 Most-Used Brands Among Home of the Year Award Winners
Across all categories, from audio and video to control and networking, a few key players appeared more frequently than any others. These brands have built a reputation for reliability, performance, and strong integrator support, making them go-to choices for a wide range of applications.
- Lutron: Unsurprisingly, Lutron continues its reign as a dominant force in lighting and shading control. Its consistent presence in nearly every major project highlights the industry’s trust in its robust systems and elegant interfaces.
- Control4: As a comprehensive smart home control platform, Control4 remains a favorite for integrators. Its versatility allows it to manage everything from entertainment and lighting to security and climate, making it a central nervous system for many award-winning homes.
- Samsung: In the video category, Samsung stands out. Its displays, from high-performance residential TVs to large-format options like The Wall, are a common choice for media rooms, living areas, and even dedicated home cinemas.
- Sony: Close behind Samsung, Sony continues to be a powerhouse in video. Known for its premium projectors and displays, Sony’s commitment to image quality makes it a top selection for discerning clients and high-end theater builds.
- Origin Acoustics: This brand’s strong showing demonstrates the importance of architectural audio. Origin Acoustics has become a go-to for integrators seeking high-quality, discreet sound solutions that blend seamlessly into a home’s design.
A Deeper Dive into Product Categories and Trends
The Top Dogs of Audio
Audio and video are the heart of home entertainment, and this year’s winners used a diverse mix of brands to create immersive experiences. Beyond the top players, several other names consistently appeared in high-performance media rooms and home theaters.
When it comes to creating incredible soundscapes, integrators turn to a select group of trusted brands. For architectural speakers, Sonance and Stealth Acoustics were popular choices alongside Origin Acoustics, providing discrete, high-fidelity sound. In dedicated theaters and listening rooms, brands like JL Audio, Triad, and Bowers & Wilkins were frequently used for their powerful subwoofers and reference-quality loudspeakers. The data also shows a strong presence from amplifier and processor manufacturers like AudioControl and Trinnov, which are essential for powering and calibrating these complex audio systems.
Dominant Video Selections
While Samsung and Sony led the pack, other brands played critical roles in delivering stunning visuals. For projection, JVC remains a favorite for its cinematic image quality. On the screen side, Screen Innovations and Seymour Screen Excellence were frequently paired with these high-end projectors. For managing and distributing pristine 4K video signals, Kaleidescape continues to be the benchmark for high-fidelity movie servers, and AVPro Edge solutions were often used for reliable signal transmission.
Control and Automation Favorites
Beyond the main platforms of Control4 and Crestron, voice control is becoming a standard feature. Josh.ai appeared in numerous projects as the preferred solution for natural language processing and privacy-focused smart home control. This indicates a move toward more intuitive and human-centric ways of interacting with home technology.
Networking and Power (Players)
Integrators understand that a reliable network is non-negotiable. Araknis and Wattbox, both ADI | Snap One brands, were frequently mentioned for networking hardware and power conditioning, respectively. This highlights the value of an integrated ecosystem for setup and remote management. We also saw specialized brands like Pakedge and Access Networks used in larger, more complex installations that demand uncompromising performance and security.
Emerging Forces and Niche Categories
The analysis also reveals brands that are gaining traction or dominate specific niches. In the world of high-end, dedicated theaters, names like Wisdom Audio and Ascendo Audio are chosen for their uncompromising performance in immersive audio formats.
For outdoor technology, a category growing in popularity, Coastal Source was a notable brand for both audio and lighting solutions, proving that homeowners want durable, high-performance tech for their exterior spaces. For security and surveillance, brands like Luma Surveillance and IC Realtime were common choices, showing the importance of integrating safety features into the smart home ecosystem.
Final Thoughts
One trend that got picked up during this year’s Home of the Year awards is something we’ve been hearing for quite some time: and that is how important enterprise-grade solutions have become for maintaining bigger projects. Networking has always been an important category, but the analysis also found that enterprise-grade control systems and power management solutions played a significant role in supporting all of the main categories listed above.
Ultimately, the brand choices in the CE Pro Home of the Year awards tell a story of quality, reliability, and partnership. The top integrators in the country select equipment not just for its performance, but for the support and consistency that manufacturers provide. This data offers a valuable glimpse into the solutions that are currently defining the state of the art in custom home technology.
