Smart Home Lifestyle

September 23, 2006

Here are 4 things to think about before planning your 'smart home'

When it comes to dating, decorating and diets, it’s a women’s prerogative to change her mind, but when it comes to smart home design, she’d better stick to a plan. Besides, when it’s all said and done, every smart woman knows that the smarter the house, the more the “she time” she has.

What’s in your wallet?

Before you even head out to the audio/video store, first decide on a budget. Electronics are like cars, you’ve got your base models, and your upgrades. And let’s face it, tempting add-ons quickly send prices sky-high, which could mean sacrificing in other areas throughout your home.

Don’t know where to start? If you’re building a home, I recommend allowing around one percent of the total cost of the home for the wiring. When you think about it, spending $3,000 on wiring a $300,000 home isn’t much, considering all the perks you’ll get down the road. Just make sure the wiring provides smart home capabilities such as audio/video distribution, telephone, intercom, computer networking and home automation.

It’s not just black and white

Plasma TVs still reign these days, and thanks to plummeting prices, the choice between plasma and those bulky rear projection TVs has never been clearer. But what should you choose if you’re building a dedicated home theater room? And, what about the guest room and the kitchen?

Make a list of all the rooms you’d like TV’s in and consider usage when deciding on type and cost. The guest room may not warrant the cost of a plasma TV, especially if it will be hidden in an armoire. And, in the kitchen, the best bet is an LCD screen with a flip mount that can be easily stored up under the cabinet to allow for more counter space.

For a dedicated theater room, front projection gives the closest movie theater feel. Just remember that picture quality will be best in a room with low light and no windows. So, if you like to read while your husband watches his favorite new release DVD, you might want to opt for plasma or rear projection instead.

Would you like one zone or two?

Whole house music gets a little trickier, especially considering the different zone options. Multi-zone music systems let you hear different music in different rooms of your house.

Don’t have enough cash for a full blown automation system? As long as you’ve got the wiring in place for speakers and volume controls, you can start with the basics and upgrade later.

At the most basic level, you’ll have need speakers, a volume control in each room, a receiver, a CD player, and for true audiophiles, don’t forget your turntable. Then, when your budget allows, multi-zone music systems easily replace the old, while utilizing the same wiring bundles.

Time is on your side

These days, it’s all about saving time and the convenience factor. To get the most control of your home, consider what you want for end results. Do you have lots of guests and want controlling the home theater a one-button task? How about being able to control the lights from any room in your house? And for those with two homes, wouldn’t it be nice to “dial-in” to the house at the beach and check your camera system and your heating and air?

Home automation and lighting control systems make life simpler by combining multiple functions into one easy-to-use system. Once you’ve got your smart wiring in place, automation fits right in, but lighting control is a different story.

Lighting control is wired differently than other smart home systems, but can still be integrated. Systems like Lutron Lighting Control can be programmed to work with Crestron Automation systems to utilize the same Crestron control touchpanels.

Author: Diana Kostigen, Marketing/Public Relations Director, Comtec