We’ve written in this space before about the many benefits of home lighting control.  In fact, it is the number one smart home feature that homeowners are interested in when building or remodeling their house.  As a standalone solution, it has many benefits, but when combined with additional smart home features it really multiplies the enjoyment of your St. Augustine, FL residence or vacation home.

Lighting control is undoubtedly all about convenience and luxury, but beyond that, there are concrete benefits in energy efficiency and safety too.

Intrigued?  Let’s explore a few ways that lighting control works with other smart home functions to enhance your lifestyle.

 
See Also: Brighten Up The Season With Landscape Lighting

From your favorite music to the soundtrack from a beloved movie or the roar of the crowd during a big game, sound is an essential and inescapable element of your home life. A whole house audio system can help you merge all those disparate outputs into one interface while also adding new options for entertaining and relaxation. But where do you start, or how can make sure your system is working as well as it could be? We have some ideas for homeowners in the Alpharetta area of Georgia, and we invite you to read on to see if these tips can improve your home audio experience.

 

SEE ALSO: Are You Hearing All of Your Music?

If you’re like us, there are two things you can’t get enough of: the latest music and movies, and total control over home technology.

Thankfully, those are two interests that intersect. After all, how can you enjoy lossless audio and 4K video without a robust home entertainment system?

But all those different components can be a hassle if you don’t know how to use them. So, why don’t you simplify the process by integrating controls with a single user interface?

Don’t know what that means? No problem! This blog will help you understand the benefits of customizing the way you interact with your technology. Just keep reading to learn more.

 
See Also:The Best Way to Control Your Home Entertainment System

When you’re buying clothes, you don’t just need to follow the coolest designers. You need to find the items that fit, and feature flattering cuts.

When you go to the store, you don’t always go to the one that has everything you need. You go to the one that offers the friendliest service.

The point is that when you’re trying to get the best out of something, sometimes you have to look beyond the obvious and consider other factors. It applies to where you get your groceries, and it applies to your home theater design.

If you’re building a private cinema in your Buckhead, GA property, you’ll probably want the coolest 4K Ultra HD display and the latest immersive surround sound system. But that’s not all you’ll need to take your theater to the next level.

What’s the one system that will transform your entire experience? Find out below.

 
See Also:The Secret to Controlling Your Home Entertainment System

With the holiday season quickly approaching, you’re likely scrambling to purchase gifts and make this time of the year a memorable one for your entire family.

But finding the perfect gift doesn’t have to be hard, especially if your family loves great-sounding music.

High-end audio gear is always welcome in homes across Buckhead and beyond. In this blog, we’ve chosen some of our favorite devices that you can add to your system this year.

Just keep reading for more.

 
See Also: The One Technology That Will Make or Break Your Home Theater Design

If you’re a motivated business owner, you spend a good deal of your time searching for innovative and cost-friendly ways to grow your business. But as any owner knows, a growing business often comes with several obstacles you must hurdle in order to keep your company afloat.

If the following three problems are present in your company’s day-to-day, it may be time to consider how commercial automation solutions can drastically help your Cumming, GA business. Just keep reading to find out how.

SEE MORE: Commercial Buildings: What We Can Do for You

Create the Ultimate Sonic Experience Anywhere in Your Home

One of the easiest New Year’s Resolutions you can commit to is listening to more music. Very few people realize the benefits of putting on their favorite records anywhere in the house. Even just a few minutes a day enhances your concentration, reduce stress, and of course make you happier.

Ready to take on what will likely be one of the easiest resolutions of 2019? Elevate your listening experience with a multi-room audio solution in your St. Augustine, FL home. This technology makes it easy to pull up and enjoy music at anytime, anywhere. Variety, convenience, and quality all come together with the following steps:

SEE MORE: How to Get the Most from Whole Home Audio

5 Things to Consider During Your Next Home Theater Installation

If you’re a movie fanatic, you can appreciate the benefits of a genuinely immersive theater experience. Not only do you have powerful audio surrounding you from all sides, but a larger-than-life screen that commands your attention. Getting distracted on your smartphone is not an option as the lights dim, and the movie begins.

That being said, we understand you wanting to avoid it altogether. Having to deal with limited movie times, stale popcorn, and freezing temperatures can ruin even the best movies. Imagine if instead, you could recreate the theater atmosphere in the comfort of your St. Augustine, FL home? Now it's possible with a custom home cinema room. Get a viewing experience even better than the one at the local multiplex by considering these things.

SEE MORE: 3 Huge Mistakes When Installing Home Theater Systems

Find a Smart Home Company to Help You Bring It All Together

How did you fare during the holiday season? As the excitement dies down, it’s time to take stock of all the great gifts you got to close out the year. Go ahead and try on that new shirt, cash out that Amazon gift card, and install all those brand-new tech gadgets. Unfortunately, those brand-new smart speakers, lights, and thermostats aren’t quite as easy to install as advertised. Getting them set up might be easy but getting them to work together is another matter.

Offload the work to a smart home company, so all you have to do is sit back and relax until your gadgets are all ready to work as one from an intuitive app or dedicated touchpad. Do you want to integrate voice control through Amazon Alexa, that’s possible too! Since there may be a variety of smart home companies to choose from in the Alpharetta, GA area, we’ve created a guide to help you gauge which to trust with your brand-new holiday gear.

SEE MORE: Is a Smart Home System Right for You?

The Right Foundation Makes for a More Functional and Reliable Home

Building a smart home requires a lot more than just bringing in a lot of new gadgets. Each device may function well independently, but to get them working together, you’ll need a home automation system that places them all under one umbrella. As with most projects, the key to a successful smart home is all about planning. Smart homes will require extensive programming and wiring to function efficiently and reliably. That’s why home prewiring makes a huge difference when it comes to the quality of the technology in your Cummings, GA home.

SEE MORE: Everyday Convenience With Home Lighting Control

Find the Right 3D Equipment for Your Custom Home Theater

In 2019, there’ll be no shortage of massive 3D blockbuster releases from Avengers: End Game to the live action Lion King movie. Not only that, but some of the biggest 2018 blockbusters are now available in 3D Blu-ray including Ready Player One and Fantastic Beasts.

Even though the multiplex is the most immersive way to enjoy 3D, there are times when you’ll want to watch it in the comfort of home instead. During our time serving Buckhead, GA and the greater Atlanta metropolitan area, we’ve made this possible by installing state-of-the-art 3D home theaters. Our theaters offer the best quality, convenience, and reliance. Here are some of the things we take into consideration during all our installations.

SEE MORE: 4 Mistakes to Avoid When Designing Your Home Entertainment System

Avoid a Disjointed Solution With Total Home Automation

Do you want to take advantage of the many smart home devices that have hit the market? Knowing which you want to include –from smart thermostats to motorized shading—is only the first step. The next one is figuring out how to get them all working together for more convenient and efficient control of your St. Augustine, FL home.

Even though the advertised simplicity of some of these devices makes a DIY installation temping, it’s easy for your smart home installation to go wrong. Do you want to end up in a situation where you have to use ten different apps to go about your day? Total home automation not only helps you centralize control, but it even gets these devices communicating with each other for optimal results.

SEE MORE: Some Unbelievable Benefits of a Control4 System

Work With a Home Automation Professional to Optimize Your Technology

Everyone’s gone into a DIY project full of confidence at some point in their lives and quickly found themselves in over their heads. Smart home technology is no exception in that regard. No one could blame you considering they promote these devices to be easy plug-and-play upgrades for speakers, thermostats, and more.

Novices may be able to do initial setups, but optimizing these devices and getting them to work together requires some additional time and expertise. That’s why we recommend reaching out to a home automation consultant in the St. Augustine, FL area to get your technology set up just right. This blog highlights the ways they improve your smart home and how to choose the right consultant.

SEE MORE: How to Find a Reliable Smart Home Company

Enhance Your Next Project Without Sacrificing Your Budget or Timeline

Expectations are high for 2019 with the National Association of Homebuilders predicting higher buyer demand for new homes due to lower mortgage rates. This comes on the tails of rising sales in 2018 with the last numbers from the Department of Housing showing a 3.7 percent sales increase in December. How can builders entice these new buyers?

As we’ve mentioned in a previous blog, builders and architects can use smart technology to bring in high-end buyers. Not only does home automation in new constructions boast a more streamlined lifestyle for future owners, but it streamlines their décor as well.

During your next construction, bring in a home technology partner to help you dip into this emerging market. Ask the following questions when seeking out the right company to work with in Cumming, GA to ensure you can add these features without having to delay your project timeline or risk going over budget.

SEE MORE: Smart Home Automation: What Builders and Architects Need to Know

Furnishings Play as Big a Part as AV in Your Overall Viewing Experience

As you envision your dream home theater, you’re likely focusing on that huge projector screen and the powerful speakers surrounding you. Since it’s going to be the focus of the room, it’s no surprise the AV equipment takes center stage from the start. Seating takes a back seat, no pun intended, even though the type and positioning you choose may be the most crucial part of your installation. 

Everyone is likely going to give you an opinion on where to place your speakers, but what about the ideal layout for your seats and rows? Specs for your speakers and display abound, but how do you know which fabric, size, or model of home theater furnishing is the best fit for your Cummings, GA space? We’ll guide you through the process to help you create the ultimate viewing environment.

SEE MORE: 4 Mistakes to Avoid When Designing Your new Home Entertainment System

These Lutron Features Help You Transform Your Home

Ready to bring some much-needed technology upgrades to your St. Augustine, FL home? How do you know which features are the best fit for your family and, more importantly, which companies to trust? Even though AV components like wireless speakers take a lot of attention, most people join the smart home revolution for practical reasons: climate control, security, or lighting control.

Run through your typical day in your head. Envision all the technology you use during your daily routines. If you’re thinking of your smartphone, we don’t blame you. Silently lurking in the background is the technology you likely use second most: the light switch. As your local Lutron Dealers, we bring those two together and, in the process, make your home more beautiful, safe, and energy-efficient.

SEE MORE: Everyday Convenience With Home Lighting Control

The Right Technology Can Transform Your Outdoor Living Spaces

Ready to bask in the warm weather but not sure what’s the best way to take advantage of your outdoor living spaces? Unleash your backyard’s full potential this summer with outdoor AV and lighting that lets you easily entertain both family and friends outside. Transform it into a thrilling space where you listen to music, watch movies, or even host a tailgate for the Falcons’ season opener.

In this blog, we’ll outline the speakers, displays, and lighting solutions that breathe new life into your Alpharetta, GA, backyard. Refined control and specialized equipment make it easy for you to enjoy high-performance audio and video all the time!

SEE MORE: Brighten Up the Season with Landscape Lighting

Get All Your Devices Working Together for a Seamless Lifestyle

Navigating through your day-to-day is a breeze when your technology is always there to lend you a helping hand. The most significant benefit of a whole-home automation system is that all your devices work together to enhance your lifestyle. Once you experience the luxury of seamless control of the technology in your St. Augustine, FL, home, you’ll never want to go back.  

What if at the press of a button you could get ready for work in the morning, prepare dinner, or relax after a long day at work? Optimize your day with scenes that include preset settings for a variety of activities. Reading this blog, you’ll see some of the most common ones our clients use for an effortless day from the moment they wake up in the morning until it’s time to call it a night. 

SEE MORE: The Latest Trend in Smart Home Automation: Voice Control  

Outdoor Automation Simplifies the Technology in Your Backyard

Even though it’s August in Georgia,, there’s still time to get out and enjoy everything your backyard has to offer. Whether you want to enjoy a family barbecue or you want to take in the fresh Alpharetta air, you can get more out of the experience with outdoor AV. Stream the baseball game and watch the Braves barrel toward the postseason, catch a movie under the stars with your friends and family, and transform your deck or patio into the ultimate entertainment destination. Plus, take control of everything with an integrated, outdoor automation system. Want to learn more? Keep reading.

See Also: Designing the Perfect Backyard Living Space

Stay Ahead of the Curve with Conference Room Audio Video

Building a successful business in Buckhead isn’t easy. But if you’re running one, you know it takes two things. First, you need the right people who can deliver excellent results while fitting into your company culture. Second, you need technology that helps you streamline operations, simplify meetings, and provide informative, impactful messaging. For that, Southern Cinema can help. As an experienced installer serving south Georgia and northern Florida, we’ve assembled a blog featuring the must-have conference room audio video systems you need to succeed. Want to learn more? Keep reading.

See Also: Is It Time to Upgrade the Audio/Video in Your Business?