Gorgeous North Georgia Home

For this gorgeous north Georgia new home project, we completed two separate projects. One was a home theater, which has its own portfolio on our website, and the other consisted of the rest of the home, which included audio, video, automation and control, networking, security, and included both the inside of the home, as well as outside on the lanai.

To control all of the audio, video, and security integration, we used a Control4 home automation system. To control the system, we supplied six handheld remotes that can perform all of the A/V functions, with the ability to add other home features, such as lighting, if the customer wants to add that in the future.

For audio, the house was divided into seven audio zones. In the kitchen/breakfast zone, we placed four speakers in the ceiling. Since the kitchen and breakfast area consists of two connected rooms, but just one audio zone, their volume and content are congruent. All four speakers are connected to a single amplifier. We did the same thing in the next two zones, which were the master bath and "his" closet as one zone, and "her" closet and the laundry making up another zone. The master bedroom became its own zone. In the master bedroom, we installed a Sonos Playbar to provide a 3.0 home theater surround sound system, and did the same in the guest bedroom zone. The final indoor zone is the family room, where we installed a Sonos Playbar, a subwoofer, and a Connect Amp with in-ceiling rear speakers that together provide a 5.1 surround sound system. Outside, on the lanai, we put in all-weather speakers and connected them to a single amplifier.

For video, a network-based, scalable, 4K HDMI video distribution system was installed to distribute seven video sources to six video zones. The TVs received streaming video players that we placed behind each TV.

For the network, a new full-gigabit router and 24-port switch was installed to provide a hardwired connection for equipment located in a dedicated equipment closet. We placed 3 wireless access points throughout the home to provide a strong wireless network for the home, and we also added two hardwired connections to the office.

For surveillance, we installed four 1080P High-Definition cameras and connected them to a DVR. We also installed an interactive doorbell to provide 2-way audio and 1-way video communication. Notifications are sent to the homeowner's phone when the doorbell is pressed. For additional security, we placed door contacts, glass break sensors, motion sensors, a siren, and cell backup. We installed two keypads, one in the master bedroom closet, and one near the garage entrance door that can control the alarm system.

When you do a whole home installation that involves a lot of equipment, you prefer that it is housed in a central location that is easily accessible for servicing. We did that here, putting all of the A/V, networking, and security equipment in a large rack and added power conditioning and battery backup to protect against potential electrical damage or power surges. The devices can be power cycled remotely or via an app on the customer's phone, simplifying things for the homeowner should power disruptions occur.