It’s been an extremely impressive year for project stories on CE Pro, so much so that we’ve seen a significant increase in reader interest in these stories. After all, what’s cooler than taking a peek at what fellow integrators have designed in a light-but-educational way?
The only difficult part is deciding which story to read and what pictures to gawk at, so we’ve decided to round up our favorite AV install stories and give them a little more time in the spotlight.
Top 8 AV Install Stories of 2019
#1: Home of the Year: This Massive Villa Features a Fully-Automated Observatory and Much More
How many integrators out there have been asked to upgrade and automate a home observatory? The desire to see how an AV pro would go about tackling this project made it CE Pro‘s top-performing project story of the year. Not only is it a cool concept for an install, but the pros over at Service Tech Audio Visual did an absolutely crack-up job, and making sure to take tons of high quality photos along the way.
#2: Star Wars and Star Trek Fan Builds Dream Home Thanks to California Integrator
While social media blew up over whether this home theater is truly “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” inspired, the goal of the install was to help one sci-fi superfan immerse themself in the style and design of those beloved franchises.
Key features of the install are a catwalk that runs over the pool and leads to a “Star Trekian” dining room table that allows for both an indoor and outdoor dining experience, and even an air-pressurized elevator that “shoots” riders up to the third floor.
#3: $1.5M Joker Home Theater Features Roller Coaster Entrance
Chalk it up to perfect timing, but when we caught wind of this insanely detailed Joker home theater, Joaquin Phoenix’s film of the same name was just being released in U.S theaters. The home theater was designed and constructed by Elite Home Theater Seating CEO Bobby Bala, who has a background in CG animation and film, which he used to its fullest capacity by including an animatronic Harley Quinn, a lifesize Batman and Robin, and even a subterranean roller coaster!
#4: Hidden Theater Opens to Sprawling Las Vegas Vista
One of the most impressive winners of this year’s Best Projects Awards was this hidden home theater designed and installed by Vegas-based integrator Innovative Home Systems. The team’s biggest challenge was figuring out how to hide an oversized glass slider behind a 164-inch projection screen, so Innovative Home Systems worked alongside a contractor to make sure everything was seated properly.
The result? This homeowner can push a few buttons and go from admiring the city skyline to catching up on “The Mandalorian” in no time.
#5: That Sick Motorized Shading Job that Broke the Internet*
It is not often that an AV industry video gets over 70,000 views, but this amazing motorized shade install broke the mold and wowed integrators across the world on LinkedIn. What makes it so special? Well, the install involves three triangular/trapezoidal panels moving in different directions across a bank of architectural windows. No small feat!
CE Pro’s founding editor Julie Jacobson wanted to know more, so she got in contact with integrator DEL Motorized Solutions to help shed some light on the company that made the magic happen, as well as get more details on the project in general.
#6: 15-Zone Wireless Audio System Too Much for DIY
There’s a common misconception among consumers that wireless systems are simple to set up and install. One Chicago homeowner learned this the hard way and finally decided to call in Orbis Solutions, an Ill.-based integrator, to help install over 30 speakers in a way that left their home’s decor unmarred by the wires and designs of some modern audio equipment.
#7: 27 Speakers, 0 Subwoofers Resolve Home’s Outdoor Audio Challenges
How do you effectively cover a 15,000 square-foot home plus over two acres of outdoor space with high-end audio? And even more difficult: How do you accomplish this when there are no walls, trees, or bushes to help contain the sound?
NYC-based integration company All The Technology You Want or Need opted to involve a landscape architect to help design proper pathways and conduits for Wirepath direct burial wires. This, combined with high quality audio products from companies like Episode and Crown provided exactly what the discerning homeowner was looking for.
#8: Neat-O: Using Motorized Shades in Closets
When faced with an oddly-shaped walk-in closet, Canadian integration company Versafel Systems & Integration got creative and decided to use an array of QMotion motorized shades to help remedy the homeowner’s inability to outfit the space with doors. Versafel then worked with framing and drywall teams to make sure the shades could be used in a reverse roll fashion, allowing the fabric to face towards the room. Brilliant stuff!
