Improve your health and sleep with circadian lighting

Circadian rhythm is our body’s internal clock that tells us when it is time to sleep or wake, depending on the light levels and the signals our eyes send to our brain. These days, most of our daily light exposure comes from artificial lighting, either in our homes or our workplaces, and it doesn’t follow the natural daily rhythm. Light quality has a direct effect on our energy levels, and typical indoor lighting is often too dark to raise daytime energy levels or too light to wind down to. Research shows that extended exposure to low-quality lighting can have a negative effect on our health, resulting in a low mood, fatigue, lack of concentration, and poor sleep quality.

IoT can add a great deal of convenience and flexibility to your home

The “internet of things” (IoT) is a catch-all term for devices that are connected to the internet and exchange or communicate information. Until fairly recently, IoT was primarily reserved to describe applications in commercial, industrial, or infrastructure sectors. Now, with the rise of smart homes, connected vehicles, wearable technology, connected health applications, and the like, IoT has migrated into our homes and offices.

Don't Settle for Slow Internet Speeds

Your smart home is only as good as its network. Having a fully functioning home network keeps day-to-day life running smoothly. It’s not just TVs, smartphones, and tablets that connect to a home network, it can be lights, audio systems, surveillance systems, outdoor speakers, and even appliances. Connectivity for these devices can happen in one of two ways: wireless and wired — either connecting devices via a WiFi signal or a physical Ethernet cord.

Here's how to set up a connected home designed for efficiency inside & out

Today’s home building and design processes tend to be more focused on the interior of the home. People often don’t give a lot of thought to the exterior until much later in the process. That is especially true when it comes to outdoor technology. If you want to add tech to your outdoor space, it’s best to plan for it at the same time you’re thinking about indoor tech. That way, you get the correct wiring and infrastructure in place, and everything can be integrated to work together.

Motorized shades let you decide when to let sunshine in and when to enjoy more privacy

While it’s probably safe to say that most of us enjoy spending time in the backyard when the weather is nice, that can quickly turn miserable if you end up just baking in the sun. Motorized shades not only add shade to your outdoor environment, but also give you the flexibility to control when, where, and how much shade you want. No more messing around with trying to get the umbrellas in just the right spot. No more turning cranks until you can’t feel your arms. Just flip a switch, grab a remote, or open an app on your smart device and voilá!

Looking for an outdoor projector & screen? We can help.

Outdoor projectors are a great choice for social gatherings, offering convenience and portability, not to mention a safer way to enjoy a movie with friends or family in an open-air environment. Paired with a good-sized screen and some comfortable chairs or loungers, the sky’s the limit for entertainment value.

The following are a few things to take into consideration when looking for an outdoor projector and screen.

Mood is everything. Mood can be the difference between a room that sparkles and shines and one that is too lit, or one that is just the perfect amount of aromatic atmosphere and one that is so dark everybody is tripping over themselves.

A great way to control mood is through lighting – and advanced home lighting solutions make this easier than ever! And, with Halloween on everybody’s mind, mood becomes even more important. To help celebrate the season — and also educate you on the greatness that is home-lighting control – we put together this list that will help all of our customers deck out their homes for Halloween, and the many seasons to come!

Looking for added security? Smart door locks are what you need

Smart door locks are one of the new technological advancements smart homes are starting to utilize more often. If you’re tired of losing your house key, looking for added security, want your kids to be able to access the home when you’re not home or want to let guests in remotely, smart door locks are what you need.

A smart door lock is just one more advantageous feature to add to your smart home — here’s why:

Bring the cinematic experience into the comfort of your own home

Dedicated home theaters, designed for watching content on the big screen, bring the cinematic experience into the comfort of your own home. These rooms are becoming increasingly popular with new technologies, allowing you to personalize the lighting, seating, sound, and other features of the room — maximizing the experience.

There are a lot of factors at play in a home theater. Considering each aspect can help you curate the perfect home theater for your space.

Experience the Ultimate Comfortable Living with Control4 Smart Home Systems

You’ve undoubtedly heard about the remarkable and continuing advancements smart home technology has unleashed upon the world. But, the truth is, unless you've experienced this exceptional automation first hand, it’s hard to explain and harder to grasp.

That’s why we’ve dedicated this blog to describing a Control4 automated home from the homeowner’s perspective, sans the technical jargon. As leading providers of smart home services in St. Augustine, FL, we’ve witnessed the incredible looks on the faces of our clients when they find themselves controlling their homes with just one touch.

Why the Modern Home Needs Smart Lighting and Shading Control

Home automation has come a long way over the past few decades. What was considered advanced years ago, such as TV remotes and light motion detectors, are now standard features in most homes throughout the country. But you want a home that’s better than “standard,” don’t you? Instead of settling for an average home in Buckhead, GA, upgrade to a robust and smart lighting and shading control system.

With the touch of a button on a remote or icon on a smart home tablet, you take control of all the shades and lights in your home (or in a specific room). You can even set scenes! Read our article to discover the unique benefits of these state-of-the-art smart home technologies. 

How a Premium Outdoor Sound System Adds More Entertainment to Your Life

Do you enjoy the time you spend in your backyard, pool, patio, or outdoor entertainment areas? There’s something about celebrating special moments outside with friends and family or spending time alone that revives the soul – not to mention the fresh air, gentle breeze, and beautiful starlit evenings. But there’s one thing you may be missing outside: an outdoor audio system.

By installing a premium outdoor sound system, you enhance your entertainment experience. Imagine listening to classical music while wading in the pool or turning up the tunes when you host a party. Keep reading to discover how to make your home in Alpharetta, GA, a music-filled haven.

Georgia’s Top Home Theater Store Gives a Sneak Peak of What’s to Come

If there’s one thing that’s constant in this world, it’s change. 2017 is going to see a lot of great advances in home theater technologies—are you planning on taking advantage of them? Before you head over to your local Alpharetta-Milton home theater store, take a look at our predictions for next year's biggest home theater trends.

1. 4K Displays

Still stuck using a regular HD display for your theater system? By the end of 2017, you’ll be hard pressed to find a television for sale that isn’t 4K Ultra HD. These upgraded displays boast four times the number of pixels, and now that they’ve entered mainstream adoption, they’re really quite affordable. Whether you want a regular television or a traditional projector and screen, if you’re planning on investing in a home theater, 4K is a must-have.

2. Full Automation

The cinema experience isn’t complete without the feeling of just sitting down and having the theater come to life in front of you. That’s possible with smart home automation. With automation, all of the elements in the theater room are connected into one easily manageable system. You never have to go through the manual effort of turning on the projector, lowering the screen, turning off the lights, closing the window shades, and so forth. Instead, just sit down, press the “Movie” button, and the rest happens automatically.

SEE ALSO: Home Theater Installation Guide: 5 Must-Have Features

3 Great Landscape Lighting Technologies for Your Florida Property

While the winter weather isn’t as bad in Florida as it is up north, even homeowners in the Sunshine State have to deal with the gloomy darkness of the winter season. Shortly, the festive Christmas lights that have brightened up the streets will be gone, leaving St. Augustine homes dim until Daylight Saving Time in March.

But there’s good news! With a stylish lighting design and some hands-free automation technology, your home’s exterior can be cheery and bright all season long. To learn about home lighting control and how you can use it to make your property’s landscape shine, read on.

Create a Natural and Healthier Environment in Your Home with Human-Centric Lighting

There’s a lot to say about smart lighting control and how it adds convenience and beauty to your lifestyle. An automated and remote-controlled lighting system transforms how you interact with all the lights in your rooms. However, it can offer even more to your Buckhead, GA home. Circadian lighting is not only “smart,” but it changes color and intensity throughout the day to sync with your body’s natural rhythm.

You’ll start the morning more refreshed, have more energy during the day, and fall asleep peacefully. Those are some of the benefits of tunable circadian lighting. Add motorized shades, and you create an environment for a healthy home and family. Read more to see how it works.

Discover How Home Automation Solutions Bring Simplicity and Luxury to Your Life

Everybody wants to have a happy home – a place to enjoy great times, good friends, and meaningful moments with family. A robust and customized home automation system sets the stage for a satisfying and rich lifestyle. And it’s quite enjoyable to use too, which makes it a futuristic perk for everyone in your household.

You can adjust your smart lighting by voice command. Your kids can play Disney tunes through the whole-home audio system. And your spouse can lower the motorized shades throughout the house by touching an icon in a smart home tablet. It’s time to discover how home automation solutions offer a practical and sophisticated way to interact with all the technologies in your Sandy Springs, GA, home. Keep reading below!

Learn How Golden Ear Speakers and Control4 Take Whole-Home Music to a New Level

Silence is golden, except when you’re listening to music through Golden Ear speakers. The company specializes in designing, engineering, and producing high-end speakers that make music-listening an absolute pleasure. The Triton 2+ series and Invisa series allow you to place speakers throughout your entire home, creating an immersive, multi-room audio experience like no other.

With a Control4 home automation system in place, you can easily take command of the songs, volume, and other audio features through the tap of an icon. Keep reading to see how Golden Ear and Control4 come together to improve how you listen to music in your Atlanta, GA, home.

A Multipurpose Home Entertainment Space with All the Technologies You Need for Movies, Media, and More

Make room for something more in your media room! In the past, home theaters and media rooms never mixed company. One was for watching movies and TV shows; the other was for listening to high-end music. Now, things are changing. More and more homeowners want a home entertainment space that provides all the above and more.

A customized media room design centers around all your entertainment needs: movies, music, games, and socializing. It caters to the sights, sounds, and sensations you love. It often includes a big-screen TV or projector and screen system, high-end surround sound, smart lighting, and even themed décor to give your room personality.

Keep reading to see how the following technologies turn your media room in Sandy Springs, GA, into a versatile multipurpose space.

Smart Lighting Control Elevates Your Mood and the Ambiance of Your Home

When it comes to home lighting, a lot has changed since Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. In addition to incandescent bulbs, we now have fluorescent, halogen, neon, LED, and fiberoptic lighting. With so many choices available, as well as lighting fixtures and controls, there’s no reason to settle for traditional lights and switches in your home.

One of the most impressive ways to add light, life, and smart home automation to your home is with a tunable lighting system. Instead of having lights with one color, you can change the hue and intensity of your lights by tapping a button or setting a scene. Keep reading to discover how a tunable lighting system allows you to customize the look and feel of your Atlanta, GA, home.

Morning to Evening – Control4 Installation Helps You Experience Luxurious Living

The thrill of driving a smart car is experienced only when you’re in the driver’s seat. A smart TV is only smart when you’re using it. And a smartphone offers the convenience you want only when the screen is on. But a smart home? That’s a different story altogether! A Control4 home automation system gives you one-touch control of every connected home technology – morning, day, and evening.

Touch an icon to turn on the lights. Speak to your whole-home audio system to play music. Set an automated scene that adjusts every technology in your Alpharetta, GA, home with one command. Keep reading to discover the practical, luxurious, and 24-hour benefits of Control4 installation.