If you’ve ever built a new home or endured a remodeling project, you’re well aware of the importance of planning out every detail no matter how insignificant it might seem. Whether you did a kitchen makeover or converted an extra bedroom into a man cave, the first step in your planning journey is always the same, determine your ultimate goal for the project. Once you have those goals in mind, you’ll be able to consider decisions related to design, materials, and budget. But perhaps you’re not aware of the possibilities related to Vantage lighting control for your Dallas, TX home. Read on to learn more about this must-have home upgrade.

SEE ALSO: Motorized Shades, Smart-tech to Reduce Energy Consumption

Why upgrade your home’s lighting system?

The days of flipping a switch to turn on a single light at a time have gone the way of the rotary phone, it may have worked well for its time, but new technology has come along to replace it and provide a better user experience. No longer do homeowners have to fumble for a light switch, arrive home to a dark property or have to worry about their house while away on vacation.  

• Get Hands-Free Control – How often do you make your way through the garage or into your home, hands full of groceries, luggage, or a toddler? And no way to turn on the lights? With an occupancy sensor, the light turns on automatically whenever you enter a space. Not only great for entry ways, but also for rooms where you often enter with your hands full, such as a pantry, wine cellar, or laundry room. These same sensors can turn off lights a short while after you leave the space, making it easy to save on energy. 

• Increase Safety and Security – The end of summer signals shorter days and no one in your family wants to arrive home to a dark house and fumble with the keys at the front door. A well-lit property allows each family member to safely make their way from the car into the house. An automated lighting system can be programmed to turn lights on around your property at sunset each day. An outdoor system that incorporates pathway lighting prevents slips, trips, and falls keeping you, your family, and guests safe. Additionally, landscape lighting can be added to increase the curb appeal of your property. 

• Set Your Home to ‘Vacation’ Mode – Do you worry about what’s going on at your house when you are away on vacation? With a ‘vacation’ lighting scene, you can enjoy your time away without thinking about your home. Before you step out of the door, enroot to that tropical destination, tap on the scene button and voila, your home goes into away mode meaning lights come on at random times throughout the day and into the evening so that your house appears as though someone is home. Your outdoor lights, as well as, shades can be programmed as part of the scene giving you added peace of mind while you are away.  

With Vantage lighting control, table and floor lamps can also be added to your lighting system providing convenient access to all the lights in your home. Start with a single-room and add on to the system as you need or outfit your entire home with lighting automation. Contact one of our lighting experts to learn about what’s possible. 

There’s nothing quite like the experience of watching a classic Hollywood movie or listening to your favorite music playlist in the comfort of your own home. But can your home network support the plethora of devices and streaming activities that your family uses on a daily basis including laptops, game consoles, Blu-ray players, smartphones, tablets, televisions, video streaming and game downloads? The typical home network is slow and inconsistent. Isn’t it time you upgraded? Read on to learn more about inviting the future of tech into your home.

Support 4K Streaming

Televisions are getting bigger, and prices are coming down—in particular, 4K ultra high-definition TVs. But what good is a fancy, new 4K TV if your network doesn’t have the bandwidth to support your family’s streaming habits? Greater download speeds will transform the way you watch TV and open up a world of crisp color that is sure to make your friends jealous. Slow download speeds result in buffering issues and lag time, which no doubt you have experienced.  

SEE ALSO: Are You Making these Home Networking Mistakes?

An additional piece of information to be aware of is that internet service providers (ISP) often put a cap on the total amount of data that a customer can use each month. These caps present a problem when it comes to streaming live video. If your ISP limits your data usage to 50 or 200 GB per month, you could quickly reach your limit when live streaming. 

What’s the easiest way to control your Savant smart home system? From one-touch commands to simple voice-activated controls, there are plenty of ways you can enjoy taking advantage of the technology in your home. In this blog, we’ll show you the many different benefits of finding the custom control solution that works for you. Read on to learn more!

See Also: 3 Reasons to Choose Savant for Smart Home Automation

Use the App

Have you ever sat down in your media room to watch the game only to realize that you couldn’t find the TV remote? It’s one of the most frustrating experiences you can have. So just imagine having to find the remotes for multiple devices, like your TV, surround sound system, shades, thermostat and lighting. That would be totally impossible! So why not centralize control on a device that hardly ever leaves your side – your smartphone.

By installing the Savant app on your smartphone or tablet, you’ll have immediate control over every aspect of your integrated technology system. With intuitive, easy-to-read buttons, you can lower the temperature, select a program and even check security footage within a matter of seconds, and you won’t even have to get up to do it.

If you’re thinking about installing a home theater system in your Southlake, TX residence, there’s one major concern you may not have considered. No, we’re not talking about how you can watch beautiful 4K content, or how you can achieve the best 3D surround sound possible. It’s even simpler than that – we’re talking about how you can minimize ambient light and glare as part of your viewing experience. In this blog, we’ll take you through different technologies that can help prevent washed-out picture in your space. Read on for more.

See Also: How to Choose the Best Screen for Your Home Theater System

Smart Lighting Design

The way your lighting is designed can have a big impact on the amount of glare you see on screen. All fixtures should be pointed away from the screen, so the image won’t be overpowered by them. Moreover, you should have zone controls implemented, so that you can control the lights around the screen separately from the ones in different parts of your theater space.

Motorized Shades

Thinking of upgrading your property with a smart home system? You’re probably trying to weigh the options: should you go hardwired or wireless with your audio system? Can you install a home theater by yourself? These are the types of questions that many homeowners face. But the truth is, you’re almost always better off working with a professional home automation installer. Sure, it may seem like the initial investment is higher than what you want to pay, but in the long run that investment pays off. In this blog, we’ll give you four solid reasons to work with an integrator.

See Also: How to Get Started with Smart Home Technology

Reason 1: They Know What They’re Doing

Installing a smart automation system is a bit more complicated than assembling your average Ikea coffee table – and we all know how annoying that can be. But when you’re working with electronics, the challenges can quickly become overwhelming. You may think it’s easy enough to install a smart thermostat, and you may even be right. But when you want that thermostat to talk to your surveillance cameras, or to respond to a single command that lowers the shades and dims the lights while playing a movie on your AV system, you enter a whole different world. 

Think of it this way: you may be able to change a tire or buff out a dent in your car, but you probably can’t fix the transmission. The same goes for your home automation system.