Through the Wardrobe: A Secret Retreat Inspired by Narnia

Home of the Year Project Profile

• Name & Location: Through the Wardrobe, Hardy, Virginia
• Integrator: Fusion Audio + Video, Greenville, South Carolina
• Award: 2026 Home of the Year, Best Strange & Specialty Area , Gold

Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, this custom children’s retreat was designed to be discovered. It turns a beloved story into an immersive family experience with an entrance hidden in plain sight. Matching wardrobes in the children’s bedrooms open to reveal a secret room, and the adventure begins the moment the doors swing wide.

Fusion Audio + Video constructed this unique play area as part of a much larger smart home project done in partnership with Argenta Solutions. The project’s main interior designer helped build the aesthetics of the space while Fusion, through the use of intelligent lighting and control systems, added the necessary “magic.”

Theatrical lighting puts on a show in home’s little Narnia

The room combines DMX-controlled theatrical lighting, traditional Lutron-controlled lighting loads, and the custom star ceiling. The family can start scenes by voice through Josh.ai or with Lutron keypads, while Control4 operates behind the scenes to execute the DMX lighting scenes.

Rather than relying on a single platform, Fusion developed extensive custom backend programming to unify Josh.ai, Lutron, and Control4. That programming allows DMX lighting, conventional loads, and specialty lighting effects to respond as one cohesive experience.

Coordinating multiple subsystems for a magical experience

For Fusion Audio + Video, the real work happened behind the scenes, where multiple lighting technologies and control platforms had to perform as one. Fusion’s solution ensures that complexity never shows.

For the children who step through those wardrobe doors, none of the engineering matters. They simply find stars overhead, light that shifts like a stage coming to life, and a slide waiting to carry them to the next adventure.

A one-of-a-kind space for children to play

In this Narnia-inspired space, storytelling and technology work together to make every trip through the wardrobe feel special. Every detail was considered to preserve the wonder of discovery while ensuring the space remains one the family will enjoy for years to come.

The result is a one-of-a-kind space that reflects the creativity of the client and the entire project team. The space invites reading, imagination, exploration, and play, carrying the family’s children into a magical world of their own.

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.