Automation

CEDIA award-winning residence
Audio Systems/Hi-end Audio, Automation, Lighting Control, Media Rooms, Motorized Window Shades, News, Sleek design

La Scala Earns 3 Prestigious 2018 CEDIA Awards Recognizing Exceptional Home Technology Installations

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This stunning waterfront residence earned three of the custom electronic design industry\’s most prestigious awards: Best Integrated Home, Technology Meets Design and Life Lived Best at Home. The “Technology Meets Design” award celebrates the best integration of technology that complements the design scheme for the room or home. The judges, drawn from the  architecture and interior design community, were looking for a project that showed a successful working partnership with the integrator and design and build industry partners and our relationship with Vancouver\’s Aaron MacKenzie-Moore Design was nothing short of exemplary. \”La Scala’s ability to incorporate technology into the home’s aesthetics are in full evidence here, as the team says: The homeowners love to entertain but made it clear that the interior look and quality of finish must not be compromised with the introduction of technology. Sound was expected in all rooms of the home but not seen. Invisible speakers were used in 16 zones which included all three guest suites, hallways, closets, laundry room, and invisible subwoofers rounding out the sound in the family room. The media room is a non-traditional room that is also used as a reading lounge that overlooks the beach. Soft furniture, motorized roller shades, and heavy fabric curtains were included to soften the hard surfaces and increase the acoustic opportunities, as well as to block out the ambient light coming from the beach-front windows. Life Lived Best at Home, a CEDIA Cornerstone Having won in the \”Best Integrated Home\” and \”Technology Meets Design\” categories, the judges sought a winner for the \”Life Lived Best at Home\” designation. Beyond the technology and aesthetic design considerations, the judges now were looking for a \”residence that used technology to maximize and enhance the client’s lifestyle, providing functionality, safety, entertainment, convenience, aesthetics, and efficiency.\” Not only did this project incorporate the technology beautifully into the home\’s design, but the judges agreed that it encompassed the homeowner\’s desires, considerable enhancing their lifestyles. A scene called “Movie Night” on the control system, which softens the media room by dimming the lights, rolling down the shades, and drawing the curtains while turning on the media room components. A single button solution puts the home into “Entertain” mode. The system needed to be flexible, so the homeowner could make minor scene adjustments without the need of a programmer or site visit. We offer a few control solutions, but the feature of using real pictures of the home to navigate the control system was very appealing for our clients. The Savant system provided this option. The team at La Scala is extremely pleased with the project outcome and proud of the recognition received. Please contact us to learn more and visit the links below to view the project gallery and read about the additional accolades yet to be won for this gorgeous waterfront home. See the Gallery of Photos International Design Award Excellence Finalist SBID 2018 IDIBC 2018 Shine Awards of Excellence

Seura Smart Mirror
Automation, Luxury Vacation Homes, Sleek design, Tech Trends

Smart Bathrooms of the Future are Here

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What comes to mind when you think about a smart home? You probably didn’t imagine a sleek, high-tech smart bathroom. The smart space you’ll REALLY live in It’s easy to want the best and newest technology and design for all your living and entertaining spaces, but what about the rooms you actually live in? Most homeowners place such an emphasis on their living spaces – only considering those in which they entertain guests – that they forget about just how much time they spend living in their bathrooms. So why haven’t you made your bathroom just as smart as the rest of your home? It’s probably the first place you go when you wake up and the last place you go before crawling into bed. You pamper yourself here, you prepare for the day here – not to mention the necessary nature of it in the first place. And if you’re at all concerned about resale value down the road, all signs point to futuristic bathrooms making their way into everyday homes. From high-tech toilets to functional fixtures Technology exists for every purpose and place in your home – including your bathroom. Whether you want a television mounted by the bathtub so you can watch your favorite movies, piped-in audio so you can perform a concert in your shower, or a smart mirror to keep your life at your fingertips, consider turning your bathroom into the place you love to live in most. Consider the added comfort of connecting the smart home control you already have in the rest of your home to your bathroom. Control your thermostat, dim the lights and still have access to your security system so that winding down from the day is just as relaxing as it is necessary. By incorporating the right features into your bathroom, you can create an oasis out of something that used to be seen as utility. Consult a professional integrator Regardless of how futuristic or minimalistic you’d like your bathroom to be, the pros are here to make sure it’s just as smart as the rest of your home. Need more inspiration for bathroom tech and design before you start? Check out this handy guide to some of 2018’s trends.

Samsung The Frame at LaScala
Automation, Sleek design, Tech Trends

Smart Home Meets Smart Style

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So you want a smart home, but you’re not sure how to integrate all of the technology you want into the design style you have. Lucky for you, technology doesn’t have to be a hindrance to your style anymore. Instead, choose technology that stands out and doubles as artwork or has the ability to blend seamlessly in so that you won’t even realize it’s there. Design That Changes with Your Mood Think about the way your living spaces are currently configured. There’s a good chance your furniture centers around the television. But what about that space when your television is off? You’re left with a black, blank rectangle on the wall – and that’s a missed opportunity. Consider adding a television that easily doubles as your own personal art gallery, with paintings or photography you can change as you wish, that matches your style and mood perfectly. You can even use your own photographs to add a personal touch to your living space to make your technology work for you, even when it’s off. What’s more, these televisions can be fitted into the wall for a seamless look or come beautifully framed, ensuring your television fits the design, and not the other way around. A Reflection of Your Design Style And it doesn’t stop with just television screens. Adding a smart mirror (or a few) to your home is an excellent way to add connectivity to your smart home without compromising style or practicality. Imagine a customizable dashboard complete with weather, social media updates, your calendar – even voice-control of your home’s systems – all from your bathroom mirror. Smart mirrors allow the perfect mix of entertainment, organization and functionality, while also coming in designs that are sure to enhance your space. Whether you’d like to start from scratch and include a technology integrator from the beginning of your design plan, or need help updating your current living spaces but aren’t sure how to do it without compromising design, consult La Scala Integrated Media to make sure you’re getting the best tech for your lifestyle and interior design.

Samsung The Frame at LaScala
Automation, Sleek design, Tech Trends

Smart Home Meets Smart Style

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So you want a smart home, but you’re not sure how to integrate all of the technology you want into the design style you have. Lucky for you, technology doesn’t have to be a hindrance to your style anymore. Instead, choose technology that stands out and doubles as artwork or has the ability to blend seamlessly in so that you won’t even realize it’s there. Design That Changes with Your Mood Think about the way your living spaces are currently configured. There’s a good chance your furniture centers around the television. But what about that space when your television is off? You’re left with a black, blank rectangle on the wall – and that’s a missed opportunity. Consider adding a television that easily doubles as your own personal art gallery, with paintings or photography you can change as you wish, that matches your style and mood perfectly. You can even use your own photographs to add a personal touch to your living space to make your technology work for you, even when it’s off. What’s more, these televisions can be fitted into the wall for a seamless look or come beautifully framed, ensuring your television fits the design, and not the other way around. A Reflection of Your Design Style And it doesn’t stop with just television screens. Adding a smart mirror (or a few) to your home is an excellent way to add connectivity to your smart home without compromising style or practicality. Imagine a customizable dashboard complete with weather, social media updates, your calendar – even voice-control of your home’s systems – all from your bathroom mirror. Smart mirrors allow the perfect mix of entertainment, organization and functionality, while also coming in designs that are sure to enhance your space. Whether you’d like to start from scratch and include a technology integrator from the beginning of your design plan, or need help updating your current living spaces but aren’t sure how to do it without compromising design, consult La Scala Integrated Media to make sure you’re getting the best tech for your lifestyle and interior design.

Automation, Luxury Vacation Homes, Media Rooms

Is Your Home Ready for Guests?

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Summer is in full-swing and the holidays inevitably are approaching. Before you know it you’ll likely be hosting an out-of-town guest or two. You might be ready for visitors – but is your home? Whether it’s a party that requires a reliable system to impress and keep your guests entertained or some in-laws visiting that could benefit from more intuitive controls, there’s a lot to consider! If you haven’t thought about your home’s technology in a while, now might be a good time.  Upgrades to your home automation can ensure your systems are working seamlessly in time for your guests. Home Automation Simplifies Control You might have mastered your control panel, but will your guests be able to figure out how to turn the lights on and off and adjust the thermostat before they go to bed? Is your lighting control is a bank of switches at the front door or are your shades on a separate remote? Talk to us about integrating your systems and simplifying control. It’s crucial to make sure your controls are easy enough for your guests to understand. Service Plan add Peace-of-Mind Maybe you already have all the right home automation tech in place. However, when was the last time you checked your service plan? Having a proactive service plan for your home automation system from a knowledgeable integrator like La Scala helps ensure you’ll always be up and running.  We\’ll be alerted before any potential problems arise. While you’re at it, don’t forget to check your network and make sure it’s robust enough to handle streaming on all your guests’ devices. Regardless of whether you’re entertaining a few or dozens, for a night or a week, make sure you have the right smart home technology and the best service plan in place. Both you and your guests will be comfortable and thoroughly entertained.

Home automation and the Wine Cellar
Automation, Luxury Vacation Homes, Sleek design

Inspired Cellars and the Benefits of the Automating Your Wine Collection

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Smart home technology might make you think of temperature, automated lighting and shade control, voice-control entertainment and security. What you might not realize is that this technology can extend into your wine collection. Gone are the days of having your wine unprotected and at the wrong temperature or worrying about a power outage at home while trekking across Europe. There are numerous options for any level of connoisseur and any size collection. New technology from the standard cooler to a fully-equipped cellar, complete with the accessibility and organization at your fingertips thanks to state-of-the-art smart home technology and apps, makes this investment an excellent one for your home. These systems have many benefits, the most important being their ability to connect with your existing home automation technology. Motorized shades, lighting and audio aren’t just for your living areas anymore – you can utilize your smart home tech to play your favorite music, control the temperature, adjust the lighting and protect your cellar from unauthorized guests. For those with serious collections, many systems offer monitoring of your inventory, so you know what bottle has been accessed, by whom and when. High-tech options like the Elertus Wine Protection System or the IWG Cellar Cerveau offer your collection protection from humidity, temperature changes and power outages. Systems like the Cellar Cerveau and eSommelier come equipped with label recognition software and RFID label technology to help you track your inventory – down to where the bottle is in your cellar and what your collection is worth. What’s more, some systems come pre-configured with an expansive listing of data like wine types, grape varieties and tasting notes, while others can also offer suggestions for new additions. Whether you’re just starting your collection or have been an oenophile for decades, consider the value of automating your wine cellar. La Scala has been privileged to work with some of Vancouver’s finest designers to integrate these features into our clients’ cellars and would welcome the opportunity to work with you and your design team. Need a little inspiration?  Check out these five luxury homes featuring next-level cellars with automated controls. Can’t wait? Give us a call and let’s get started!

Home automation and the Wine Cellar
Automation, Luxury Vacation Homes, Sleek design

Inspired Cellars and the Benefits of the Automating Your Wine Collection

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Smart home technology might make you think of temperature, automated lighting and shade control, voice-control entertainment and security. What you might not realize is that this technology can extend into your wine collection. Gone are the days of having your wine unprotected and at the wrong temperature or worrying about a power outage at home while trekking across Europe. There are numerous options for any level of connoisseur and any size collection. New technology from the standard cooler to a fully-equipped cellar, complete with the accessibility and organization at your fingertips thanks to state-of-the-art smart home technology and apps, makes this investment an excellent one for your home. These systems have many benefits, the most important being their ability to connect with your existing home automation technology. Motorized shades, lighting and audio aren’t just for your living areas anymore – you can utilize your smart home tech to play your favorite music, control the temperature, adjust the lighting and protect your cellar from unauthorized guests. For those with serious collections, many systems offer monitoring of your inventory, so you know what bottle has been accessed, by whom and when. High-tech options like the Elertus Wine Protection System or the IWG Cellar Cerveau offer your collection protection from humidity, temperature changes and power outages. Systems like the Cellar Cerveau and eSommelier come equipped with label recognition software and RFID label technology to help you track your inventory – down to where the bottle is in your cellar and what your collection is worth. What’s more, some systems come pre-configured with an expansive listing of data like wine types, grape varieties and tasting notes, while others can also offer suggestions for new additions. Whether you’re just starting your collection or have been an oenophile for decades, consider the value of automating your wine cellar. La Scala has been privileged to work with some of Vancouver’s finest designers to integrate these features into our clients’ cellars and would welcome the opportunity to work with you and your design team. Need a little inspiration?  Check out these five luxury homes featuring next-level cellars with automated controls. Can’t wait? Give us a call and let’s get started!

Automation

Making the Everyday Easy

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Why home automation? It’s simple, really. It’s about making your everyday tasks easier and making the complex simple. Some think home technology is purely luxury. Well, that depends on your definition. Home automation is exactly that; it automates features in your home. Those features may include your lights, window treatment, smart door locks, climate, garage door, security features and more. It makes them work together as one. Sure, it’s a nice to pull up in front of your home late at night and, right from your phone, be able to activate a welcome scene that lights your path and home’s interior while unlocking the door. But it also helps to keep you safe. And imagine if faced with a fire or medical emergency – first responders could easily identify the home with the flashing entry lights. With this technology available, doesn’t it just make sense? And let’s consider efficiencies of saving energy, time and money. Imagine occupancy sensors that turn off the lights in an empty room and motorized shades that raise and lower to either take advantage of the sun’s warmth to light and heat your home or block it out when the heat is intense. Lighting control with pre-set scenes of slightly dimmed lights also yield savings, while adding ambiance and convenience. As a parent, home automation offers peace-of-mind. You can get an alert when your teen makes it home safely or remotely open the door when the need arises. As a caregiver, simple automated features, accessed by voice control, can keep an aging loved one in their home longer while sensors can let you know if they’re out of bed and have opened the medicine cabinet. In this fast-paced world, why not simplify where it makes sense and make your everyday a little easier? Free up some time to enjoy the true luxuries, like extra time with friends and family. Call us today and let’s explore how we can make your everyday easy.

Automation, Tech Trends

Meet Your Home\’s New Interface

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The tiny interface that can understand your natural language and connect your whole home You’ve automated your entire home. Your new, smarter home—outfitted by your professional technologies integrator—is complete with all of the control systems necessary to keep your home in check. But how do you plan to keep it all connected? Meet your home’s new interface, Josh. Josh.ai is a luxury voice control system, designed to work with your professionally-installed home automation. Leading the industry in Natural Language Processing and complete with machine-learning to adapt to you and your preferences, Josh is easy to use. When properly installed by a professional integrator, Josh ensures the best home automation experience. Josh.ai is “artificial intelligence as unique as the home it runs,” and serves as a whole-home processor, connecting with all of the devices in your network, from pre-existing control systems like Crestron and Lutron. The interface, designed to fit the aesthetic of any room, can go anywhere and do anything you want in your home. Its touch-sensitive surface works to control event triggers like mood lighting or volume control — a feature only outdone by its intelligent voice control and ability to understand natural language. Josh can help you control the temperature, humidity and lighting in your home to make your home even smarter. Its sensors can tell which room you’re in and can adapt its functions using its contextual awareness. Josh allows you to make your home automation smarter, without even needing to physically interact with it. If you’re serious about automating your home and making your professional installation work for you, Josh could be the “holistic interface” you need.

Automation, Tech Trends

Meet Your Home\’s New Interface

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The tiny interface that can understand your natural language and connect your whole home You’ve automated your entire home. Your new, smarter home—outfitted by your professional technologies integrator—is complete with all of the control systems necessary to keep your home in check. But how do you plan to keep it all connected? Meet your home’s new interface, Josh. Josh.ai is a luxury voice control system, designed to work with your professionally-installed home automation. Leading the industry in Natural Language Processing and complete with machine-learning to adapt to you and your preferences, Josh is easy to use. When properly installed by a professional integrator, Josh ensures the best home automation experience. Josh.ai is “artificial intelligence as unique as the home it runs,” and serves as a whole-home processor, connecting with all of the devices in your network, from pre-existing control systems like Crestron and Lutron. The interface, designed to fit the aesthetic of any room, can go anywhere and do anything you want in your home. Its touch-sensitive surface works to control event triggers like mood lighting or volume control — a feature only outdone by its intelligent voice control and ability to understand natural language. Josh can help you control the temperature, humidity and lighting in your home to make your home even smarter. Its sensors can tell which room you’re in and can adapt its functions using its contextual awareness. Josh allows you to make your home automation smarter, without even needing to physically interact with it. If you’re serious about automating your home and making your professional installation work for you, Josh could be the “holistic interface” you need.

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