Coastal Source is taking a larger-than-usual presence at CEDIA Expo, expanding both its indoor booth and its outdoor demonstration area, and the company is partnering with Lutron to create the largest, most in-depth Destination Outdoors yet. As Shay Brummer, Director of Western US & National Partnerships met with CE Pro Senior Editor Nick Boever, he revealed that the larger idea behind the demonstration is the growing relationship between indoor and outdoor design.
In the conversation, Brummer described how designers and integrators are increasingly considering the outdoor environment as an extension of the home’s interior, including how views, lighting and scenes can connect the two spaces.
As described by Brummer, the resulting Destination Outdoors installation will use a 120-foot-long tent and create a walkthrough that moves visitors from an indoor-style living space, through a patio, and into a fully illuminated landscape. The indoor portion will showcase Lutron’s intelligent lighting, shading and window technologies. Visitors will then move through a simulated patio and into a landscape incorporating Coastal Source outdoor audio, VIA lighting and Lutron intelligent lighting.
A major focus of the shwocase will be VIA, which is a new outdoor lighting product developed jointly by Coastal Source and Lutron. The collaboration builds on an earlier partnership involving Coastal Source’s Modulus bullet light and Lutron’s Ketra S30 lamp. VIA uses Lutron’s Ketra and Rania lighting engines, bringing capabilities traditionally associated with indoor Lutron systems outdoors. T
Native Lutron control
The goal, Brummer says is to give homeowners a consistent lighting experience from inside the home through the outdoor landscape. That philosophy sits behind VIA’s native integration with Lutron HomeWorks, which, Brummer explained, is intended to simplify the homeowner experience while also making installation easier for integrators. Rather than having to combine and program multiple systems, dealers can provide a more unified control experience with the reliability of the established Lutron platform.
For Coastal Source dealers, the product also represents an opportunity to expand their lighting business. Brummer said the anticipation surrounding VIA has already generated interest from lighting designers, architects and builders who previously weren’t particularly focused on outdoor lighting.
Coastal Source will use a large-format outdoor video wall at Destination Outdoors to showcase projects from its Design Studio service. Members of the Coastal Source team will be available to explain the design process and demonstrate how the service can support dealers with both indoor and outdoor projects. Brummer described the service as a major asset and said it has already been successful for the company.
Destination Outdoors will be open during show hours on Wednesday and Thursday. Coastal Source and Lutron will also host a Wednesday evening happy hour for CEDIA Expo attendees and Coastal Source dealers. The company is additionally hosting a CE Pro Top 100 event on Tuesday night.
Listen in to the full conversation to learn more and be sure to stop by either booth 2117 or Destination Outdoors while at the show.
