Automating one large space can be daunting for many homeowners. While there are specialized integration companies that install smart homes and coach their customers, thorough, long-term assistance can be hard to come by. This is especially frustrating when you have thousands of smart home devices, multiple ways to connect them all, yet no clear path to seamless integration.
One company is trying to help homeowners out of this challenge: Daisy carefully curates technology to optimize smart home automation and educate homeowners on how to best use it. This is evident in a 10,000 square foot luxury home in Northern California, where an older home with mismatched technology but classic, beautiful design has received a unified integration.
Facing outdated technology in an old house
Situated on more than three acres, this luxury home overlooks the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoys its private setting atop a rolling hill. Features like an elegant terrace, beautiful gardens, and French doors that open to a private courtyard were what attracted the homeowners to the property, but there were still some issues that needed to be resolved.
The homeowner was a repeat customer of De Mattei Construction due to the quality and reliability proven on past projects, while the consolidation company, cyberManor (now called Daisy), had a similar approach to customer service, giving De Mattei Construction confidence in hiring Daisy for this project.
“Prior to our smart home integration and remodel, each area of the home was a bit compartmentalized,” says Zachary De Mattei, project manager at De Mattei Construction. “Parts of the home were dark, and there was no flow on the second floor.” De Mattei explains that the team's challenge was not only to upgrade each of these systems to the latest technology, but also to work with the designers and Daisy to illuminate shadowed areas and create a cohesive space. All of this had to be done while keeping the home's customized, artistically finished surfaces as intact as possible.
The home had recently passed through several owners, each of whom updated or modified various systems, making it a mish-mash of technology. Keeping the automation consistent and easy to use across the vast property was crucial and would reflect the concurrent aesthetic updates.
The system already in place had a number of problems: The old Vantage lighting control system only supported part of the home, had an outdated keypad and no app-based or remote control. Many of the home's network-connected systems, including the security system, pool, and energy system, were not supported by a slow and unreliable network infrastructure. The home's music system had several separate, disconnected zones that couldn't be controlled by an app or touchscreen, and music content was limited to CDs. Meanwhile, the gate station could only notify the homeowners by phone that a guest had arrived at the gate.
Technology Renovation Challenges
Working with Daisy, the team designed a solution to solve these technical issues without compromising the original beauty of the home. By utilizing the existing lighting and speaker wiring, existing racks, lighting control panels, and fiber optic lines from the home to the pool house, we were able to upgrade all of the technology.
“The client's need was to have one central application to control the lighting and speakers,” says Ed Lalosh, Senior Engineer at Daisy. “Through our smart technology integration services, Daisy and De Mattei were able to make this a reality.”
Daisy served as the ideal partner for the builders during this renovation project. With project management, timeliness, effective communication and proactiveness, Daisy was able to provide the integrated skills necessary to successfully complete this large-scale project.
A powerful wired and wireless access network infrastructure was installed before updating basic amenities like lighting, music and security. The network was installed throughout the main home and multi-acre grounds, and a network was installed in the detached pool house using existing fiber. The home's entire suite of technology solutions can now be easily controlled locally or remotely using a single control app from the Control4 home control system.
When whole-home automation becomes seamless
The builder, architect and Daisy then worked together to update each individual system while maintaining the character of the home. The clients worked closely with the interior designer and Daisy to ensure the technology suited their needs and the design of the home.
“This project was an incredibly rewarding collaborative effort, working with a team of professionals to create a beautiful, inviting space,” said LuAnn Elliott, the interior designer on the project.
Gone are the dark hallways and unpredictable lighting patterns in this large home. With Control4, the new centralized lighting system uses all of the existing lighting keypad locations and controller panels and wiring from the old Vantage lighting system. Each existing Vantage light switch was replaced with a modern Control4 dimmer that connects to a Control4 lighting panel. The outdoor landscape lighting system was also connected to the centralized Control4 panel. All of this can be controlled with an easy to use touchscreen or phone app.
“The convenience is outstanding,” said the client, adding that the iPads and mobile app are intuitive and easy to use for visiting family members and housekeepers alike. Being able to select their preferred combination of lighting scenes from a single programmed button, either on the wall switch or the control pad, was a benefit noted by the client. Additionally, the integration team will return to the project six months and one year after completion to ensure the client is taking full advantage of all systems and can make modifications for customized use.
The lighting upgrade was essential, but only one part of the puzzle: All six of the home's original speaker zones were reconnected to new Sonos amps, which allowed each zone to be individually controlled through the Sonos app and Control4 touchscreen.
Additionally, we installed a Control4 Door station at the existing gate station gooseneck using the wiring already running from the home to the gate station. The end result is a beautiful and functional gate station that allows homeowners to see and contact visitors through a simple touch screen. They can also operate the gate from their mobile phone or the touch screen.
“The impact that this complete renovation and smart home integration has had on this home has been incredible,” says De Mattei, “allowing the home to feel modern without sacrificing its original French farmhouse-style roots.”
Related: Daisy Launches Nationwide Smart Home Technology Integration and Services Company