Home of the Year Project Profile
- Name & Location: Lakeview Summit, Rancho Santa Fe, California
- Integrator: Audio Impact, San Diego, California
- Award: 2026 Home of the Year, Best Health & Wellness Project, Gold
Set on 2.37 acres overlooking a private lake in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., this historic estate was completely rebuilt over three years into a modern wellness retreat. Originally built in 1928 by a prominent figure from early Hollywood, the current owners reached out to Audio Impact with the vision of creating an open, technology-free-feeling oasis.
Maintaining consistency in human-centric lighting
Located in Fairbanks Ranch, the project underwent stringent architectural reviews with permitting requirements limiting structural modifications. This affected the project in the most in the lighting, preventing the addition of conventional wellness lighting fixtures.
Audio Impact instead used 90 retrofit downlights that could be installed within existing ceiling openings while providing tunable light designed to support the home’s circadian lighting strategy. Thirty-two additional fixtures were dedicated to art lighting.
Most of the work went into ensuring the consistency of the system, however. Third-party sconces and tape lighting had to be carefully matched for color temperature and dimming behavior. The goal was to prevent shifts in color or brightness from making individual rooms feel visually disconnected or overstimulating.
Concealed shades preserve the lake views
Achieving complete concealment of the motorized shade cassettes within the sliding-door frames, required custom on-site fabrication and close coordination with the door manufacturer.
The shades automatically manage heat, glare and privacy throughout the day without requiring the homeowner to adjust them manually. A custom interlock also prevents the automated entry doors from opening until the associated shades have been confirmed fully raised.
The logic protects the door and shading systems from operating in conflict while keeping the interaction invisible to the homeowner. In this way, the installation helps preserve both the clean appearance of the openings and unobstructed views of the lake.
Creating a ‘technology-free-feeling’ wellness oasis
The finished residence is built around the idea that a wellness-focused smart home should demand as little attention as possible. Lighting adjusts to support the home’s daily rhythm, shades respond to changing environmental conditions, and safety functions operate automatically in the background.
Equipment list:
- Audio
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- Sonos Streaming Audio & Amplification
- James Loudspeaker Loudspeakers & Subwoofers
- Origin Acoustics Loudspeakers
- Sonance Loudspeakers & Audio Systems
- Episode Audio Amplification
- Onkyo AV Receivers
- Video
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- Samsung Displays
- SunBriteTV Outdoor Displays
- Strong TV Mounts
- Sanus TV Mounts
- AVPro Edge Video Distribution & Extenders
- Control
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- Crestron Control Systems & Processors
- Crestron Touchscreens, Keypads & Remotes
- Crestron Lighting Control
- Crestron Relay & I/O Modules
- Crestron Thermostats & Climate Control
- HouseLogix Garage Door Integration
- Snap One / Snap AV Control & Integration
- Networking
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- Araknis Networks Networking & Switching
- Ruckus Wireless Networking
- Vertical Cable Network Cabling & Connectivity
- NUC Computing
- Security
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- 2N Intercom & Access Control
- Luma Surveillance Cameras & Recording
- Steel Cut Designs Custom Security Camera Housings
- Power Management
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- WattBox Power Management & UPS
- Strong Equipment Racks & Rack Accessories
- Snap AV Rack Accessories
- Lighting
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- Crestron Lighting Dimmers, Switches & Control
- Crestron Architectural Lighting Keypads
- Crestron Engraved Keypads & Buttons
This project is part of our coverage for the 2026 CE Pro Home of the Year Awards. Presented annually at CEDIA Expo alongside the BEST Product Awards, the Home of the Year Awards represent the best of the best smart home innovations within the CEDIA channel. Check to see when the next submission window is open in case you have a project you would like to submit and don’t want to miss your opportunity.
