Oh, if home automation were could be so simple! Well, if you can afford a $14 million dollar mansion, then yes, you can probably pull off something similar to this control-it-all system with 3 simple modes to chose from: "Chill, Party and Away."
Because of the older nature of the 12,000 sq. foot LA home, with tons of previous electrical work built in, Vantage's home automation integration not only had to take center stage, but required help of many other professional installers from Creative Control Design, RocketBoy Systems and Westco Electrical.
However, the end result is an achievement in home automation only a few of us can relate to. Tons of touchscreens litter the walls, allowing easy access to turn the home from a calm oasis to an all-out lounge for guests. With the flick of a switch, settings and schedules for temperature, lighting, and home theater equipment all switch to their set modes. Did we mention the swimming pool was integrated as well?
We're on the lookout for affordable options to create something similar on the cheap (we don't think most of us have the money to hire a team of professional home automation installers, let alone $14 million for a home at this caliber).
If you have any ideas to pull off a simple home automation system, let us know below!
(Via Electronic House)
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Love the home movie theater!
It looks like 6 modes to me.
It really depends on what you mean by "simple home automation." Different settings for lighting shouldn't be difficult to do. A main control switch turns the slave switches on or off, or dims the light to a preset level...
I'm not a big fan of those home theaters that look like real movie theaters. They don't look very cozy. I'd rather have a sectional and a nice chair in a lounge kind of set-up in front of the big screen. Think Super Bowl party with that huge screen while being able to socialize, or letting my son lie down on the couch while watching a movie during family movie night.
I read this article at Electronic House a couple of days ago and I was pleased to see that other integrators are programming systems the way that we do.
Simplicity is so important. 95% of the time my customers use the same two or three buttons or functions. So why confuse them with 1000 options and controls for things they don't need or want?
You don't have to have a $14m home to enjoy the benefits of home automation or even dedicated home cinema.
We do a lot of simple automation (Lighting, HVAC, Shading) on smaller budgets.
We also do turn-key dedicated home theater installs from around 25k.
www.couturedigital.com
One of the things I like about living in a small space is that automating it is relatively inexpensive. I did some renovations last year, and installed automated light switches in the new space; I'm planning to outfit the rest of the home when I make a few lighting updates elsewhere. In most cases, you can do a basic lighting system for about $50 a switch (plus installation) if you have some tech knowhow.
Hey, it's Father Vito Cornelius!!! Love the 5th Element!!