Join us at BUILDEX this week! You\’ll find us in the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association Pavilion (HAVAN 431). We\’ll share the latest in smart home automation, outdoor audio and video solutions, home theater design and the art of technology! See you at the show! For more on the show, visit BUILDEXVancouver. Like to schedule a time to meet? Please call or contact Mike Chorney at [email protected].
Elan clients, it\’s time to upgrade! Call us today to schedule your consultation.
We all know there’s no place like home for the holidays, but the reality is a lot of us have to travel. While leaving your home behind can be a stressful part of the season, we’re here to help incorporate smart technology into your home to keep it and your belongings safe while you’re away. How “secure” is your security system? The best defense against intruders and other dangers is a security system. Whether you’ve already installed a system or you’re still looking for the right fit, we can help you figure out the best security system to help defend your home. There are endless options to amp up your security – from digital doorbells and locks, to round-the-clock monitoring. Whether you want all the bells and whistles or just the bare essentials, the right tech can help you make sure your belongings are safe! Lighting is as crucial as an alarm This doesn’t mean leave all your lights on while you’re gone, though! Using lighting and shade control to your advantage by setting “scenes” based off the time of day make it look like you’re home, which is an excellent deterrent for unwanted visitors. By incorporating dynamic lighting and shade settings, it will look like you never left home. What’s more, proper lighting and shade control can help you save on energy costs at home or away! Stay safe! Make sure you’re connected 24/7 All of this smart tech can’t be used to the best of its ability if you’re not able to monitor your home from your mobile device, so make sure you have the best apps to keep you connected to your home! By having the right connectivity, you’ll be able to check if the thermostat is properly set, the doors are locked, your kitchen appliances are off, and chat with whoever just rang the doorbell. Staying connected to your home will give you peace of mind while you’re away for the holidays. Ask an integrator Consult a professional integrator when considering new safety or smart home tech to make sure you’re getting the best tech to suit your needs and that your features are compatible! Whether you already have the basics or you’re just starting to look, our knowledgeable team of experts at La Scala can help you.
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
The choices in color, weave and design of window shades are anything but beige! We’ve been touting the benefits of automated window shades for years. They’re an elegant choice in window treatment and offer a variety of unique shading solutions across your home. They save energy. They filter glaring sunlight, adding comfort while protecting your furniture from fading. They can be programmed to simulate that your home is occupied, acting as a deterrent for would-be burglars. And the list goes on. But, as extensive as their features and attributes, are their exquisite array of color and fabric choices. Motorized window coverings can provide anywhere from minimal coverage to complete blackout. If you’re in need of multiple shading solutions, such as a sunny living room that transitions into a cozy, dark TV viewing area, dual roller systems are available, providing an option between the two. The level of sheerness is referred to as the “openness factor”, a ratio of the open space in the fabric. The denser the weave, the higher the light filtering properties. Sheer shades are typically measured in the 1% to 10% range while a blackout shade is at 100% for total blocking of light. A sheer shade filters glare while still allowing clear visibility to the outside. A translucent or dim-out fabric, on the other hand, can range from a low openness factor up to 95% but creates privacy by limiting the amount of detail seen through the weave. Blackout shades block all light and are perfect for home theaters and bedrooms. The weave, or pattern is also a consideration for both design detail and design requirements. Roller fabrics are commonly offered in basketweave, twill and jacquard weaves, each with a unique, directional pattern and manufactured in limited widths. If you have an expansive window opening, the fabric can be turned horizontally and pieced together. This is referred to as railroading. Factoring weight and pattern, certain fabrics lend themselves better to achieving these widths. We’ll guide you through it. One of the nicest features about custom motorized shades is that they can be programmed to stop at select intervals, lowering and raising them throughout the day. Not only does this allow you to take advantage of capturing or filtering daylight, but aesthetically, it enables the shades to rest at desired design features such as mullions or chair rails. Customization doesn’t stop there. Your shades can be programmed in harmony with your lights, music and more to create custom “scenes”. “Good Morning” may lower the shades 50% and brightly light the kitchen while “Good Night” closes the shades and softly illuminates your nighttime paths. For specialized windows, wirelessly controlled shades are the ideal custom solution. Skylights, French doors and dramatic, impossible-to-reach, feature windows all benefit from the energy savings and privacy that motorized shades provide. And color? Check out the available color match solutions that allow you to pinpoint your pantone color or match the exact shade of a favored object! The selections and solutions are endless, so how do you determine the right openness factor, weave, color and control? Let’s set up an in-home consultation. If you’re working with an interior design professional, we’re happy to work together to design window coverings that will complement your décor, add value to your home and weave elegance into your automated lifestyle. Resources: Lutron’s extensive wireless solutions Lutron Fabric Collections Inspiration gallery Lutron Roller Shade Fabrics Crestron Shading Solutions and Custom Color Match
As 2017 draws to a close, so does the availability of funds allocated for 2017 spending. The New Year brings opportunities to upgrade existing infrastructure, increase productivity through updated collaborative technologies and promote your brand through dynamic lobby displays and improvements to client-facing spaces. By purchasing equipment now that will be implemented into your 2018 projects you’ll be able to take advantage of the additional funding while stretching the capabilities of next year’s budget. We can help you and your team strategize, aligning your technology systems with your vision and overall budget. Here are some items for consideration: Digital Upgrade Does your system provide connectivity for today’s digital devices? Users have an expectation of utilizing a meeting space with plug-and-play technologies. Transitioning from outdated analog to digital capabilities is paramount to ensure this functionality. Does your system, for example, have connectivity for wireless, HDMI and mini display port? Meeting Spaces Meeting spaces that are easier to use and more collaborative increase user adoption which, in turn, results in faster decision-making and greater productivity. In the trending open-office environment, huddle spaces offer a focused, collaborative meeting space for small group presentations and ad hoc meetings. Interactive collaborative displays, robust cameras that are soft codec-enabled (Skype for Business, Bluejeans, etc.), and wireless presentation connectivity promote efficient, productive meetings in these spaces. Traditional conference rooms with audio and video-conferencing capabilities would benefit from these enhancements as well as an automated control system. Lighting scenes and motorized shades can also be integrated into the room’s control for an improved user experience. If your room features an older projection system, an upgrade to a laser projector would offer a more engaging presentation along with a significantly lower total cost of ownership (TCO). Client-facing Areas Your lobby/reception area is your first opportunity to engage your customers or prospective employees and convey your brand. Dynamic digital signage can enforce your branding, promote your products and services and inform dwellers of important information and events. Innovative meeting spaces in these client areas make a lasting impression. Hands-on Experience Centers are a great way to engage clients through various interactive displays and immersive technologies. Architectural features in these environments are accentuated by inspired mosaic displays and exceptionally designed lighting for the ultimate customer experience. Sound Management & Speech Privacy Proven to increase worker productivity in today’s open office environments, sound masking eliminates noise distractions. It also adds privacy of enclosed meeting and office spaces from common areas, rendering speech unintelligible. Acoustics are another noise control solution providing barriers and sound absorption that lessen overall noise levels and reduce reverberation from hard surfaces. This increases intelligibility in desired areas and provides a more comfortable working environment. There are numerous ways to address acoustic control. LaScala can provide consultation and recommend the appropriate solution for your space. If you’ve done a great job at controlling your budget throughout the year and find yourself with a surplus, consider an investment in technology that will help grow your business, increase efficiency and foster an innovative and collaborative environment for your employees. Give us a call to strategize ways to put your remaining budget to work for you in 2018 and for years to come.
Put Your Smart Home to Work Throughout the year we strive to keep you abreast of the latest in technologies and trends. 2017 has witnessed the adoption of integrated voice control, amazing advances in LEDs, incredible strides in virtual reality and much, much more! Our smart homes are getting smarter, but how can we use their features to make our homes safer? Well, here are some simple ways to put your home automation system to work, ensuring you and your family a happy, healthy and safe holiday season. Light it Up! Every deterrent counts when your home’s vulnerability is assessed and a well-lit home is your first defense against would-be burglars. Use landscape lighting, flood lights and motion-activated lighting around your entire home. Fake them Out! Inside & outdoors, create lighting scenes that realistically mimic your patterns while you’re away. Lights, shades, televisions and even the Christmas tree can be programmed on alternating sequences to simulate that lived-in look. Gate it off! Be cyber safe by updating your home network. We’re savvy to the latest potential threats and can help protect your home’s critical infrastructure. Lock it down! If you’ve got a home security system, use it. If you don’t have one, call us. If you’ve got one and haven’t used it for a while, call us to schedule to check. Aside from deterring potential thieves, a monitored security system alerts first responders to fire and medical emergencies. And this is a great time to check that your carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. Lock it Up! Automated door locks (keyless smartlocks) with integrated alarms and anti-pick shields add an extra layer of security and convenience. Keep an eye on it! Enhance your security system with cameras and motion sensors. Their presence alone is a great deterrent. You’ll be able to keep an eye on things while away and access recordings should any misdeeds occur. Download the App! Embrace the technology at hand and use the myriad features available. They offer incredible convenience and peace of mind. Pull the plug! Eliminate the possibility of having your garage door breached while you’re away for extended periods. Simply disconnect it from its power source. Resist the urge! We’re our own worst enemies. Don’t flaunt those exquisitely wrapped gifts in the windows for all to see, hold off on that social post from your exotic holiday locale until you’re back home and break down the boxes that your new electronic toys came in to avoid curbside advertising of what’s new on the inside. Be smart and stay safe and healthy this holiday season. If you have any questions about home automation and its role in your safety and security, please contact us. We’re here to help. Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays. Additional Resources: A New Way to Keep Your Things Under Lock and Key Outsmarting Cyber Crimes against Smart Technologies Protecting Your Home from Burglars during the Holidays
Company’s Coming to Town! The holidays are around the corner! Soon our homes will be filled with festive decorations, mouthwatering scents wafting from the kitchen and guests to entertain! Whether you’ve been thinking about sprucing things up before your guests arrive or simply want to make some comfortable home improvements that will add to your holiday merriment, here are some things you may wish to consider. Home for the Holidays Nothing says “Welcome” quite like lighting design. From the moment your guests turn the corner, they’ll see your beautifully lit landscape and inviting walkway. Highlighted artwork and the soft glow of a chandelier in your foyer make a stunning first impression. Programmed lighting scenes can transform the mood at the touch of a button (or a simple “ask” of your voice control). An “Entertain” setting may turn your kitchen into a bustling center of activity full of food prep and laughter while lowering the downlights, sconces and chandelier in the dining room, setting the stage for the elegant evening meal. Following dinner the lights come back up to your “Clean-up” setting and your favorite holiday playlist ques up, drawing everyone to gather around the fireplace (also integrated into your Crestron home automation system). On milder evenings you may wish to entertain on your covered patio. Lighting scenes showcase architectural features, planters and fountains for added drama while highlighting uneven walking surfaces and stairs for comfort and safety. You and your guests can enjoy cozying up with your quilts around the firepit to watch your favorite holiday classics on a weatherproof TV or outdoor projection screen. If the weather outside is Vancouver “frightful”, bring the party indoors into an updated media room or dedicated home theater. We’ll help you plan the perfect space with plenty of plush custom cinema seating for everyone! Be the Envy of Your Neighbors If you’re one who wants to share your joy and seek to become a “destination” (or the next viral video) by putting on an outdoor display that can be seen from space, you’ll need a sound system that’s worthy of the task. Those synchronized music and lighting displays are sophisticated but, if you have an integrated home automation system, we can get you in control and in “sync”! While the neighbors are out gawking at the lights and enjoying the orchestration, unless you have an infamous Leg Lamp prominently displayed in your front window you may want to add some beautiful motorized window shades. Automated shades can be integrated with your lighting scenes and come in an elegant array of weaves, styles and colors. They are the perfect solution for hard to reach floor-to-ceiling windows in voluminous rooms and can be on separate settings. They’re also great for blacking out light in areas for TV viewing and are available for custom installations over skylights, stairway/foyer accent windows, etc. Check out this beautiful guide outlining the Top 10 Reasons to Add Crestron Lighting & Shades to Your Home for some great design ideas. Like a Warm Cup of Cocoa While preparing your guest rooms, imagine offering them the luxury of automation. Easy-to-read and use touch panels, keypads and hand-held remotes that control lighting, fans, fireplaces and more in their room add elegance and enjoyment to their stay. All Snug in their Beds While we’re off dreaming of sugar plums, others are up to Grinch-like behavior scheming to steal the joy from our celebration. Yes, sadly, according to the FBI, nearly 400,000 homes are burglarized during November and December each year. Burglars are opportunists and will move to an easier score when a few simple deterrents are in place. Strong, automated door locks will keep them out while allowing you the ability to “buzz” your family and friends in if you’re caught in holiday traffic. And nothing says “we’re home” like well-timed automated indoor and exterior lighting. And your lighting control can be integrated with your home security system for even greater peace of mind. So give us a call and let us help you prepare for the holidays! We’ll put together the perfect system for you. All you need to do is create your holiday playlist, address your invitations and start shopping! Shopping? Oh yeah, we’ve got you covered there too! Stay tuned for our gift giving guide. We’ll help you find something for every tech-enthusiast on your list! Need more Décor ideas? Visit Vancouver Christmas Market Entertaining ideas outside of your home: Top Things to do in Vancouver at Christmas Lutron Lighting Design – Inspirational Design Gallery
The transition to fall brings many changes; mild temps that have us rushing outdoors to enjoy fall festivals and food trucks, our beautiful Vancouver bursting with color (plan a trip to VanDusen Botanical Garden!), the onslaught of pumpkin-flavored everythings…and the slew of marketing messages stuffed into your bills suggesting it’s time to review your policies! Just like your homeowner’s policy, auto coverage and health insurance are affected by the change in seasons and life events, your home’s technology systems may benefit from an annual assessment too. Imagine all of the devices connected to your personal “internet of things.” How many of those devices have been added since your network was initially set-up? A network upgrade may yield a remarkable difference in your system’s performance. And of those new devices, how many were added to your home media system? Are you getting optimal image and sound quality? And how are they controlled? Some minor programming tweaks could go a long way in how your family uses and enjoys your home’s technology. To Your (System’s) Health! As a CEDIA professional, we recommend an annual “tech-up”, a comprehensive assessment of your home’s technology systems to ensure your system’s “health” and to gauge how happy you are with it and what it provides. We all know how fast time flies and, in “tech” years, that’s “amplified” even more. If it’s been a year, or 3 or 5 since your system was installed, chances are you’re not taking advantage of all it has to offer. You’ve got Questions, We’ve got Answers Let’s set aside an hour to just sit down and talk about how you use your home’s systems. We’ll talk through all of your technology questions; what can my new Apple watch do? How do I set up Alexa to control my automated shades and lighting? Is my media room 4K ready? How do I integrate CDs onto a new platform? Can my new gaming console be integrated onto my remote control so I can stream movies? There’s nothing we love more than to talk tech! Let’s get all your questions answered….maybe even some you hadn’t thought of! We’ll explore your existing system demands. Maybe you added new users to your network or are working from home. And we’ll determine if there are any upgrades available that could maximize performance or add features. We can also address anything you’re currently wanting to add or change and, together, develop a strategy for implementing NextGen technologies. It’s an exciting time in the home automation industry. Systems are integrating more elegantly and efficiently than ever before and voice commands are at the center of it all. Art and technology are truly fusing to create innovative, sophisticated forms of concealment and google and Apple continue to influence everything that touches tech. We’ve got lots to talk about! Make a Note! Like prepping for any valuable appointment, as your technologist we suggest you start of list of things you’d like to discuss during our visit so that we get the full picture of your technology needs. Do a quick walk-through and think about how adding or tweaking a feature could be beneficial. Write down your questions, what you’ve added to your system and what you want to add! Your home’s technology is a part of your everyday life and we appreciate you entrusting us with its care. Please know we’re here to answer your technology questions and help you make the most out of your systems, now and for years to come. Call now and schedule your annual Tech-up! We welcome the opportunity to reconnect. And be sure to check back soon. We’ll discuss optimizing your system’s health through a comprehensive preventative maintenance program that takes the worries out of everything from changing batteries in the smoke detector to checking for firmware updates. Stay tuned!
Interior Design and Technology It’s quite the dilemma. Many of us are fixated on home renovation shows, becoming obsessed with shiplap and subway tile. We’re into open floor plans and oversized clocks. We want large dining rooms and dreamy outdoor spaces for entertaining, but when we’re ready to settle in on the comfy couch for our favorite weekly drama, or curl up with the family to stream a movie, we’d like to see a TV! Have you noticed what’s missing in some of the “fixer upper” shows? Technology! Why IS that? Granted, some embrace technology-free zones with no disruptive television, gaming consoles or mobile devices in designated homework or family dinner spaces. That’s great, but many technologies actually keep us safe, comfortable, informed and entertained. Window coverings, LEDs, control devices and lighting design are elegant and convenient. So, why is technology so often overlooked in design? Plan Now or Patch Later First, for the best possible outcome, let the technology solutions provider (us) work with the Interior Designer from the onset of the project. We can determine the technology requirements and provide the needed infrastructure before the shiplap, subway tile or custom wallpaper goes up. We can provide the cabling and determine power requirements, saving time and costly refinish work now or down the road. Sure, that painting looks great over the mantle, but would you eventually like to hang an OLED there? Let’s wire for it now so we don’t disturb the brick or wood later. Or, even better, let’s hang it now and conceal it with custom framed artwork that scrolls up to reveal the display! Oh yes, we can! Wireless Isn’t the Only Answer Windows are another key design element that require careful planning. Not only should consideration be made for the type and size of windows in media areas and other TV viewing areas, but thoughtful pre-wiring for control and power will be appreciated when you decide to install motorized shades. It’s true that control for some features can be via wireless remotes, but we still need a power source. The same holds true for keypads and touchscreens, projectors, security features, architectural speakers and especially the home’s equipment rack. The equipment rack is the technology hub, housing some or all of the system’s components. It is often centrally located in a closet that offers adequate ventilation and the ability to run cabling for every device and control interface to each room of the house. Homes with crawl spaces, basements and attics make this task somewhat easier, but often times we are faced with concrete, wood beams or even glass walls and floors of exquisite hardwood or tile that don’t allow access. Get the picture? Speaking of exquisite features, one “designer” that truly embraces tech is South Florida’s Vanilla Ice. While his over-the-top “bring on the bling” style is as different as our landscapes, his luxury designs focus on the elegance, entertainment and fun-factor of well-planned integrated technologies. From outdoor living areas, kitchens, master bedrooms and baths to outrageous home theaters and virtual reality gaming rooms, he focuses on how the family will use the space and designs around the technology. Say what you will about a rapper-turned-house-flipper, but his VIP (Vanilla Ice Project) designs require no retrofit (and he’s all about that fancy wallpaper). So, let’s get the whole design team – the homeowner, the interior designer, architect and technology solutions provider in sync. The end result will be a happy homeowner and beautiful, untouched high-end finishes (or maybe even some shiplap)!
We are always happy to help.
La Scala Integrated Media Corporation
1385 Boundary Road,
Vancouver, BC Canada V5K 4T9
Main Office Number: 604-606-1888
General Email: [email protected]
Service Department (For Repairs & Smaller Upgrades): 604-558-8255
Service Email: [email protected]
