This kitchen was designed by Sarah Robertsonof Studio Dearborn for the House Beautiful Whole Home Concept House 2020 in Denver, Colorado. Photos Adam Macchia. For more information, you may visit our website at www.studiodearborn.com or email us at info@studiodearborn.com.

Inspiration for a transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor family room remodel in Austin with beige walls and a media wall

A new Seattle modern house designed by chadbourne + doss architects houses a couple and their 18 bicycles. 3 floors connect indoors and out and provide panoramic views of Lake Washington. photo by Benjamin Benschneider

This beautiful custom wine cellar / wine wall / wine room in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California is truly a jaw dropper. Vintage Cellars, wine cellar builders out of san diego, california, were able to design and build this masterpiece as a major centerpoint of this dining room and kitchen. A custom wine cellar designed and built by vintage wine cellars out of San Diego, California - this custom wine wall has tons of unique and noteworthy features throughout. The bottom of the cellar begins with multiple areas for wine case storage and other bulk storage options. The great thing about this space is that it was designed for multi-use capability, leaving ample room to store multiple layers deep of single bottle storage as well. Directly above the case storage lie multiple layers of easy pull out shelving on smooth rolling tracks, seamlessly allowing for drawer sliding with no risk of bottle movement or abrupt stops. These are fantastic features to have, especially in the case of having flights of wines from your favorite wineries. A collection of 2010 through 2016 Larkmeade Cabernet Sauvignon bottles from Napa have never looked so good. In the center, a small countertop and opening are used for a practical space to open and decant wines. Glass shelving features and acrylic wine racking dividers make for a fun, transparent, and sleek looking centerpiece. On either side of this wine wall feature / kitchen wine cellar are long rows of high reveal display of wine bottles, carefully designed and engineered to lay down properly so that the cork will stay wet and wines are aged perfectly and gracefully over time. These display rows act as fantastic "show off" sections - perfectly highlighting each bottle's respective label and giving you the ability to really display your gems. More sections sit above these displays, turning the bottles inward and facing them cork out. In this certain circumstance and with this specific client's collection, these sections really popped with color and intrigue with many cases of the same wines being placed into the racking. Intense hues of Red and Yellow POP, keeping this wine cellar interesting and a pleasure to look at no matter what section you're exploring. Horizontal stainless steel metal rods are Integrated into the custom cabinetry horizontally and angled across each multiple sections, again offering another unique and different design feature, now with wine bottle labels facing outward and completely visible. This look in custom wine wall / custom wine cellar / custom wine room / custom wine display / custom wine storage solutions is a great way to integrate modern nuances into your cellar. Accents of metal into an otherwise "traditional" wooden wine cellar can actually add a unique change of pace and give an entire new breath of life to an existing wine storage space. 700 bottle capacity, with room for magnum storage above. Vintage Cellars enjoys working directly with NOE Design Co. and MAIDEN Steel companies when integrating a major glass door feature. The quality of work is second to none, unparalleled, and we are able to ensure that our clients are left with an absolutely stunning, but more importantly, 100% perfectly sealed and specified door and stainless steel framing system. With so many different kinds of wine racks / wine racking / wine cellar designs and styles, you can really go in any and every direction in the discovery and design phase of a custom wine cellar project. The Custom wine cellar builder custom wine cellar builders team at Vintage Cellars make the entire process exciting, informative, and smooth from start to finish. Vintage Cellars has built gorgeous custom wine cellars and wine storage rooms across the United States and World for over 25 years. We are your go-to business for anything wine cellar and wine storage related! Whether you're interested in a wine closet, wine racking, custom wine racks, a custom wine cellar door, or a cooling system for your existing space, Vintage Cellars has you covered! We carry all kinds of wine cellar cooling and refrigeration systems, incuding: Breezaire, CellarCool, WhisperKool, Wine Guardian, CellarPro and Commercial systems. We also carry many types of Wine Refrigerators, Wine Cabinets, and wine racking types, including La Cache, Marvel, N'Finity, Transtherm, Vinotheque, Vintage Series, Credenza, Walk in wine rooms, Climadiff, Riedel, Fontenay, and VintageView. Vintage Cellars also does work in many styles, including Contemporary and Modern, Rustic, Farmhouse, Traditional, Craftsman, Industrial, Mediterranean, Mid-Century, Industrial and Eclectic. Some locations we cover often include: Agora Hills, Alameda, Albany, Alhambra, Aliso Viejo, Altadena, Anaheim, Angwin, Arcadia, Aromas, Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Atherton, Avila Beach, Balboa Terrace, Bel Air, Belmont, Belvedere, Benton, Berkeley, Bermuda Dunes, Beverly Hills, Big Sur, Bolinas, Boyle Heights, Bradbury, Bradley, Brea, Brentwood, Bridgeport, Brisbane, Buellton, Buena Park, Burbank, Burlingame, Calabasas, Calistoga, Cambria, Canoga Park, Cardiff, Carlsbad, Carmel, Carmel By The Sea, Carmel Valley, Carnelian Bay, Carpinteria, Casmalia, Castroville, Cathedral City, Cayucos, Chatsworth, Chualar, City of LA, City of SF, Coachella, Coleville, Colma, Corona Del Mar, Coronado, Coronado Island, Corte Madera, Costa Mesa, Coto De Caza, Creston, Crystal Cove, Cupertino, Cypress, Danville, Deer Park, Del Mar, Diablo, Duarte, Eagle Rock, East Palo Alto, East Pasadena, Echo Park, El Granada, El Monte, Emeryville, Encinitas, Encino, Fairfax, Foster City, Fountain Valley, Fremont, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Glendale, Golden Gate Park, Goleta, Gonzales, Granada Hills, Granite Bay, Greenbrae, Greenfield, Grover Beach, Guadalupe, Half Moon Bay, Hancock Park, Harmony, Hidden Hills, Hillsborough, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Huntington Beach, Indian Wells, Indio, Industry, Inner Richmond, Inverness, Irvine, Jolon, June Lake, Kentfield, King City, La Canada Flintridge, La Habra, La Honda, La Jolla, La Palma, La Quinta, Ladera Heights, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Balboa, Lake Forest, Lake Tahoe, Lake View Terrace, Larkspur, Laurel Canyon, Lee Vining, Lockwood, Lompoc, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Los Alamos, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Angeles, Los Gatos, Los Olivos, Los Osos, Malibu, Mammoth Lakes, Manhattan Beach, Marin, Marina, Marshall, Mayflower Village, Menlo Park, Mill Valley, Millbrae, Mission Hills, Mission Viejo, Mono, Monrovia, Montara, Montebello, Monterey, Monterey Park, Morro Bay, Moss Beach, Moss Landing, Mountain View, Napa, New Cuyama, Newark, Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Nicasio, Nipomo, North Hills, Northridge, Novato, Oakland, Oakville, Ocean Beach, Oceano, Orange, Orange County, Pacific Grove, Pacific Palisades, Pacoima, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Palo Alto, Palos Verdes, Panorama City, Pasadena, Paso Robles, Pebble Beach, Pescadero, Piedmont, Pismo Beach, Placentia, Point Reyes Station, Pope Valley, Portola Valley, Presidio, Presidio Heights, Rancho Mirage, Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Santa Margarita, Redondo Beach, Redwood City, Reseda, Rosemead, Russian Cliff, Rutherford, Saint Helena, Salinas, San Anselmo, San Ardo, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Clemente, San Diego, San Fernando, San Francisco, San Gabriel, San Gregorio, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, San Lucas, San Luis Obispo, San Marino, San Mateo, San Miguel, San Rafael, San Simeon, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Clarita, Santa Margarita, Santa Maria, Santa Monica, Santa Ynez, Saratoga, Sausalito, Sea Cliff, Seal Beach, Seaside, Shadow Hills, Shandon, Sherman Oaks, Sierra Madre, Silver Lake, Solana Beach, Soledad, Solvang, Sonoma, South El Monte, South Pasadena, South San Gabriel, Spreckels, Squaw Valley, St Helena, Stanford, Stanton, Stinson Beach, Stough Park, Studio City, Summerland, Sun Valley, Sunland, Sunnyvale, Sylmar, Tahoe City, Tahoe Vista, Tarzana, Temple City, Templeton, Thousand Oaks, Thousand Palms, Tiburon, Toluca Lake, Topanga, Topaz, Torrey Pines, Tujanga, Tustin, Union City, Valencia, Verdugo Mountains, Vernon, Villa Park, Walnut, Walnut Creek, West Puente Valley, Westminster, Westwood, Whittier, Woodside, Yorba Linda, Yountville San Diego Wine Cellars, Rancho Santa Fe Wine Cellars, Beverly Hills Wine Cellars, Bel Air Wine Cellars, Orange County Wine Cellars, Newport Beach Wine Cellars, San Francisco Wine Cellars, Napa Wine Cellars, Sonoma Wine Cellars, Los Angeles Wine Cellars, Santa Barbara Wine Cellars, Palm Desert Wine Cellars, La Jolla Wine Cellars, Del Mar Wine Cellars, Coronado Wine Cellars, Pacific Palisades Wine Cellars, Malibu Wine Cellars, Santa Monica Wine Cellars, Brentwood Wine Cellars, Laguna Wine Cellars, Crystal Cove Wine Cellars, Hollywood Wine Cellars, Bay Area Wine Cellars, South Bay Wine Cellars, LA Wine Cellars, SD Wine Cellars, OC Wine Cellars, SF Wine Cellars, Huntington Beach Wine Cellars, Carlsbad Wine Cellars, Palos Verdes Wine Cellars, Paso Robles Wine Cellars, Encinitas Wine Cellars, Manhattan Beach Wine Cellars, Marin Wine Cellars, Tiburon Wine Cellars, Coto De Caza Wine Cellars, Thousand Oaks Wine Cellars, Cardiff Wine Cellars, RSF Wine Cellars, San Marino Wine Cellars, Ladera Heights Wine Cellars, Westwood Wine Cellars, Hillsborough Wine Cellars, Luxury Wine Cellars, Custom Wine Cellars, High End Wine Cellars, Estate Wine Cellars, Modern Wine Cellars, Contemporary Wine Cellars, Rustic Wine Cellars, Traditional Wine Cellars Contact Vintage Cellars today with any of your Wine Cellar needs! (800) 876-8789 Vintage Cellars 904 Rancheros Drive San Marcos, California 92069 (800) 876-8789

We converted what used to be this home’s master bedroom suite into a study and home office. We really enjoyed creating the built in book shelves for this study. These custom units feature open and adjustable shelving, and full roll out drawers for bottom storage. Connected to the study is a quiet home office and a powder room. Red oak hardwood floors run throughout the study and office. This light and airy home in Chadds Ford, PA, was a custom home renovation for long-time clients that included the installation of red oak hardwood floors, the master bedroom, master bathroom, two powder rooms, living room, dining room, study, foyer and staircase. remodel included the removal of an existing deck, replacing it with a beautiful flagstone patio. Each of these spaces feature custom, architectural millwork and custom built-in cabinetry or shelving. A special showcase piece is the continuous, millwork throughout the 3-story staircase. To see other work we've done in this beautiful home, please search in our Projects for Chadds Ford, PA Home Remodel and Chadds Ford, PA Exterior Renovation. Rudloff Custom Builders has won Best of Houzz for Customer Service in 2014, 2015 2016, 2017 and 2019. We also were voted Best of Design in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 which only 2% of professionals receive. Rudloff Custom Builders has been featured on Houzz in their Kitchen of the Week, What to Know About Using Reclaimed Wood in the Kitchen as well as included in their Bathroom WorkBook article. We are a full service, certified remodeling company that covers all of the Philadelphia suburban area. This business, like most others, developed from a friendship of young entrepreneurs who wanted to make a difference in their clients’ lives, one household at a time. This relationship between partners is much more than a friendship. Edward and Stephen Rudloff are brothers who have renovated and built custom homes together paying close attention to detail. They are carpenters by trade and understand concept and execution. Rudloff Custom Builders will provide services for you with the highest level of professionalism, quality, detail, punctuality and craftsmanship, every step of the way along our journey together. Specializing in residential construction allows us to connect with our clients early in the design phase to ensure that every detail is captured as you imagined. One stop shopping is essentially what you will receive with Rudloff Custom Builders from design of your project to the construction of your dreams, executed by on-site project managers and skilled craftsmen. Our concept: envision our client’s ideas and make them a reality. Our mission: CREATING LIFETIME RELATIONSHIPS BUILT ON TRUST AND INTEGRITY. Photo Credit: Linda McManus Images

Example of a living room design in St Louis

When the homeowners decided to move from San Francisco to the Central Coast, they were looking for a more relaxed lifestyle, a unique place to call their own, and an environment conducive to raising their young children. They found it all in San Luis Obispo. They had owned a house here in SLO for several years that they had used as a rental. As the homeowners own and run a contracting business and relocation was not impossible, they decided to move their business and make this SLO rental into their dream home. As a rental, the house was in a bare-bones condition. The kitchen had old white cabinets, boring white tile counters, and a horrendous vinyl tile floor. Not only was the kitchen out-of-date and old-fashioned, it was also pretty worn out. The tiles were cracking and the grout was stained, the cabinet doors were sagging, and the appliances were conflicting (ie: you could not open the stove and dishwasher at the same time). To top it all off, the kitchen was just too small for the custom home the homeowners wanted to create. Thus enters San Luis Kitchen. At the beginning of their quest to remodel, the homeowners visited San Luis Kitchen’s showroom and fell in love with our Tuscan Grotto display. They sat down with our designers and together we worked out the scope of the project, the budget for cabinetry and how that fit into their overall budget, and then we worked on the new design for the home starting with the kitchen. As the homeowners felt the kitchen was cramped, it was decided to expand by moving the window wall out onto the existing porch. Besides the extra space gained, moving the wall brought the kitchen window out from under the porch roof – increasing the natural light available in the space. (It really helps when the homeowner both understands building and can do his own contracting and construction.) A new arched window and stone clad wall now highlights the end of the kitchen. As we gained wall space, we were able to move the range and add a plaster hood, creating a focal nice focal point for the kitchen. The other long wall now houses a Sub-Zero refrigerator and lots of counter workspace. Then we completed the kitchen by adding a wrap-around wet bar extending into the old dining space. We included a pull-out pantry unit with open shelves above it, wine cubbies, a cabinet for glassware recessed into the wall, under-counter refrigerator drawers, sink base and trash cabinet, along with a decorative bookcase cabinet and bar seating. Lots of function in this corner of the kitchen; a bar for entertaining and a snack station for the kids. After the kitchen design was finalized and ordered, the homeowners turned their attention to the rest of the house. They asked San Luis Kitchen to help with their master suite, a guest bath, their home control center (essentially a deck tucked under the main staircase) and finally their laundry room. Here are the photos: I wish I could show you the rest of the house. The homeowners took a poor rental house and turned it into a showpiece! They added custom concrete floors, unique fiber optic lighting, large picture windows, and much more. There is now an outdoor kitchen complete with pizza oven, an outdoor shower and exquisite garden. They added a dedicated dog run to the side yard for their pooches and a rooftop deck at the very peak. Such a fun house. Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry, Esperanto

What Do I Need To Do To Sell My House In Laveen Arizona September 20, 2019 By brianpascal You want to sell your Laveen house, and you want to get top dollar. Excellent! But “What do I need to do to sell my house in Laveen“? Woman holding tablet pc with question marks hiding her face Here are some tips on how to get your home ready to sell if you’re looking for top dollar that the market will bear: *NOTE: These instructions are if you’re looking to get full retail value for your house sale. However, if you don’t want to do the things below… or don’t have the time or money to do the things below… you can still sell your Laveen house fast for a fair value in a win-win sale that’ll save you time and expense. What Do I Need To Do To Sell My House In Laveen Arizona - Cleaning the Floor 2) Cultivate a cohesive, neutral style. You don’t have to paint everything off-white. In fact, some subtle colors can really help change the perception of spaces – for example, a soft yellow will help brighten up a dark kitchen, while a deep dark blue or green will help a bright bedroom to feel like a calm place to sleep (but be careful, dark colors will also make rooms feel small). Spend the money to get high-quality paint and professional help. Subconsciously people will pay more money for a property with just the right colors and very neat lines – it makes the home feel better built, even though it’s just paint. Optical illusions are real, and psychologists study this stuff. Don’t believe me? Look it up. And don’t neglect the outside and just do the inside, or anything else that’s unbalanced. 3) Fix or replace anything that’s broken. Yeah, it might feel like a waste of money to spend an extra couple hundred bucks on a dishwasher that someone else might just pull out and replace again. But really, quite a few buyers will get a home inspection and use the opportunity to negotiate with you. As the seller, you’ll often end up paying more if you try to hide neglected maintenance from the purchaser – and of course you don’t want to be guilty of fraud. Make sure you stay in compliance with all the laws. It’s often a good use of money to hire a home inspector to come through before you put the property on the market. If you ask in advance, they’ll often charge you a tiny rate to come back after you’ve done a bunch of minor repairs and deliver you a clean bill of health. Prospective buyers love to see an independent report on the condition of the house – it makes them feel very comfortable with the purchase. 4) Make only the necessary improvements. The biggest mistake people make when getting their house ready to sell is over-improving. They often spend too much money on customized frills that can’t be recovered in the sale. Paint is about the only safe investment – it’s easy to overspend on almost everything else, and it’s easy to get ripped off by unscrupulous contractors. It’s important to know what improvements will produce a return on investment to avoid wasting money. 5) Get expert opinions. You should definitely find at least a few decent real estate brokers who will help you price your property, but be honest with them. If you’re going to market the property on your own, don’t make enemies by lying about your intentions. Great brokers are rare, but they make more money for their clients than they earn. 6) Have a really great marketing plan. Again, great brokers earn their value by doing this work and spreading the advertising expenses across many clients. It’s pretty expensive and time-consuming to start from scratch on your own, but if you’re already a marketing expert you’re ahead of the pack. If you’re not, spend the time listening to what the best brokers do to sell houses in Laveen – just to educate yourself on the options. What Do I Need To Do To Sell My House In Laveen Arizona - Cash Offer7) Get a cash offer. We buy houses all over the Laveen area, and we do all the work so you don’t have to deal with any of this stuff. ——————————————- Don’t Want To Do The Things Above Yourself? But Still Want To Sell Your Laveen Arizona House Fast? While everyone wants to get as much as they possibly can from their house sale… not everyone can do the things or wants to do the things required to sell it at full retail value to an end buyer. Doing the repairs, cleaning the property up, upgrading the property, marketing the property… those all take money and can take lots of time. If you have the funds to do these things... AND you can wait the 3-9 months it takes to sell houses in this market… then you’ll be better off financially to do those things then list it on the MLS (the main property listing service that real estate agents use). If you don’t have the funds to do these things... AND can’t wait months to sell your house… then you may be a perfect fit for our local Laveen house buying service. You’ll submit basic info about your house over here on our website, we’ll evaluate your house, we’ll make you a fair all-cash offer on your house, and you can decide if it’s a fit for you. What Do I Need To Do To Sell My House In Laveen Arizona Exterior House Arizona Photo Then we can close FAST (often times within 7 days) if you need us to. Take a look at what we’ll pay you not to do anything versus the time, expense and hassle involved with doing it on your own. So if you’re still asking “what do I need to do to sell my house in Laveen“… now you have 2 solid options. Either… Fix the property up and get it all nice and ready with the steps above to sell it at top dollar Let us do all of the work and we’ll make you a cash offer on your house in AS-IS condition. This saves you time, money, and gets the hassle off of your hands. If you need to sell a property near Laveen, we can help you. We buy properties like yours from people who need to sell fast. We’d like to make you a fair offer on your Laveen house Give us a call anytime at (602) 560-9260 or fill out the form on this website today!

Gorgeous spacious kitchen renovated by SCD Design & Construction! Revolutionize your kitchen with pristine white cabinets. And take it to the next level by replacing the conventional dinner table with a big island, which is great for family time and parties! Have your home reflect the best of you! Take your lifestyle to new heights with SCD Design & Construction next time you plan on renovating your home.

Gorgeous spacious kitchen renovated by SCD Design & Construction! Revolutionize your kitchen with pristine white cabinets. And take it to the next level by replacing the conventional dinner table with a big island, which is great for family time and parties! Have your home reflect the best of you! Take your lifestyle to new heights with SCD Design & Construction next time you plan on renovating your home.

Gorgeous spacious kitchen renovated by SCD Design & Construction! Revolutionize your kitchen with pristine white cabinets. And take it to the next level by replacing the conventional dinner table with a big island, which is great for family time and parties! Have your home reflect the best of you! Take your lifestyle to new heights with SCD Design & Construction next time you plan on renovating your home.

Gorgeous spacious kitchen renovated by SCD Design & Construction! Revolutionize your kitchen with pristine white cabinets. And take it to the next level by replacing the conventional dinner table with a big island, which is great for family time and parties! Have your home reflect the best of you! Take your lifestyle to new heights with SCD Design & Construction next time you plan on renovating your home.

Gorgeous spacious kitchen renovated by SCD Design & Construction! Revolutionize your kitchen with pristine white cabinets. And take it to the next level by replacing the conventional dinner table with a big island, which is great for family time and parties! Have your home reflect the best of you! Take your lifestyle to new heights with SCD Design & Construction next time you plan on renovating your home.

Gorgeous spacious kitchen renovated by SCD Design & Construction! Revolutionize your kitchen with pristine white cabinets. And take it to the next level by replacing the conventional dinner table with a big island, which is great for family time and parties! Have your home reflect the best of you! Take your lifestyle to new heights with SCD Design & Construction next time you plan on renovating your home.

Gorgeous spacious kitchen renovated by SCD Design & Construction! Revolutionize your kitchen with pristine white cabinets. And take it to the next level by replacing the conventional dinner table with a big island, which is great for family time and parties! Have your home reflect the best of you! Take your lifestyle to new heights with SCD Design & Construction next time you plan on renovating your home.

Gorgeous spacious kitchen renovated by SCD Design & Construction! Revolutionize your kitchen with pristine white cabinets. And take it to the next level by replacing the conventional dinner table with a big island, which is great for family time and parties! Have your home reflect the best of you! Take your lifestyle to new heights with SCD Design & Construction next time you plan on renovating your home.

Gorgeous spacious kitchen renovated by SCD Design & Construction! Revolutionize your kitchen with pristine white cabinets. And take it to the next level by replacing the conventional dinner table with a big island, which is great for family time and parties! Have your home reflect the best of you! Take your lifestyle to new heights with SCD Design & Construction next time you plan on renovating your home.

Gorgeous spacious kitchen renovated by SCD Design & Construction! Revolutionize your kitchen with pristine white cabinets. And take it to the next level by replacing the conventional dinner table with a big island, which is great for family time and parties! Have your home reflect the best of you! Take your lifestyle to new heights with SCD Design & Construction next time you plan on renovating your home.

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.