Tastefully Discreet

The owners love their new house in Needham and the technology is a big part of their passion. He’s a technophile, she’s a technophobe, and the technology works for both of them. He gets the bells and whistles; she gets simplicity. It’s a high-tech home that makes life in a large house easier with automated lighting and dimming, electric shades and skylights for privacy as well as protecting the furnishings against the harsh effects of sunlight. Invisible speakers throughout the house play soothing music to relax. Convenience, comfort and security are built into the house with energy management, and comprehensive but completely hidden alarm and surveillance devices. Every electronic system is integrated and networked. Any smart phone and table can operate every aspect of the home, and with so much automation and today’s streaming services, the technology is almost transparent.

The state-of-the-art electronics are all integrated and controlled via the Savant platform, using keypads or personal devices to operate the entire system. Additional features include a communication system that provides full intercom and paging capability, networked computer system allowing remote access and monitoring of all activity in real time with notifications to our Help Desk when issues occur. A custom lighting program created for an antique glass paperweight collection displayed in a specially designed cabinet and set of drawers in the study, changes depending on the time of day, and whether the drawers are opened or closed.

We worked with the builder and millwork company to ensure the electronics had proper space and cooling capability. Localized equipment such as DVD players, video game controls and TVs were located in various cabinets throughout the house with specialized fans. The main components were housed in the mechanical room. The design team was delighted with our attention to detail and effort to make the electronics virtually disappear from sight.

Although every room in this magnificent house has fabulous elements, the library is the masterpiece with every conceivable, innovative system imaginable. This elegant, comfortable and state-of-the-art room is where the client loves to be most.

“I think customers want to deal with people that they can trust, people that are going to make good recommendations on equipment, and people who know how to install and service that equipment after the fact. Brad Smith’s people at Audio Video Design are simply outstanding. They are some of the best technical people I’ve dealt with…I found the attention that we got very focused, very timely. They worked in cadence with the rest of the construction of the home and did a magnificent job over what was essentially a two-and-a-half year project. And they stuck with it every day. We’re very pleased with the outcome….We’re looking forward to a long relationship as we add additional equipment and functionality to the our system. Frankly, I think not only have we engaged a company that did a terrific job for us, but I think we found some real friends.”