How it all happens

We begin with an initial meeting with you to define what you want to achieve. You might be having renovation work done or you might be starting from scratch. By looking at your architectural plans we can start to discuss the possibilities and how they may relate to your lifestyle. 

Dependent upon your project brief, we can integrate and cleverly conceal advanced cable infrastructure, lighting controls, audio and video distribution and home cinema in a way that fits in seamlessly with the interior design of your property, creating your ultimate smart home.

Once we have understood your particular needs, we produce a detailed and costed proposal. This outlines how a system will work in your home and what control you will gain in each room. Having decided, you can then relax and leave us with your architect, designer and builder so that together we can ensure that the installation is customised to your specific requirements. You needn't have any worries because we take responsibility for making it all happen.

Many of our projects benefit significantly from an integrated control system. This acts as the central hub for whole-house control and can also be used in single rooms to simplify operation. For example, in your main lounge or home cinema, where numerous devices need to be managed (TV, projector, screen, satellite box, Blu-ray player, music server, video streamers, lights, heating, etc.), a single, unified control system makes operation remarkably easy.

We utilise user-friendly hand-held controls, ideal for watching TV or use in bed. These are complemented by touch panels or iPad apps for browsing music and managing other home controls. All of these also have apps you can run on your smart phone.

We may also incorporate several fixed in-wall touch panels for primary control. These can be used to manage lighting, view security cameras, see who is at the door, provide intercom functionality between rooms, control music and heating, adjust blinds, and operate virtually any function that traditionally requires a button or switch. In addition, Wi-Fi-based iPads, iPod Touches, or Android devices can also be used for control.

Crestron and Control4

Our two primary control system platforms are Crestron and Control4. While both achieve similar outcomes, they have some differences. Until recently Crestron only offered a fully bespoke solution with complete customisation, while Control4 is app-based and more cost-effective, primarily because its user interface is pre-designed rather than fully customised.  Crestron Home now offers a similar option where the user interface is pre-defined.  In most cases, unless there is really good reason, the pre-defined interfaces are superb and much more cost effective than fully bespoke solutions. 

The final choice of the best solution can be made once we have shown you the differences.

Voice Control

Voice control technology has rapidly advanced. Most smartphone users already have powerful voice control capabilities at their fingertips. This same technology can be integrated with numerous devices in your home as connectivity expands.

In theory, almost anything integrated with our control systems can be activated by voice commands. Many devices now offer generic control through platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home.

We've been utilising voice control in our systems long before the advent of devices like Amazon Alexa. These technologies have been transformative, particularly for individuals with disabilities, enabling them to control lights, curtains, music, and more, promoting independence.

While voice control offers convenience, it can sometimes be ambiguous and struggle with complex commands. With the advances in AI we can only see this becoming better moving forward.

Exploring the possibilities of voice control is definitely worthwhile, and this can be easily done with devices like Alexa, Google Home, or Apple Home products. By linking these to our control systems, we can further enhance their capabilities. Additionally, many TVs and devices like Sky Q offer voice control, which can be particularly useful for tasks like searching for TV programmes