Photo By: Lindsey Neumann Cabinetry; Dura Supreme, Camden door style, Maple, Natural, Counters; Zodiaq Quartz, Nutmeg, Sink; Blanco Precision, Faucet; Hansgrohe Focus 2-spray, Tile; Gendai Natural, Color Sanna Natural, Hardware; Top Knobs, Hood; Broan Elite

Inspiration for a huge contemporary two-story and u-shaped stucco beige, travertine floor and beige floor open concept kitchen remodel with a hip roof, a tile roof, a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, limestone backsplash, stainless steel appliances, two islands and beige countertops

With music, subtle lighting and a comfortable temperature, the bedrooms in the Showhome are welcoming for all our guests. Whether you are there to work or relax, you can set the scene with lighting and music at the touch of a switch. A triple-click on the Touch pure beside the bed then activates night mode. If you then get out of bed in the middle of the night, just the right amount of lighting comes on to highlight your path to the bathroom, so that you aren’t left dazzled by bright lights. The lights will then fade off when you are back in bed. It works just as you would want it to. You can easily set your own alarm using the Loxone Smart Home App. Choose to be gently woken up with your music of choice and favorite color lighting.

Trendy light wood floor enclosed dining room photo in Dallas with beige walls and no fireplace

The original space felt dark and closed off. In the updated kitchen, wall cabinetry is consolidated to either end of the space and new, large windows bring in ample natural light. Open shelves provide additional storage for everyday use items.

A luxurious and accessible bathroom that will enable our clients to Live-in-Place for many years. The design and layout allows for ease of use and room to maneuver for someone physically challenged and a caretaker.

Carl Socolow
Eat-in kitchen - small contemporary galley ceramic tile eat-in kitchen idea with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz countertops, metallic backsplash, metal backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Traditional kitchen with garden window area and custom valance over sink. Custom island with cooktop and downdraft exhaust. Perimeter counters are Brown Antique satin granite with Cambria island top.

Photo by David Duncan Livingston
Kitchen/dining room combo - transitional medium tone wood floor and gray floor kitchen/dining room combo idea in San Francisco with gray walls

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.

Katie Suellentrop http://www.kathrynsuellentrop.com
Small transitional u-shaped dark wood floor open concept kitchen photo in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

Multi-room interior renovation. Our clients made beautiful selections throughout for their Craftsman style home. Kitchen includes, crisp, clean white shaker cabinets, oak wood flooring, subway tile, eat-in breakfast nook, stainless appliances, calcatta grey quartz counterops, and beautiful custom butcher block. Back porch converted to mudroom with locker storage, bench seating, and durable COREtec flooring. Two smaller bedrooms were converted into gorgeous master suite with newly remodeled master bath. Second story children's bathroom was a complete remodel including double pedestal sinks, porcelain flooring and new fixtures throughout.

Kitchen - modern kitchen idea in San Francisco

-Sauna type: Euro Patio outdoor sauna -Heater: Himalaya rock tower heater -Control: SaunaLogic2 Control with Mobile App with worldwide functionality (mounted on sauna exterior) -Lighting: Backrest LED lighting with color light therapy -Sound system/speakers -Side window to take advantage of the Rocky Mountain view -Black stone accent wall

We used: Custom cherry cabinetry in Arts & Crafts Shaker style by Kabinart in Boulder and Espresso stains. Liberty Hardware Venetian bronze 1-1/2" cabinet knobs. KitchenAid Architect II Series 22 CF counter-depth French door refrigerator. KitchenAid Architect Series II 27" convection single wall oven. KitchenAid 36" 6-burner dual fuel freestanding commercial-style range. KitchenAid Architect II Series 24" dishwasher. Sharp Insight Pro Series 24" built-in microwave drawer (Model #KB6524PS). Crystorama Solaris 12" wide pendant lights in English bronze. Granite countertops in Brown Fantasy. 3"x6" polished marble backsplash. Paint colors: Walls: Glidden Silver Cloud 30YY 63/024 Ceilings/Trims/Doors: Glidden Swan White GLC23 Robert B. Narod Photography

Custom built kitchen. Kitchen cabinets and kitchen island with custom cuts and finishes. Barrack green on the cabinets while the infinity white leathered quartzite counter top sits on top with the same custom cut. 7FT Kitchen island with a built in shelves. Storage, hidden compartments and accessible outlets were built in as well. Back splash Anthology Mystic Glass: Tradewind Mix

Example of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped ceramic tile and brown floor enclosed kitchen design in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, no island and black countertops

MG ProPhoto
Inspiration for a large cottage galley medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Denver with an island, recessed-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, glass tile backsplash, paneled appliances, an undermount sink and beige walls

Living room - transitional living room idea in Chicago