No. New construction offers the most freedom, but lighting, shades, audio, security and whole-home control can all be added to renovations and finished homes. Here is what retrofits well.
The short answer is no
One of the most common questions we hear in the showroom is some version of this: our home is already built, is it too late for us? It is not. We work with both new construction and existing homes, and some of the work we are proudest of went into houses that were finished years before we ever walked through the door.
It is true that new construction gives us the greatest opportunity for concealed wiring and infrastructure planning. When the walls are open, everything is possible. But many lighting, shading, audio, security and control upgrades can be added during a renovation or to a completely finished home, and done well, they feel every bit as integrated.
What retrofits well
Lighting and lighting scenes, motorized shades, climate settings, music and television, security cameras and entry systems, and outdoor entertainment can all be automated in an existing home. The systems run through one easy-to-use control experience rather than a pile of separate apps, which is really the point of doing it professionally.
Architectural lighting and automated shades are a natural pairing for existing homes, and we design them as one coordinated system. Together they manage glare and heat, preserve your views, enhance privacy and set the atmosphere through the day. In Arizona, where the light is glorious and relentless, that combination earns its keep quickly.
If you already own good equipment, it often does not have to go. We can evaluate what you have and determine whether it can be incorporated into a cohesive, dependable system rather than replaced.
Scenes: what automation feels like day to day
The easiest way to understand a smart home is the scene. A scene combines several actions into one command. A Welcome Home scene can turn on selected lights, adjust the shades and temperature, and begin playing music as you walk in. A Goodnight scene can turn off the lights, close the shades and prepare the house for the evening. One press, and the home does the rest.
Scenes are personal. They are tailored to the way your household actually lives, and the controls can be whatever suits you: elegant keypads, touchscreens, remotes or your phone. Guests and family members do not need a tutorial. And depending on the system you choose, you can monitor cameras, adjust lights and shades, and check on the home from anywhere.
Start with the network
Whatever you add, the foundation of it all is the home network. Streaming, video, security cameras, mobile devices and the control system itself all depend on it, and a properly designed network is what makes everything operate reliably throughout the house. In a retrofit, the network is usually the first thing we address, because everything else stands on it.
If you are curious what your existing home could do, come see it working first. Our Scottsdale showroom has lighting scenes, shades, theaters, audio and control all running live, and visits are guided and by appointment. It is a much better way to decide than reading spec sheets.
