Planning to host friends this summers in your Wilmette, Illinois home? Invite them over for an afternoon cookout and show off your beautiful view of Lake Michigan. To liven up the mood, you're going to need an impressive music system that can cover your entire outdoor area. Avidia can design a whole house audio system that not only adds quality sound to every corner of your home, but also makes it easy to access your favorite music at the press of a button. 

SEE MORE: How to Extend the Reach of Your Favorite Entertainment

Invest in Equipment Designed for Outdoor Use

Your beautiful outdoor environment is going to go to waste if you settle for old speakers, or those not meant for outside use. It's tempting to bring out wireless speakers and place them in a corner of your patio or pool, but this will result in uneven and unreliable sound. You need to invest in quality outdoor speakers designed to brave the elements and disperse sound over large areas.

We recommend going with Episode outdoor speakers. You can have Landscape ones hidden away in your foliage or use surface mounted speakers on your walls or pillars. If you’re a big audio enthusiast, you should also invest in their underground subwoofers that add deep, powerful bass.

Create the Right Foundation for Your System

We create a comprehensive wiring plan so you can connect speakers all over your property, all while keeping cables hidden from view. With most clients now using streaming services to access their favorite music, it's also important that we extend the reach of their home network. We install outdoor access points to amplify the signal from your router, so your coverage reaches your entire space. 

The reason watching movies in a theater is such a memorable experience is not only the larger-than-life motion pictures but also the sound that engages you from all sides. As you prepare the perfect home theater design for your Lake Forest, Illinois property, it's important that you consider which surround sound setup you want to install. Having the right audio in place could make all the difference.

SEE MORE: 4 Steps to Designing the Ultimate Home Theater System

Upgrade to the Dolby Atmos Experience

Dolby Atmos has taken the surround sound experience to the next level in both commercial theaters and at home. The new technology aims at creating a three-dimensional sound so you can follow the action. Hear a plane flying over you from the front of the room all the way past you.  Every little detail is heard crisply and precisely where it should be.

Traditionally, surround sound systems would break sound up between two or more channels (each corresponding to a different speaker). This meant sounds in a specific channel could only be heard from that angle. In a Dolby Atmos system, sounds are treated as individual ‘objects' that can be moved throughout the room without being confined to one channel. This allows sounds to move around freely for truly realistic audio in your home theater.

Figuring out which technology is the best fit for your Highland Park, Illinois home can be an intimidating task. Whether you’re looking for a full smart home solution or an upgrade to your family room, you want an impressive system that’s reliable while still falling within your family’s budget. As the premier Control4 dealers in the area, one of our primary roles is to be your technology advisers. As part of that role, we'd like to introduce you to Control4's new EA series which gives you intuitive control of your favorite technology and entertainment. Check out our latest review to see some of the series’ best features.

SEE MORE: How to Extend the Reach of Your Favorite Entertainment

Control of All Your Home’s Technology

The new EA series (which stands for Entertainment Automation) is focused on creating a unique entertainment experience while making your home smarter. It can control products capable of high-resolution audio and 4K video while managing your lights, thermostat, security and more from the same system. Your entire home can be controlled from a smart remote, touchpad or the Control4 mobile app.

Easy Access to All Your Favorite Entertainment

Selecting the type and size of your video display is one of the first steps of home theater design. While many people are adamant that a theater is not complete without a screen-and-projector combination, there are also benefits to going with a large flat-panel television instead. Below we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of each option to see which one works best for your Glencoe, Illinois home.

SEE MORE: What Are the Best Uses for Your Home Theater System?

Screen

Pros: A screen-and-projector setup gives a home theater design more authenticity. It helps viewers feel like they’re really in a theater environment. One reason has to do with is aspect ratio. The preferred ratio for studio productions is 2.35:1 which is not available on any TVs on the market. So if you want to perfectly recreate the images from a commercial theater at home, a screen is the way to go.

Unveiling your outdoor spaces as the hot summer months approach doesn’t have to be a hassle. Need a quick way to transform your patio, pool or backyard? Add functionality and beauty to your space with a comprehensive landscape lighting system linked to your whole home lighting control. Fashionable lights highlight your Winnetka home's best features while sensors keep pathways lit at all times. Everything is easily managed from the smart device of your choice. Read on for some tips to a successful system!

SEE MORE: Enhance Your Home’s Style With Smart Lighting

1. Connect Your Landscape Lighting to a Smart Control Solution

The benefits of a landscape lighting system are numerous, from increasing your security to adding personality to your home. However, many people shy away from a comprehensive system because it can be difficult to manage multiple fixtures spread over such a large space. We incorporate your system into your home lighting control and smart home automation solutions.

This way you can manage your system from the same user interface you use to control indoor lights, security, audio/video and more. That interface can be accessed from a smartphone, tablet or touchpad depending on your personal preferences. Below we’ll also talk at how sensors, scenes and schedules help you manage your system.

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.

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 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.

SEE MORE: What Are the Best Uses For your Home Theater System?

1. Finding the Right Screen
The first thing people will notice when they enter your theater is the video display. It is the focal point of the room, so it should come as no surprise that it’s one of the first things considered in the installation process.

Depending on the size you want and the room’s light specifications, you can choose between going with a screen-and-projector combination or a flat panel TV. If you decide on a screen, we partner with Screen Innovations to help you pick out the right model and material to ensure you get quality images that are in line with your personal style.

2. Setting up Your Seating Arrangement
The size of your screen and its viewing cone will affect your seating arrangement. The viewing cone is the area in the room where you can still see the screen without the images deteriorating. We make sure all recliners and sofas remain within this area. The size of the screen will then dictate how far from it guests should be seating. For most home theater systems, you’ll want to sit approximately 10 feet away.

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