Elite Automation Wins Lutron Excellence Award for Outstanding Retrofit Project

Recognized for a Wellness-Focused Luxury Lighting and Shading Installation 

We're thrilled to announce that we were honored with the prestigious Lutron Excellence Award for "Best Renovation/Retrofit Project" at the 2025 awards ceremony at the CEDIA Expo in Denver. The award recognizes our Ellensburg, WA project, where we transformed a hilltop home's lighting system to support the homeowner's wellness goals without disrupting the much-loved interior design. Read on for the details. 

SEE ALSO: Edgemont Ketra Lighting Retrofit

What is the Lutron Excellence Award? 

The Lutron Excellence Awards have been the industry's gold standard for over 22 years, recognizing the world's top integrators for their technical expertise and design innovation. More than 160 integrators globally have earned this distinction, with judges evaluating projects based on technical mastery, creative problem-solving, and exceptional client outcomes. Winning means Elite Automation stands among the best Lutron technology integrators in North America.

The Award-Winning Ellensburg Project

Our winning project was in a stunning hilltop home surrounded by Washington's mountains and orchards. The homeowners loved their space but wanted lighting that would support their wellness and rhythms throughout the day. We installed a Ketra tunable lighting system powered by Lutron Homeworks, allowing the light's color temperature to shift naturally from energizing morning light to relaxing evening tones.

Since this was a retrofit, maintaining the home's existing look and feel was critical. We chose paint-matched Sonata keypads that disappeared into the walls and carried Ketra lighting throughout every viable fixture inside and out. Palladiom shades were added for privacy and convenience, with their minimalist design that integrates easily with today’s modern decor. Lutron's unique sun-tracking technology recreates the natural progression of sunrise, midday, and sunset indoors, allowing the light to complement the beautiful outdoor setting. 

Retrofit Without Disruption

One of the biggest challenges in home automation is bringing high-end technology to existing homes without major construction. This project showcased Lutron's retrofit solutions perfectly. The company offers battery-powered shades and wall controls that communicate wirelessly to make it easier to integrate lighting control and automated window treatments into existing spaces. We were able to deliver a sophisticated smart lighting and shading solution without opening walls or disrupting the homeowners' daily life.

Everything was designed to integrate cleanly into the existing design. The paint-matched controls blend invisibly with the home's aesthetic, while all the advanced technology works behind the scenes. The result is a home that feels completely natural while offering the benefits of smart automation..

What This Recognition Means

This award validates what we've always known—that exceptional home automation doesn't require compromise. Whether you're building new or enhancing an existing home, the right expertise can deliver technology that truly enhances how you live.

Being recognized among North America's top integrators reinforces our commitment to solving complex challenges while prioritizing client needs. This recognition is particularly meaningful because retrofit projects demand extra creativity and technical skill to achieve seamless results.

At Elite Automation, we're proud to bring this level of expertise to homeowners throughout Seattle and the Eastside. Are you looking to upgrade your space? Let's start the conversation.