Laundry room - transitional laundry room idea in Chicago

Presenting one of our recent StruXure installation: This one is a beauty. They all are! The louvers are remote controlled, and can be managed by a phone app, so you can control the amount of sun or shade on your outdoor space. It can be closed completely to keep rain off your party, and can even be set to sense rain and/or wind and close automatically. Lights (white or colored), fans, heaters, automated screens and other accessories can be integrated into the StruXure. It's the perfect addition to your outdoor living space.

This living/dining room has amazing floor to ceiling windows that showcase the beautiful backyard. Over 40 feet of Lutron shades are installed within custom panels to protect the artwork and give added privacy to the space. The shades can be adjusted at the press of a button through a wall control or app on the clients phone. Photographer: Ralph Kelley

This living/dining room has amazing floor to ceiling windows that showcase the beautiful backyard. Over 40 feet of Lutron shades are installed within custom panels to protect the artwork and give added privacy to the space. The shades can be adjusted at the press of a button through a wall control or app on the clients phone. Photographer: Ralph Kelley

Stone Farmhouse Sink Material: Crema Marfil Honed Marble Fabricated and installed by Euro Laguna Marble. Profesional Photography by: Brandon Beechler bmbdezines.com

Example of a mid-sized trendy deck design in DC Metro

All of the equipment works seamlessly with the URC TRC-1080 universal remote controller that DTV provided and programmed for the client so that it could perform all of his favorite functions. One of the great features of the easy-to-use TRC-1080 that worked particularly well for this gaming room installation is quick-connect Wi-Fi. DTV wasn‘t done yet. We supplied and installed a complete Lutron Radio RA-2 lighting control system, including Lutron RRD6CL dimmers in the basement. This allows the client to control his all lights from an app on his phone or the TRC-1080 remote control, or by asking Amazon Alexa to do it for him. Additionally, we programmed the system for full “scene” control, so if the client presses “Play Game” on his remote the TV, Sonos audio and gaming system will all turn on, and the lights will dim to 20%. A week after DTV Installations finished the work, the client called – not because of a problem but because he was so thrilled with the URC controller that he wanted two more, for his home theater and his family room. We were delighted to come back and set up the extra controllers, and he was delighted with the work done by DTV Installations.

In order to create an open floor plan and entertainer's dream kitchen Morey Remodeling pushed the front wall of the house out to the existing porch edge to create a larger kitchen area and plenty of room for the new island with cascading waterfall edges and cooktop. New beams were installed between the kitchen and dining room in order to support the roof and ceiling load when walls were removed. We Installed new gray over sized porcelain tile flooring in kitchen area and hardwood to match existing. New cabinets in white high gloss acrylic and exotic walnut finish with satin nickel pulls add a modern, sleek look. A new bar area was created and the stunning Verve Chevron glass tile backsplash is the perfect contrast. The Phillips Hue under-cabinet LED strip lights were installed to enhance the backsplash and can be controlled from an app. The counter tops are Pental Quartz Calacatta, with new single basin Farmhouse Sink and Blanco Meridian Kitchen Faucet in Satin Nickel. All new electrical was updated throughout the home.

Home theater - transitional enclosed carpeted and black floor home theater idea in Los Angeles with black walls and a projector screen

Home office - modern home office idea in New York

A fun, custom and unique creation we designed and constructed which incorporates many facets to your outdoor living experience! With symmetry in mind we still wanted to bring forth a "softness" to this ensemble. Soft arches and curves combined with a balanced layout and symmetrically cut stone. We used one of our favorite types of stone for the facade- an Oklahoma thick flagstone called "Ozark". We installed this in a dry stack pattern for all vertical surfaces other than the sides of the chimney and pizza oven where we used a buff colored mortar to create a shadow joint. A thick Pennsylvania Bluestone was used for the counter top. The intricate "thin flag feather" insets and backsplash is a Tennessee thin flgastone veneer called "Crab Orchard ( gray). This was painstakingly cut and installed piece by piece in a dry stack pattern. Extremely time consuming but gorgeous! The chimney sits app. 12' tall and the pizza oven sits app. 9' tall. Plenty of room in between for the Green Egg, sink, refrigerator, grill and cabinets. Low voltage night lighting was also incorporated into the backsplash as well as surrounding landscape. We also recommend a clean burning wood for pizza ovens. This one is stocked with European White Birch. These photos do not do this project justice, yet due to the season we will be posting better ones come summer time. Copper planters will also be placed on top of the 16" wide backsplash cap. Our company concentrates on presenting our clients with unique, top quality additions to their home and life with the best products and professional artisans. All styles and types of landscape and hardscape designs coupled with quality and service is our goal. 30 years serving the Atlanta and North Atlanta community. Visit us at arnoldmasonryandlandscape.com and contact us!

This article is posted here with the consent of the author. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, view, or opinion of Crestron Electronics, Inc., or of any of its employees. Crestron Electronics is not responsible for, and does not verify the accuracy of, any of the information contained in this article. By Jeff Singer The “smart” revolution began several years ago with smartphones (a.k.a phones) and has extended in recent years to thermostats, doorbells, alarm systems, and kitchen appliances. Smart devices are so ubiquitous that the term “smart” is overused to the point that it is almost meaningless. Companies are eager to jump on the bandwagon and claim their products are “smart,” and consumers proudly claim they have a smart home because they have lighting control. Misconceptions about smart homes are prevalent and create confusion in the marketplace. This can have deleterious effects on businesses and underserve consumers. Here are seven of the most popular misconceptions about smart homes: 1. Apps are smart Apps are convenient and easy to use. Yes, it seems there’s an app for everything. People expect to be able to download an app and do just about anything. App developers and many companies do not disavow consumers of this myth. On the contrary, they promote this idea with carefully worded descriptions. The promise of having the world at your fingertips for $1.99 is very enticing. Although it sounds too good to be true, it is also too good to pass up for many people. This leads to undervaluing home control and disappointment when the apps don’t work, which undermines confidence in our industry. The fact is that apps are not smart. They do not control anything. They must connect to and communicate with a control system or cloud service that processes, prioritizes, and executes commands. That’s the real magic and what most people do not understand. 2. Smart devices work together With so many smart appliances and devices on the market today, it’s understandable that the average consumer might think that they actually communicate and work together. This is simply not the case. Smart devices are not that smart. They are designed and manufactured by different, often competing, companies. There are no national or industry standards governing these products. Even if they all operate using Wi-Fi® communications, that doesn’t mean they work together. Some companies promote a home control platform, which unites different devices from different companies – in theory. The platform is yet another third-party software totally dependent on other companies developing APIs and writing control modules for their hardware to run on that piece of software. The devices are not independently compatible. Also, when updates are made to either the hardware or the software, functionality may be affected for some period. That’s a nice way of saying the device or system won’t work and there’s no way of knowing for how long. 3. It’s a DIY project Which brings us to the next myth, which is that the average person can do it themselves. Unless you are a skilled professional, I would not advise taking on a smart home project. You want to make a light turn on and off with your Alexa® or Google Assistant™ virtual assistant software, go for it. A smart home takes much more planning and expertise. I have no problem changing a light bulb or hanging a light fixture in my dining room; however, I am not going to rewire my house. I may change the flush valve in my toilet, but I’m not going to replace the pipes in my house. You get it. Integrating devices and systems, establishing different zones, creating scenes, designing the UI with a balance between control, feedback, and simplicity – all takes experience and skill. 4. Need a programmer to make changes Early adopters may have experienced the pain of trying to make a simple change or update to their home control system. Years ago, if the cable provider changed the channel line-up, the homeowner would have to call the dealer or programmer to make an appointment for them to come out to the house to reprogram the system. The system wouldn’t work as expected until it was updated, which often took several days and beaucoup bucks. Not anymore. Technology has evolved so now it’s easy for system owners to change favorite channels, create scenes, rename buttons, update images, and more. While a professional is needed for the initial installation and setup, the system is easy to manage once it’s up and running. This makes life so much easier for both dealer and customer. 5. Tech becomes obsolete quickly Similar to updating the UI, updating firmware or hardware used to be a stressful process. A smart home should be intelligent enough to update itself. Apps don’t become obsolete. Updates are constantly pushed out from the cloud, making them better all the time. The same is true for a good smart home system. New features, functions, and device support gets added in the background consistently, so the system you installed (or purchased) yesterday gets better over time. Swapping out decorative elements, such as keypads, dimmers, and touch screens is also seamless. When a new device is added, all the settings are pulled down from the cloud and it just works. No system interruptions. No sunk costs. No imposing house calls. No surprise bills. 6. Lighting control saves energy and money Lighting control is one of the most popular smart systems, but it takes more than just one system to make a home smart. On the surface, it makes sense that if you dim the lights ten percent, then you save ten percent of energy costs. If the shades are raised during the day to take advantage of sunlight so the lights don’t need to be on (or at least not 100%), but that causes the room temperature to rise a few degrees, which triggers the air conditioner to run longer and more often, was energy usage (or cost) reduced? A smart home integrates all the various systems and technology to optimize comfort, convenience, safety, and sometimes energy. 7. Home technology is easy to hack Security is at the forefront of people’s minds these days. Personal identities are stolen; email accounts hacked; private photos publicized; and more. A smart home must outsmart those who don’t respect privacy. Crestron control systems adhere to the strictest security standards. The same Crestron control system that goes into a home is also installed in secure government and military facilities, global banking institutions, hospitals, and other mission critical applications. When installed correctly by a trained professional, a Crestron smart home is the gold standard for security, comfort, and convenience.

Convenientally adjust your shades with the Motor Blackout Shades. Through an app or usage of a remote, control the light that comes into your setting even from a distance! To satisfy your needs, we offer a variety of colors to match the mood and setting of your room!

Motorized window coverings are perfect for your living room. Stop climbing over couches to close your blinds, shades or curtains. Instead control your window coverings with the press of a button, or directly from your favorite mobile device with the Somfy myLink app!

Our clients' existing kitchen was too small and claustrophobic for the busy household. We decided to swap the locations of the kitchen and dining room and removed the wall that divided them, allowing for much better flow from one room to the other. We also added more lighting and brighter finishes to give the space a clean and modern appearance. The tile backsplash adds texture and geometric patterns to draw in the eye. The quartz surfaces, hardwood floors, and painted cabinets were installed with durability and resilience in mind. The final product was a much better fit for the needs of the household. It also provided a significant investment into the overall value of their home.

Living room TV installation with 5.1 surround sound for high end audiophile. TV is wall-mounted inside built-in with left, center and right channel speakers housed in bookshelves, rear architectural in-ceiling speakers and hidden subwoofer. Control4 with Amazon Echo/Alexa integration allow for control of hidden devices via handheld remote, app for smartphones and tablets and voice activation.

- To take up toilet and pedestal sink and reinstall from powder room. - To take up and haul away carpet from dining room, living room & office (subfloor plywood) - 496 sqft. - To apply 4x bags of self-leveling concrete in the grout grooves and on floors in Powder room, kitchen, laundry room, front foyer + closets - 463.50 sqft - To install LVP ON TOP of ceramic tile floors in Powder room, kitchen, laundry room, front foyer + closets - 463.50 SQFT - To install LVP in dining room, living room, office - 496 sqft - To install 2x pieces of stair nosing: 5.5LFT kitchen to family room + 3.5 LFT kitchen to basement. - To install 6x reducer pieces: 4LFT for front foyer to office + 4LFT front foyer to living room + 3LFT kitchen to dining room + 3LFT kitchen to laundry room + 6LFT kitchen to back sliding door + 3LFT laundry room to garage door - To install shoe molding in dining room, living room, office + Powder room, kitchen, laundry room, front foyer + closets

In order to create an open floor plan and entertainer's dream kitchen Morey Remodeling pushed the front wall of the house out to the existing porch edge to create a larger kitchen area and plenty of room for the new island with cascading waterfall edges and cooktop. New beams were installed between the kitchen and dining room in order to support the roof and ceiling load when walls were removed. We Installed new gray over sized porcelain tile flooring in kitchen area and hardwood to match existing. New cabinets in white high gloss acrylic and exotic walnut finish with satin nickel pulls add a modern, sleek look. A new bar area was created and the stunning Verve Chevron glass tile backsplash is the perfect contrast. The Phillips Hue under-cabinet LED strip lights were installed to enhance the backsplash and can be controlled from an app. The counter tops are Pental Quartz Calacatta, with new single basin Farmhouse Sink and Blanco Meridian Kitchen Faucet in Satin Nickel. All new electrical was updated throughout the home.