An Expert Collaboration of Smart Home Technology and Smart Design

Barrett’s Technology Solutions has always believed in form and function. As a smart home company in the Chicago area since 1966, we’ve seen a lot of forms and an equal amount of function come and go. But one thing remains constant: We believe great technology and design go together, and we strive to achieve the balance of each with every project.

This year, we’re very proud to have been chosen by ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) Illinois chapter for a 2020 Design Excellence award. The home theater project was a collaboration between our company, CinemaTech (home theater design, seating, and acoustics), the client, the contractor, and some skilled local craftsmen.

Often in any successful endeavor, the devil is in the details. Keep reading to learn more about this award-winning project; we hope it inspires you to embark on yours!

Create a Superior Cinema Experience at Home

Recently, Regal Cinemas, one of the largest commercial movie theater companies in America, announced that they were temporarily closing over 500 theaters, including 9 in Illinois. This unprecedented move resulted from a decrease in business due to the ongoing concerns of the pandemic. Additionally, the health crisis also slowed down the production of new movies, resulting in fewer theatrical releases over the past several months.

It’s no surprise to anyone that we’ve had significant economic impacts from the pandemic, and much of that has meant spending much more time at home. While we hope commercial cinemas come back soon, you can still enjoy the cinematic experience at home – in many ways, better than at the cineplex.

If you haven’t yet taken the plunge into creating a private home theater system in your Naperville home, now is a perfect time. There is a plethora of options in equipment, seating, audio, and more to customize your cinema experience completely. What's more, there's a staggering array of content to enjoy in a home theater. Just recently, Disney announced a major reorganization to focus more on bringing its massive collection of content directly to consumers, meaning even more choices at home.

Keep reading below to see how to take an underutilized space and turn it into your personal movie and media entertainment zone!

Stay Connected with Family and Friends with Pro-level Videoconferencing at Home

The Coronavirus pandemic has yet to run its course, and right now, many of us are still doing the majority of our work and education from home. Chicago public schools reopened in September virtually, employing platforms like Google Classroom to facilitate remote learning. Major technology companies like Google, Facebook, and many others have announced plans to continue remote work for professionals well into 2021.

In this environment, connectivity, communication, and collaboration from home have become essential. But communication is not merely for work and school; it's important to keep up with family and friends and continue participating – however remotely – with your social groups.

Improving Your Overall Wellness Starts with a Smart, Healthy Home

Natural light makes you feel better. Why do you think people like going outside to enjoy the sun? It’s not just to get a tan. There’s something biological that’s happening. Natural light helps to regulate our wake and sleep cycles, as well as provide energy for the synthesis of vitamin D. When you get the right amount and hue of light throughout the day, you’ll discover that your mood, sleep, and overall wellness improve.

Technologically based wellness companies, such as Delos, integrate “healthy” lighting that promotes a healthy home indoors. Circadian lighting, as it’s called, is accomplished through tunable fixtures from Ketra that change in color temperature and intensity throughout the day to mimic the sun’s natural progression across the sky. The result? You’ll wake refreshed, enjoy more energy throughout the day, and go to bed peacefully. Read more to learn how installing circadian lighting in your Chicago, IL, home can help improve your overall wellbeing.

Let Automation Ease You into New Routines for Work, School, and Play

Needless to say, 2020 has been a challenging year. In so many ways, our lifestyles have been upended. But as always, Americans are resourceful and keep pressing forward.

Part of the challenge has been managing so much of our activities from home. Work, school, and entertainment are all happening at the same time from home, which tends to blur the lines between those activities. At this writing, Naperville and Chicago area schools are preparing to start the school year with remote learning – so more family time at home is a given.

However, that doesn't mean we can't adjust! We have some useful and fun ways to make the most of family time at home, using smart automation to get back into a routine, have fun, and stay safe. Check out the ideas below, and call your local home automation installer – Barrett's Technology Solutions – for more ways to make your home comfortable and safe not only for this fall but for years to come.

Save Time, Energy, and Money with Lighting that Manages Itself

You may think home automation is all about convenience and luxury. While that is undeniably true, automation also has real benefits in energy efficiency and security. Perhaps the one area of home automation that delivers on every one of these benefits is smart lighting control.

It may come as no surprise that smart lighting is the catalyst that gets homeowners to invest in other smart home features. Once people experience the added convenience and comfort, they want more! And more smart control brings increased benefits, as features like climate control, motorized shades, and automated AV management bring added convenience, luxury, and efficiency when it all works together.

Let’s explore some ways you can use lighting automation to simplify and enhance your Chicago, IL lifestyle.

These 6 Songs Can Give any System a Sonic Workout

Those of you with an audio obsession – often referred to as audiophiles – you are always on a quest for the perfect sound quality. Of course, you probably know it, but it's more of a journey than a destination. There's always some new amplifier, speaker, turntable, or piece of equipment that takes things up another notch, right?

There’s nothing wrong with your obsession. It’s what makes audiophilia a fun, if sometimes expensive, hobby. And isn’t it fun to hear your favorite music reproduced with the kind of impact and presence as if the artist or band is right there in the room playing just for you?

Most likely, when you audition new speakers you might want to buy, you have some go-to music that you know well that helps you evaluate how that new component will perform. That’s an excellent way to see if the new equipment will move the needle for you. Along that line, we’d like to suggest some songs that can help you evaluate your next high-end audio upgrade for your Chicago home. These were chosen for the way they push the envelope of a speaker and system’s capabilities. Ready to test these out? Let’s go!

New Lossless and High-Resolution Streaming Services Raise the Bar for Digital Music Sound Quality

To some audiophiles, streaming music has had a bad connotation. In large part, it has to do with services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music all using compressed audio formats for streaming to devices like mobile phones. Some audio purists only want to listen to lossless music or the warm analog sound of vinyl records.

You can't blame audiophiles for eschewing compressed music. They spend many thousands of dollars on their high-end audio systems, and good equipment exposes all the warts in heavily compressed music. If you’re a high-end audio enthusiast in Lincoln Park, IL, you want your system to sound as good as possible. But there's no denying the convenience of being able to call up most of the world's recorded music with a few taps on your smartphone or tablet.

Fortunately, after years of focusing on interfaces and easy access at the expense of audio quality, there is a return to the pursuit of better sound with digital music. Music services like Tidal, Amazon Music HD, and Qobuz are leading the way with lossless and high-resolution music, available for easy streaming. If you're still digging through racks of CDs, you may want to keep reading!

Gain More Flexibility and Security with Pro-Level Solutions

You don’t have to look hard these days for home security devices. A myriad of cameras, video doorbells, sensors, and other consumer electronic devices are available for do-it-yourself home security and surveillance.

So are these products effective home surveillance systems for your Chicago, IL home? The answer depends on your needs. The devil, as they say, is often in the details. We won't tell you these consumer solutions are not effective; they are. On the other hand, we'd like to point out some of the advantages you get with a professional-level solution. And, when consumer solutions start offering the level of features that professional solutions have, their pricing starts looking much more expensive as well.

Let's take a closer look and give you a better awareness of three critical features of home surveillance systems, which will help you make informed choices.

Motorized Shading and Window Treatments Are the Crowning Touch for Smart Homes

As an architect or designer, chances are you have something that distinguishes your work from the rest. It may be a specific design flair that you include in every project, and your clients may even seek you out specifically for that signature design element.

We would humbly like to suggest another element that will be sure to capture your clients’ imagination – and continue to please them every time they use it. Motorized window treatments can be the epitome of luxury and convenience in your Chicago residential projects, whether for a high-rise condominium off the Magnificent Mile or a townhouse remodel in Lincoln Park.

One of the best names in powered shades and window treatments is Lutron, the same company that leads in lighting control solutions. Keep reading to explore the best features of two of Lutron’s high-end motorized windows treatment options.

Upgrade Your Home Theater Installation with the Best in Seating, Projection, and Audio

We’ve all spent much more time at home than ever. Fortunately, as the health situation slowly improves in Chicagoland and across Illinois, we are starting to get back to some level of normalcy. That said, no doubt you have depended on home entertainment to provide a much-needed mental break. If you have a home theater or media room, it’s probably gotten a workout lately.

With all the time you may have been spending in your home theater, you might be dreaming about some ways you could enhance it. Perhaps a larger screen and sharper projector for more cinematic visuals? Bigger, bolder sound that truly immerses you in the show? Or maybe even more luxurious seating that makes you never want to leave your home theater?

If any of those have crossed your mind lately, we have some excellent suggestions for upgrading your home theater installation in Naperville. Read on to see some of our favorites.

Enjoy the Fresh Air and Enhance Your Property’s Value    

With all the time you’ve likely spent at home lately, the changes of scenery we might have taken for granted from activities like eating out or the movie theater seem like exciting things to look forward to again. The time will come soon.

In the meantime, staying at home can still be lots of fun, especially with the right upgrades. We don't mean to minimize the health crisis in the least, but all the time at home likely makes you notice things that can be improved. One area that we think adds both great fun factor and value is outdoor entertainment. With an outdoor speaker system, TVs, and smart control, you can turn your Chicago home patio, garden, or backyards into an entertainment oasis. Not only will it give you a much-needed change of pace from the indoors, but it will also add value to your property and the "wow" factor for entertaining.

Read on for some of our favorite outdoor entertainment upgrades.

Smart Technology Sweats the Routines While You Juggle Work, School, and Entertainment

With social distancing and restrictions an unfortunate reality of current life for some time, stress is on the rise. Home has always been many things, but now home is the center for work, school, and entertainment as outside options are curtailed.

With the whole family in the house – including perhaps your college-age child unexpectedly back home –  life at home is busier and needs to balance multiple priorities for everyone at the same time.

With all that is going on, why not let smart technology take a bit of the load off? Here are some tips on how a Savant home automation system can sweat the small stuff in your Chicago, IL home while you focus on more important things.

More Often than Not, It Pays to Hire an Expert

Smart devices and home automation products are everywhere these days. The success of smart assistant platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple's Homekit has certainly popularized Jetsons-style futuristic control over many home features, especially thermostats, lighting, and audio entertainment. There’s no shortage of smart lights, cameras, locks, thermostats, and more.

Can you build an automated home using consumer DIY products found at your local electronics store? The short answer is yes; you can automate your home using some of these products. The real question is, what do you consider an automated home to be?

With some DIY products, you might end up with a collection of smart devices that don't always work in harmony. You could end up with many devices that you can control remotely via voice and smartphone, but the sum of them add up to something less than an automated home.

So, should you hire a professional home automation company (like Barretts Technology Solutions) to make your home smart? Of course, we’ll make the case below. Keep reading!

These Signs May Indicate You Need a Network Upgrade

These days, connectivity is a must-have utility, right up there with electricity. Our connected world is dependent on the internet for most day to day activities, whether it’s’ work, school, or entertainment.

When your apps or computers aren’t behaving as you expect, it’s often challenging to figure out what’s wrong. Is it the software, the hardware, or a connectivity issue? There is the tried-and-true method of restarting devices that often cures many ills, but frequent problems point to something else – and sometimes it’s your network that’s failing you.

How do you determine if you’re having home networking problems in your Chicago, IL home? Read on for three telltale signs.

How to Think About the Design of Your Next Media Room

What’s a media room? Some people might say it’s also a home theater, and it can be that, too. A home theater tends to be a room tailored for longer-form content like films, while a media room might double as a family room, living room, or recreational space.

While you shouldn’t be concerned about calling your media space the home theater, media room, or anything else, thinking about how you will use it will guide you to make the right choices to create the ideal media room installation that fits your Chicago, IL home.

Ready to learn more? Let’s dig into some critical questions and considerations.

Discover Our New Chicago-Area Location and Exciting New Additions

We have exciting news from Barrett’s Technology Solutions: we have moved! Our new location in Lombard brings us to a more centralized location to downtown Chicago, IL and the surrounding suburbs for more conveniently located and personalized services.

As Chicago’s luxury smart home company, we’re bigger and better than ever in our all-new space. Guests can explore and interact with our smart technology systems to find what will suit their lifestyles at home. Continue reading to see all that’s happening and what’s to come at our new headquarters.

Incorporate Automatic Window Treatments & Hidden AV in Your Design Projects

Minimalism is not just a design trend anymore—it’s a lifestyle. The term is no longer exclusive to stark, cold spaces with little to no furniture. Your clients can fill their homes with bright colors and eclectic pieces while remaining sparse and leaving room for their taste to shine.

But the one thing that can kill a minimalist’s dream? Unsightly technology. Wires, boxes, switches, remotes, screens, and bulky speakers don’t do much for aesthetics. Yet many modern homeowners desire smart technology to enhance their lifestyle. Luckily, there’s an overlap between minimalism and tech, and that’s found in hidden technology. Continue reading to see how hidden AV and automatic window treatments will enrich your Chicago, IL interior design projects.

Impress your clients with lighting control in these 4 home spaces

Smart home technology is going to be increasingly in demand if you build homes or work in interior design. Prospective homeowners want these devices in their homes because of the convenience they offer and how they contribute to a superior lifestyle. And one of the most common home automation systems your clients will be asking for is lighting control. To show you’re in touch with their needs, here are four spaces you can install or plan for smart home lighting in your Lincoln Park, IL building projects. Read on to see what they are.

Add the Ultimate Stylistic Spark to your Chicago, IL Home with Our Smart Shading Solutions

When listing the benefits of motorized shades, it’s tempting to focus on the benefits that go way beyond the impact on your decor. A smart shading solution is also vital for managing your security, lighting, and climate. But that shouldn't take away from what many consider to be motorized shades' primary purpose—to add a finishing touch to your interior décor.

When choosing between manual shades and motorized shades, there are a few reasons the latter are a better stylistic option for your Chicago, IL home. From sleeker installations to greater ease-of-use, we outline their top stylistic benefits below.

SEE ALSO: Get More Stunning Window Treatments with Motorized Shades