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Why Specifiers Partner with Elite Automation During the Design Phase

As technology advances and whole-home lighting design evolves from selecting fixtures and placement to advanced LED illumination integrated with smart home automation, the role of the technology integrator has undergone significant changes. 

Lighting has become increasingly complex, with tunable full-spectrum and white light allowing designers to adjust the color, intensity, and hue. In turn, the integrator’s role has also adapted. Part lighting designer and part technology expert, they collaborate with specifiers and the design team to ensure optimum functionality that enhances the home's aesthetics.

Here, we’ll explore the role that home automation integrators, such as Elite Automation, play and the importance of partnering with them during the design process.

Automated Shading, Lighting, and Control

Today, as home automation becomes the norm in modern living, creating a dream smart home is on many people’s minds. What does it entail, and what are the possibilities? 

Three essential ingredients in luxury homes are automated shading, advanced lighting, and elegant controls, creating beauty, ease, and comfort. Here, we’ll explore the top manufacturers in this space: Lutron and its subsidiary, Ketra. Together, they are creating homes with extraordinary natural and artificial light that’s effortlessly and beautifully controlled. 

The Extraordinary Difference Between Smart Devices and Smart Home Living

Many homeowners have entered the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) craze, and for good reasons. They can learn new skills like refreshing the caulk and grout, installing shelving, and elevating bedrooms with a new paint job and décor. 

In the process, they save money and may even enjoy the experience.

When it comes to home automation, however, DIY vs. professional installations result in far different outcomes. Yes, you undoubtedly save money, but does your home welcome you when you pull into the driveway by streaming your favorite music through your whole-home audio system, turning on the landscape lights to the color of golden candlelight, and heating the spa? Probably not. 

You may open an app to turn on the lights and another to raise the shades, but that is a far cry from a fully automated home designed by an integrator. Here, we’ll explore the difference and why homeowners should consider leaving the smart home solutions to the professionals.

The Difference Early Integration Makes in a New Build Smart Home

Just like plumbers and electricians, integrators are essential partners in new-build smart home projects. During the pre-construction design phase, they support the build team, suggesting how to incorporate technology that aligns with the client’s vision and the overall design. 

Before wires are laid, the discovery phase begins. It’s during this time that an integrator discusses the many options with the homeowner and specifiers, reviewing possibilities and the floor plan. Does the family want whole-home audio? Are they extending their entertainment and lighting into the backyard? This timing is essential to create a functional, personalized, and beautiful smart home system.

The problem arises when integrators are introduced as an afterthought, after the design and planning have been completed. Here, we’ll explore just what a smart home integrator does and why they need to be brought in at the beginning of the project.