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In a recent study looking to gauge the growth of new technology, Realtor.com found the top ten markets for smart homes. Sitting at number seven is Chicago, Illinois likely due to the budding markets of its Northern suburbs including Lake Forest, Glenview, and Evanston. But what exactly constitutes a smart home? A smart home gives you interconnected and remote access to your technology. It can start with a few connected devices and ultimately evolve into a smart home automation system.

SEE MORE: 3 Reasons to Upgrade to a Smart Home

While it may be tempting to create a connected home by collecting the latest devices that hit the market, we recommend embracing a comprehensive solution from the start. This way you won’t have to deal with systems that can’t communicate with each other, are prone to break and aren't primed for growth. Below we’ll take a look at some of the advantages of working with a professional when installing a smart home automation system.

Bringing All Your Technology Together

Many smart home products are praised for their simplicity. All you have to do is connect them to the internet, download an app and enjoy the benefits. The problem with this approach is that you’re going to end up needing a “Home” folder on your iPhone to keep track of all the apps you need to follow your daily routine. There’ll be one to change the lights, one to lock the doors, and one to adjust the temperature.

4 STEPS TO THE ULTIMATE HOME THEATER DESIGN

Have you ever considered installing a custom home theater system? We’re not talking about the packaged speakers and flat screen TV you can get at your local electronics store. We're talking about a media room specially designed –from speaker placement to room acoustics—to recreate the feel of a commercial theater. You can even decorate it to reflect your favorite sports team or movie era. By following the steps outlined below, Avidia designs the ultimate escape in your Kenilworth, Illinois home.

By now you’ve probably seen advertisements for a variety of home electronics that you can control from a mobile app. There’s one for your thermostat, one for your locks and one for your entertainment. But what if you could bring it all together under one umbrella, practically turning your IPhone or Android into your personal butler. You can do just that with a smart home automation solution in your Highland Park, Illinois property. Below we take a look at some of the best features from the Crestron and Control 4 Apps.

SEE MORE: 3 Reasons to Upgrade to a Smart Home

Four Main Features of the Crestron App

In conjunction with your smart home automation system, Crestron offers a free mobile app that lets you control your lighting, security, entertainment, climate and more. Some other features are also available as in-app purchases.

• Integrate Third Party Apps: Want to settle in for an all-day Netflix marathon? You don't have to navigate through multiple apps just to pick out the show you want and get the lighting just right. Crestron lets you open third party apps within your graphic user interface so you can keep everything under one roof.
• Stay Informed: Receive alerts when a door is left unlocked, someone comes to your front door. or your alarm goes off. This way you can stay connected without having to constantly check-in on your surveillance.
• Upgrade to PinPoint: This add-on lets your system recognize exactly where you are based on your smartphone’s location. This way your user interface immediately adapts your menu to the room you’re in.

In previous blogs, we’ve discussed the benefits of a home audio video system. From centralized control to discreet technology, you change the way you interact with your favorite entertainment. The experts at Avidia take it a step further by using the same system to add newfound versatility to your Glencoe, Illinois home. Through dynamic control and state-of-the-art equipment, we create unique entertainment zones for the entire family to enjoy. Below are some examples of spaces that can benefit from the right solution.

SEE MORE: Expand the Reach of Your Favorite Entertainment

Your Living Room

Many rooms in your home serve multiple functions. We've already talked about the various uses of your private theater, but you can also use your home audio video system to get the most out of your living room. Whether you want to host friends for a birthday party, snuggle up with your favorite book or watch a movie, the room adapts to the activity of your choice.

For a party, have your favorite playlist streaming from discreet KEF in-wall speakers. This way you show off both your beautiful décor as well as your technology without having them clash. When you want to watch television, have your TV emerge from behind a piece of art at the press of a button. Access the music, movies or TV shows of your choice from a touchpad, tablet or smartphone.

A home theater system is a movie lover's dream. You get to enjoy your favorite films in the best quality available without having to deal with long lines, stale popcorn or freezing temperatures. What if you haven’t gone to a theater since the Godfather came out? It doesn’t matter. A room optimized to get the most out of your high-end audio and video technology can have many purposes. Whether you want to enjoy a movie or watch the Bears with friends in your Glencoe, Illinois home, a private theater is the right choice for your family.

Invite Friends Over to Watch the Big Game

While home theater systems are designed with movies in mind, they've become increasingly popular with sports fans. Even the most die-hard fans will admit it’s better to watch a game –especially football—from home than at the stadium. You get close-ups of the action and replays on controversial plays. A private theater takes it a step further by creating an immersive experience that makes you feel like you're in the stadium while enjoying the perks of watching from home.

Install a surround sound system that booms audio from the front, back, side and even top of the room. From every corner, you can hear fans cheer and hear the power behind every hit. Older sports fans remember the pains of pre-HD days when it was hard to see even the numbers on the back of jerseys. With a large 4K Ultra HD display, you'll be able to see the details down to the millimeters to judge if, in fact, that was a catch or not.

Enjoy Theater Quality Without the Hassle

Lighting can be one of your home’s biggest design element. Once you've picked out the right furnishing and painted the walls your desired color, it's time for lighting to do its work. It’s not only about what fixtures you include or where you place them; it's about how you use them. That's where a smart home lighting control system steps in. With centralized access to your lights, it’s easy to manage them to set the mood or highlight specific features.

See More: How Many Ways Can You Control the Lights in Your Home

Set the Perfect Lighting With Dimmers

A major element in interior design is texture. This has to do as much with your couch material as it does your lights. Through the use of dimmers, you can find the level you want for every fixture in your home from LEDs to floor and table lamps. With centralized control, you can find each light within your user interface and set its specific level. By setting different levels for each fixture you create texture in your lighting, adding depth to your space while spotlighting certain features.

Make Stylish Arrangements With Scenes

Your home is your one reliable escape from the outside world, and your favorite entertainment plays a big part in that. Once upon a time, that meant families congregated around a radio to listen to the latest show; now they come together for Netflix marathons. Seamlessly escape after a tough day at work with a home audio video system that makes it easy for you to enjoy movies, music and TV shows. From easy access to discreet systems, check out the many benefits a custom solution can bring to your Highland Park, Illinois home.

Make Access Easy with Multi-Source Rooms

A home audio video system lets you centralize control of your entertainment through the use of multi-source rooms. These rooms have access to multiple audio and video sources, even those not physically in the room. We install matrix switchers within your AV system that transport your audio and video content from its source to the room of your choice.

Settle in after a hard day of work then pull up a tablet or smartphone to find the show or movie you want to watch. Through an intuitive user interface, choose the room you're in and the source component you want to use. Finish up the show you were watching, then pick out music to play in the background during dinner. You can do it all from the same menu. No need to shuffle through different remotes or deal with a confusing universal remote.

Please the Entire Family With Diverse Entertainment Zones

A smart home is a system in which a number of technology components are interconnected to make it easier to perform certain actions. These smart home automation systems simplify control over lights, entertainment, climate and more. Nowhere in the world has this concept taken a stronger hold than in the United States, where there are an estimated 4.6 million smart homes. That number is expected to grow to more than 24 million by 2020. Wondering if your Wilmette, Illinois home should join the movement? Read on to find out why smart technology is worth the investment.

Control of Your Entire System is in Your Hands

The primary benefit of an interconnected home is that you can centralize control. You don't have to walk from room to room or search through a mountain of remotes. Through a smart home automation system from Crestron or Control4, you can access your lights, entertainment, climate, security and more on one device. From a touchpad, tablet or smartphone, it’s all available on a customizable menu designed to match your priorities.

Experience a Home That Anticipates Your Needs

Smart technology can also give you peace of mind by being proactive. It does this primarily through the use of sensors and schedules:

As we modernize most aspects of our homes, even the most luxurious spaces tend to fall behind in one aspect: home lighting control. If you ask people how they control the lights in their home, the resounding answer is still traditional wall switches. Why not upgrade one of the most important components in your Kenilworth, Illinois home? Find out how a smart lighting solution can change the way you interact with your technology.

Upgrade the Traditional Switchers on Your Walls

Modernizing your lighting control system doesn’t have to mean abandoning the way you like to do things, simply improving it. Whether you’re using a Crestron, Control 4 or Lutron system, you still have the option of accessing your lights from switches on the wall. What changes is the amount of control you can get from those switches.

Dimmers, for example, allow you to pick out the perfect amount of light for an activity. What if one button on the wall could make multiple changes? Install keypads with pre-set scene buttons. These ‘scenes’ control multiple fixtures simultaneously and can even incorporate video, security and more.

Streamline Control With Pre-Set Scenes

The convenience of streamed content has changed the way we interact with our favorite entertainment. You don’t have to sift through a DVD or CD collection to find something to enjoy with the family. Through services like Spotify and Netflix, you have thousands of options at the touch of a button. But even with convenience being its biggest calling card, streaming can come with its own set of drawbacks from limited outlets to slow loading. Want to learn how to get the most out of these services in your Lake Forest, Illinois home? Find how a home audio video system can do the trick.

Simplify Access to Your Entertainment

The reason we enjoy streamed services is that they give us instant gratification. Why not take it a step further by putting all these services under one roof? Through an audio/video distribution system that incorporates all your services, you can easily play your favorite song or movie anywhere in your home from your phone, tablet or touchpad.

The Crestron App, for example, allows you to incorporate third-party services such as Netflix and Pandora. Pull up the Netflix App within the system to pick which movie you want to watch and where you want to watch it. You don’t even have to be in the same room! Take control of your children’s entertainment. Remotely play cartoons in their room and turn them off when it’s time for bed.

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