Make the Outdoors a Real Extension of Your Smart Home 

To entertain your guests on the patio, do you need to walk around plugging in lights and speakers to extension cords? Or juggle different remotes to activate the gas fireplace, lights, and outdoor TV? 

If a system is a chore to start, you most likely won’t use it. And unfortunately, that dilemma often applies to outdoor spaces. Fortunately, home automation can apply to your outdoor areas, too. 

Here’s how you can tie all outdoor technology into a single, intuitive interface, making the outdoors feel like a natural extension of your home — and not a technical hurdle. 

Plan for Your Home’s Technology Before the Walls Close

When most homeowners picture a smart home, they often think about the finished experience: pressing a button to adjust lights across the house, or shades lowering in unison at sunset. What many don’t realize is that the most important work happens long before the devices are installed.

When possible, the best time to plan smart technology is during the design and construction phase. Bringing a technology integrator into the conversation early allows your home to be wired and prepared for automation, entertainment, networking, and security before drywall goes up.

This process is called prewiring, and it lays the foundation for a system that works reliably and discreetly in the background. 

Forget About Muddled Sound and Washed-Out Images 

Once upon a time, adding a big screen and a few surround sound speakers was enough to say you had a home theater. But today, when people talk about home theaters, they want a fully curated experience. An immersive environment that rivals–if not exceeds–what they get in commercial cinemas. All while still having the room feel like a natural aesthetic extension of their home. 

At Walbrand Technologies, we specialize in high-performance home theater installations in luxury homes throughout St. Louis, MO. We know what it takes to make movie magic happen and know it doesn’t come in a one-size-fits-all box. But we do know that all great home theater experiences require stellar visuals, sound, acoustics, and comfort. That’s where your home theater upgrades should begin. 

New Year, New You—Renewed with Natural, Awe-Inspiring Light

It’s the time of year when new beginnings abound. A new diet, new exercise plans, and a new schedule that allows us to spend more time with those we love. There’s something miraculously wonderful about a new year—a time that grants us the opportunity to plan anew on an empty slate.  

And what about your home? What new and innovative design and entertainment projects do you have in mind? Are you upgrading the media room? Replacing the countertops in the kitchen? Or creating that cozy reading nook in the corner you’ve been visualizing for years? 

No matter your projects, two automated technologies can significantly improve the look and feel: smart lighting & shades. Here, we’ll explore the difference these make to your home in St. Louis, MO, and to those who live there.