Custom integrators perform all sorts of technology tasks for homeowner clients, but ultimately, their main goal is to help turn their dreams into reality. That’s exactly what Clearwater, Florida-based Integral Home Technology did for a couple who not only had big aspirations for their new home, but enlisted the HGTV 100 Day Dream Home team to achieve them.
While the TV show presence may have upped the ante on their contribution to Eli and Luis’ dreams, Integral literally set the stage for one of the most important features of the couple’s new construction build.
Making Music to HGTV Dream Home Hosts’ Ears
As highlighted in the episode, Eli and Luis spend precious time dancing salsa, cha-cha, and other moves together, often in the kitchen while preparing big meals for family and guests.
Entertaining is a passion for them, so not only was it a beautiful and functional kitchen the major request when outlining their must-haves to the HGTV Dream Home hosts Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt (construction manager and designer, respectively), but the backyard was also a priority because that’s where bands play music while people mingle, eat, and dance the night away.
It’s part of why Eli and Luis purchased a quiet 1.1-acre property in suburban Tampa. With fewer family members living under their roof, they wished to downsize from their existing 4,500-square-foot house to one roughly half the size but with focus on those two key areas. They also wanted to get away from a congested neighborhood in which houses were too close together for the couple to really crank up the music outdoors.
Enter HTA-certified Integral, which Executive Producer Stephanie Kanner found online thanks to their high SEO ranking that the company earned with the expert assistance of digital marketing agency RISE Media Strategy.
“I received a call from Stephanie as she Googled ‘outdoor speakers Tampa’ and through Krissy’s SEO work we are #1 in that search category,” Integral Owner Melanie Niemerg says, referring to RISE CEO Krissy Rushing Tomlin.
Meanwhile, Brian Kleinschmidt collaborated with builder Walter Rabb on a backyard deck design, unbeknownst to Eli and Luis, that incorporated an elevated stage platform for bands to perform during parties. Of course, high-performance outdoor audio was essential to keep the dance moves going as well as proper lighting that could illuminate the space and add a dramatic backdrop.
Integral Enlists Outdoor Specialists for Lighting & Audio Install
“When I started to discuss the project and best solution for the home, we immediately proposed Coastal Source because putting the right solution in from the get-go for outdoor lighting and audio is a must when it comes to enjoying the Florida outdoor spaces,” notes Integral’s Spencer Heckman. “The weather and environment can be brutal and so to avoid issues down the road we always spec Coastal Source.”
Heckman, who served as project manager and as the face of Integral for TV, says he worked on the design process directly with Kanner to bring the HGTV hosts’ vision to life—and the owners’ dream home a reality.
During the roughly eight timeline between that original Google search and system installation completion, Integral took advantage of Coastal Source’s outdoor lighting demo kit and its in-house design team.
“We have had a great working relationship with Coastal Source since we became dealers for them a handful of years ago—reaching their platinum tier in 2023—and so our typical process for engineering a CS solution is to first walk the space, lay it all out in a video walk through, put it on paper, and then create an estimate via the CS dealer portal,” Heckman explains.
“I sent this off to the Coastal Team for review and they signed off on the solution as a great showcase for the project.”
‘Everything Is Lit!’
The resulting audio system incorporated a pair of Coastal Source’s powerful 10.0.3 Bollard speakers driven by one of their outdoor amplifiers. For lighting, Integral used a mix of MR16, MR11 and Niche fixtures for illuminating the canopy and the yard’s large oak trees. The complementary products served to light the stage and deliver visual appeal by downlighting and uplighting the trees.
“What’s nice about the speakers is that they have subwoofers built into them, so they’re going to both be really rich with the vocal range but also you’re going to hear that kick drum,” Kleinschmidt says during the episode, prior to the reveal. “It’s gonna be like a concert out here. We uplit the trees, the dance floor, the stage—everything is lit, in every sense of the word!”
Eli and Luis reacted as enthusiastically as the 100 Day Dream Home hosts, excitedly anticipating their first backyard dance party at the new digs. For Integral, the project created just as much joy—and likely future high-profile jobs.
“In presenting my company to a local chamber of commerce, this was very impressive to people as many watch HGTV and like the personalities on there,” Niemerg reports, “so the familiarity and being a national show carried some weight and legitimacy.”
Heckman agrees, adding that it epitomizes the wide-ranging work that the full-service integration firm delivers on a regular basis.
“Over the past 10 years doing luxury residential in the Tampa Bay area, we’ve worked on a number of unique and exciting projects, each carrying their own value. The great thing is that no two jobs are the same, so the opportunities and future value of each opportunity are hard to determine beforehand,” he says. “That said, we were excited for our time partnering with HGTV and look forward to whatever jobs this project inspires.”
