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.

Get Technology Optimized For Your Needs

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and then it’s the home stretch until the winter holidays. There’s nothing more exciting than bringing friends and family together for a celebration, but there’s no denying it can be stressful for even the best of hosts. Avidia helps you focus on what matters most during the holidays by installing a smart home automation system in your Winnetka, Illinois home that helps you become the perfect host.

Prepare the Perfect Greeting

When it comes to hosting, you want every second to be memorable. Why shouldn’t that include the initial arrival? With lighting control, it is easier than ever to create a stunning Christmas display that will make your home stand out to guests. With smart control, you can remotely alternate the displays and colors you want to showcase.
When guests arrive, let them feel welcome. Have a pre-set scene in your system that activates when they pull into the driveway. Your pathway lights guide the way to the front door, the fountain or pool LED fixtures change color and you receive an alert on your phone to know the second someone’s arrived.

Enhance Your Favorite Entertainment

We know how heated the battle for the remote can get between watching football, putting on a movie or streaming music. Battle no longer with a home audio video system that lets you create specific entertainment zones which will not interfere with each other. You can listen to your favorite music in the kitchen as you prepare dinner while the family watches the game in the living room.