• CEPro_logo_blue-new
  • TOPICS
      • News
        • People & Places
        • Product Briefs
      • Projects
      • Events
      • Control
        • Central Vac
        • Energy/Power
        • HVAC/IAQ
        • Interfaces/Devices
        • Lighting
        • Motorized Shades
        • Whole House Systems
      • Audio/Video
        • Audio/Video
        • AV Accessories
        • AV Racks
        • Cabling
        • Displays
        • Furniture
        • Headphones
        • Home Theater
        • Media
        • Mounts/Lifts
        • Multiroom AV
        • Projectors/Screens
        • Speakers/Subwoofers
        • Wireless AV
      • Security
        • Access Control
        • Alarms/Sensors
        • Services/Platforms
        • Surveillance/Cameras
      • Business Support
        • Associations/Buying Groups
        • Cell Phone Boosters
        • Distributors/Reps
        • Operations
        • Recurring Revenue
        • Research
        • Sales/Marketing
        • Software Services
        • Tools/Testers
      • Networking
        • Cellular
        • Devices/Equipment
        • Wireless
        • Wired/Installation
      • Markets
        • Builders
        • Commercial
        • Design
        • Europe
        • Outdoors
        • Resimercial
        • Wellness
      • CE Pro Hub Pages
        • Bose
        • Savant
        • Inside Sound United
  • PRODUCTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Reports/Downloads
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Webcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Integrator Jobs
    • Digital Edition
    • CE Pro-iQ
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • CEDIA SHOW UPDATES
    • CEPRO PRINT EDITION
    • CEPRO DIGITAL EDITION
    • CEPRO NEWSLETTERS
  • DISCOVER
    • CEDIA Expo
      • September 29 – October 1
        Dallas, TX
      • VISIT SITE
    • KBIS
      • February 8 – 10
        Orlando, FL
      • VISIT SITE
    • Total Tech Summit
      • October 26 – 28
        Orlando, FL
      • VISIT SITE
    • Commercial Integrator
      • VISIT SITE
    • Security Sales
      • VISIT SITE
    • Tech Decisions
      • VISIT SITE
    • Campus Safety
      • VISIT SITE
    • Design Well
      • VISIT SITE
    • KBB Online
      • VISIT SITE
    • AV-iQ
      • VISIT SITE
    • CE Pro-iQ
      • VISIT SITE
  • Search
  • TOPICS
    • News
      • People & Places
      • Product Briefs
    • Projects
    • Events
    • Control
      • Central Vac
      • Energy/Power
      • HVAC/IAQ
      • Interfaces/Devices
      • Lighting
      • Motorized Shades
      • Whole House Systems
    • Audio/Video
      • Audio/Video
      • AV Accessories
      • AV Racks
      • Cabling
      • Displays
      • Furniture
      • Headphones
      • Home Theater
      • Media
      • Mounts/Lifts
      • Multiroom AV
      • Projectors/Screens
      • Speakers/Subwoofers
      • Wireless AV
    • Security
      • Access Control
      • Alarms/Sensors
      • Services/Platforms
      • Surveillance/Cameras
    • Business Support
      • Associations/Buying Groups
      • Cell Phone Boosters
      • Distributors/Reps
      • Operations
      • Recurring Revenue
      • Research
      • Sales/Marketing
      • Software Services
      • Tools/Testers
    • Networking
      • Cellular
      • Devices/Equipment
      • Wireless
      • Wired/Installation
    • Markets
      • Builders
      • Commercial
      • Design
      • Europe
      • Outdoors
      • Resimercial
      • Wellness
    • CE Pro Hub Pages
      • Savant
      • Bose
      • Inside Sound United
  • PRODUCTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Reports/Downloads
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Webcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Integrator Jobs
    • Digital Edition
    • CE Pro-IQ
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • CEPRO PRINT EDITION
    • CEPRO DIGITAL EDITION
    • CEPRO NEWSLETTERS
    • CEDIA SHOW UPDATES
  • DISCOVER
    • Cedia Expo
      VISIT SITE
    • Commercial Integrator
      VISIT SITE
    • Security Sales
      VISIT SITE
    • Tech Decisions
      VISIT SITE
    • Campus Safety
      VISIT SITE
    • Design Well
      VISIT SITE
    • Total Tech Summit
      VISIT SITE
    • KBB Online
      VISIT SITE
    • AV-iQ
    • CE Pro-iQ
M
POPULAR SEARCHES
News
Projects
Control
Audio Video
Security
Business Support
Markets
SUBSCRIBE CEDIA EXPO CEPro-iQ
Builders | Control | Markets | Projects | Slideshow | Whole-House Systems
January 18, 2021

Connecticut Home Builder Adds Full Suite of Smart Home Tech to Complement a Unique Design Aesthetic

Homebuilding company Greyrock Homes was tasked with adding a full array of smart home products to a property without detracting from the carefully curated décor.
CE Pro Editors  
Article:
Builders | Control | Markets | Projects | Slideshow | Whole-House Systems
January 18, 2021

Connecticut Home Builder Adds Full Suite of Smart Home Tech to Complement a Unique Design Aesthetic

Connecticut-based homebuilding company Greyrock Homes are always on the hunt for the next great technology to offer customers during home construction. Jerry Effren, principal at Greyrock, has lived in several of his company’s custom homes over the last four decades so that he’s able to physically experience the various trends that take shape as technological advancements are made.

In his latest residence, Effren decided it was time to build and live in a truly 21st century home with a powerfully simple smart home system.

“I always strive to incorporate the latest products into my homes to make them exciting and differentiate them from the competition,” says Effren. “For new homebuyers today, many of whom are extremely tech-savvy, the incorporation of home automation is absolutely essential.” 

Control4 System Helps Make Hosting Parties Easier

To put the latest technologies to the test, Effren hired the experts at Stratatech, a custom AV integration and IT services company, to outfit the new home with a Control4 system that automates lighting, multi-room audio and video, motorized window shades and blinds, surveillance cameras and specialized multi-system programming that makes daily life simpler and more enjoyable.

According to Joseph Re, Stratatech’s Director of Smart Home Solutions, it was crucial to deliver an easy-to-use solution that maintained the home’s design aesthetic.

Cast Your Vote for the 2023 CE Pro Quest for Quality Awards!

CE Pro urges integrators to recognize their suppliers that go above and beyond to deliver premium support and service. Cast your vote today to recognize the services (not the products) from your favorite manufacturers and distributors.

Cast your vote today!

“Our main priority in his new home was designing a system that’s so easy to use, and so seamlessly blended in with the decor, that they don’t even have to think about it,” says Re. “To do so, we chose the Control4 system and natively compatible sister products including Episode speakers, Triad audio distribution, Araknis networking equipment and Luma surveillance cameras. In a fairly complex industry, with so many options available for integrators, it is amazing to have a resource like SnapAV to turn to for pretty much every possible situation. Ease of use, excellent pricing and top quality gear make it our #1 go-to distributor.”

Re noted that the family often hosts family gatherings and guests, so the ability to quickly change the lighting, music or TV in any room became a major benefit for Effren. By integrating Triad audio distribution and Episode in-wall and in-ceiling speakers with the Control4 system, they can use their mobile devices or any of the home’s four Control4 Neeo TV remotes to instantly change the music source or volume in any connected room.

The interface ties in with the video distribution system, which includes a 5.1 Episode surround system in the great room media center, and an outdoor entertainment area featuring a 55-inch SunbriteTV display and Episode outdoor speakers.

Aesthetically-Minded Homeowners Insist Tech Stays Hidden

Aesthetics were also a major concern, with the owners requesting as little visible intrusion as possible from electronic equipment and wires. Not only was Stratatech able to centrally locate all of the cable boxes, media players, networking equipment and other gear in a Strong equipment rack in the utility room, but the use of Control4 also allowed them to eliminate large banks of traditional light switches in favor of single panels that control many lights and can be custom programmed.

“When they saw the effect of the consolidated lighting keypads, they loved it,” says Re. “The home uses a very open design with long sightlines, and they didn’t want big floorstanding speakers or other boxy electronics cluttering the view. To meet their needs, we used the latest in-ceiling and in-wall speakers and subwoofers from Episode to provide excellent audio without affecting the aesthetics.”

Security was another key concern, so Stratatech programmed specialized event maps that automatically turn on specific outdoor lights if the motion-activated cameras are activated after dark. The two security cameras record to a Luma NVR and can be viewed either in real-time or after the fact through mobile devices, the Neeo remotes or a wall-mounted 7-inch touch panel in the kitchen.

By placing TVs in “floating” positions with flush-mounted flatpanels, integrators were able to add technology to areas without detracting from the home’s carefully selected décor.

“The other thing that always excites new users of home automation is the advanced, multi-system functions or timed automations we can implement,” Re added. “So far, this home features two specialized functions. In the master bedroom, the motorized blinds automatically open at 7 AM on weekdays only, and there is a switch that turns off all the lights, TVs and speaker systems at the same time. They seem like simple things, but consolidated automation makes normal activities so much easier and faster that a common reaction from users is ‘I’ll never go back to the old way of doing it’.”

To guarantee that the 4K video signals reach all four TVs with maximum quality, Stratatech installed four Binary 4K HDBaseT extenders. An 8-source, 8-zone Triad matrix switch and 8-zone, 16-channel Triad amplifier power the multi-room audio system and create room for future expansion.

When asked about his newfound respect for home automation technology, Jerry Effren thought of his business and future projects, explaining that “It adds safety, energy efficiency, convenience, and a ‘WOW’ factor to your living experience. It’s exciting to be able to wake up and hit a single button that makes blackout shades rise, the pool cover open, the lawn sprinklers activate, the audio system plays light jazz throughout the house and the thermostats automatically adjust, all before you get out of bed.”

Since completing this project in the summer of 2020, Greyrock Homes has already contracted with Stratatech to implement similar Control4 smart home systems in two additional custom homes. “It’s a specialized, ever-expanding field, and Stratatech has the experience and depth in the personnel within the company to deliver on our expectations,” Effren said.

ARTICLE TOPICS

Builders • Control • Markets • Projects • Slideshow • Whole-House Systems

ARTICLE TAGS

Binary • Control4 • Episode Speakers • Luma • Neeo • SunBriteTV • Triad Speakers

SHARE

Share On Facebook
Share On Twitter
Share On Linkedin
Share On Whatsapp
Share Via Email
Copy URL
← Previous Article Next Article →
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAV AccessoriesCablingControlDevices/EquipmentDisplaysEnergy/PowerEventsHome TheaterHVAC/IAQInterfaces/DevicesISELightingMotorized ShadesMultiroom AVNetworkingNewsProductsProjectors/ScreensResimercialSlideshowSpeakers/SubwoofersWhole-House SystemsWireless

2023 Top New Technology (TNT) Awards Announced at ISE

This year’s batch of Top New Technologies (TNT) Awards@ISE honored winners in the Residential segment, unveiled in conjunction with ISE 2023.
Article ControlInterfaces/DevicesNetworkingWhole-House SystemsWireless

Beyond Matter: The Past, Present and Future of Home Standards

Dave Kaufman reflects on the potential standards have to benefit consumers, professionals and the smart home industry at large.
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAV AccessoriesCablingControlDevices/EquipmentDisplaysEnergy/PowerEventsHome TheaterHVAC/IAQInterfaces/DevicesISELightingMotorized ShadesMultiroom AVNetworkingNewsProductsProjectors/ScreensResimercialSlideshowSpeakers/SubwoofersWhole-House SystemsWireless

2023 Top New Technology (TNT) Awards Announced at ISE

This year’s batch of Top New Technologies (TNT) Awards@ISE honored winners in the Residential segment, unveiled in conjunction with ISE 2023.
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAudio/VideoDistributors/RepsHome TheaterMediaMultiroom AVProductsSpeakers/SubwoofersWhole-House SystemsWireless AV

I Previewed the New 8K Sony ES Receiver Lineup (and Was Blown Away)

The latest models of Sony's professional grade receiver line offer range, versatility, and most importantly to installers, simplicity.

SHOW NEWSLETTER

Sign Up

CE Pro

Subscribe Sign Up

Content Types

News
Products
Projects
Companies
Downloads
Webcasts
Podcasts
Events

Specials

IntegratorJobs
CEDIA EXPO
CE Pro 100
CE Pro Summit
Awards Programs

Company Info

About
Contact Us
Customer Service
Media Solutions & Advertising

Subscribe

Magazine
Newsletters
Digital Edition

Connect

Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
RSS Feed

Categories

AUDIO/VIDEO
AV Accessories
AV Racks
Amplifiers/Receivers
Cabling
Displays
Furniture
Mounts/Lifts
Multiroom AV
Projector Screens
Speakers/Subwoofers
Wireless AV
CONTROL
Central Vac
Energy/Power
Interfaces/Devices
HVAC/IAQ
Lighting
Motorized Shades
Whole-House Systems
NETWORKING
Cellular
Devices/Equipment
Wireless
Wiring/Installation
SECURITY
Access Control
Alarms/Sensors
Services/Platforms
Surveillance Cameras
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Associations/Buying Groups
Distributors/Reps
Operations
Recurring Revenue
Research
Sales/Marketing
Software/Services
Tools/Testers
MARKETS
Builders
Commercial
Design
Europe
Outdoors
Wellness
FOLLOW US ON
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow

© 2023 Emerald X, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

  • ABOUT
  • CAREERS
  • TERMS OF USE
  • PRIVACY POLICY

McIntosh Labs

McIntosh Labs