The Ultimate Family Gathering Place

As your family expands and new chapters unfold, your vision for your home naturally shifts. It is no longer just a private retreat, it becomes the headquarters for your family's traditions. You want your home to be the definitive destination, the place your adult children and their growing families naturally gravitate toward for weekends and holidays. In the Midwest, where family values are the bedrock of who we are at our core, creating a true gathering magnet is one of the smartest investments you can make.

At Barrett's Technology Solutions, we believe the Multi Generational Home Theater is the crown jewel of the modern home. While our offerings now encompass comprehensive technology for the entire property, our very foundation of integration was built decades ago on mastering the dedicated viewing room. That deep rooted history drives how we engineer entertainment spaces today. It is not just about watching a movie, it is about the invisible wonder of shared experiences that bridge the gap between generations.

An Experience of Total Immersion

A true cinema experience requires a total transformation of the senses. When you lead your family or your neighbors into the room, the environment should signal that something special is about to happen.

• The Movie Night Scene With one touch on your integrated controller, the Barrett's Technology Solutions transformation begins. The lights dim in a slow theatrical fade, the climate adjusts to a comfortable crisp setting, and your massive display fires up with a clarity that rivals any public theater.
• Intuitive for All Ages We design our systems with refined simplicity. This means that while the technology behind the walls is incredibly complex, the interface is simple enough for the youngest members of your family to use or for you to operate without a second thought.

The Power of Choice and the Modern Video Wall

A dedicated dark room with a traditional projector and screen is a classic approach. However, modern entertainment spaces often feature natural light and open floor plans. As a turnkey home technology provider, Barrett's Technology Solutions offers the latest innovations to fit your exact lifestyle, including custom video walls. Our Senior Technology Consultant, John Wettlaufer, was with the company when installing traditional home theaters was our specialty. But our team members evolve just as quickly as the tech advances. “They’re both great options,” Wettlaufer said. “The projector can look more like film in a dark room. Video Walls can be installed in rooms where you can’t 100% control the light.” 

These massive seamless displays are built from individual micro LED panels, creating a breathtaking television like image at a colossal scale. Because they emit their own brilliant light and do not wash out in the sun, your home theater can now exist in a brightly lit lower level or an open concept living space. This gives you the ultimate freedom and choice in how you design your family gathering space without ever compromising on the viewing experience.

The Artistry of Sound and the Soul of Your Home

There is a distinct difference between a house filled with technology and a home with a soul. Often that difference is the music in the air. Remember the feeling of bringing home a new record, slipping it out of the sleeve and dropping the needle into the groove. It was an experience. Music has the power to transform a quiet Sunday morning or an evening with your closest friends by bringing back the soundtrack of your best years. At Barretts Technology Solutions, we design bespoke audio systems that bring that pure analog warmth back into your daily life with all the convenience of modern engineering.

The Ritual of Vinyl Meets Modern Elegance

At the heart of a true listening space sits an iconic piece like the McIntosh MT5 Precision Turntable. It is a masterpiece that serves as both a visual centerpiece and an acoustic marvel. The MT5 brings back that tactile and ritualistic quality of listening that a quick digital playlist simply cannot replicate.

Think about the intricate vocal harmonies on the iconic album Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. Or consider the cool modal shifts found in Kind of Blue by the legendary Miles Davis. Hearing these masterpieces on a precision turntable adds a layer of depth and warmth that invites you to truly sit, pour a drink, and listen. It is not just playing music. It is an intentional escape into the art that shaped you.

An Atmosphere of Effortless Control

While we revere the dedicated listening room, the true beauty of a modern high fidelity system is its ability to follow you anywhere. We utilize architectural audio where precision-engineered speakers are custom integrated into your ceilings or walls and meticulously finished to match your decor.

As you transition from the kitchen to the terrace or the lounge, the music follows with effortless grace. There are no dead zones and no jarring volume spikes. There’s simply a consistent high quality blanket of sound. When you’re hosting your most trusted friends, a single intuitive tap on a custom keypad sets the audio to the perfect conversational level across every room, allowing you to remain fully present in the moment.

For many of our clients, success has led to the acquisition of a second home. This might be a lake house in Wisconsin, a retreat in the Northwoods, or perhaps a winter escape. When your weekdays are spent navigating complex operations, leading teams, and making critical decisions, a second home should be a source of pure rejuvenation rather than another management stressor. However, the reality of owning multiple properties often involves a lingering mental checklist. You find yourself wondering if you turned the AC down, if the driveway is plowed, or if the heavy storm last night caused a leak.

Furthermore, enjoying your getaway should not mean wrestling with an unfamiliar interface or a new set of remotes. At Barrett’s Technology Solutions, we provide a unified, common experience across all your properties. Whether you are watching TV, listening to music, or controlling the lighting, shades, temperature, and security, the operation is completely seamless. You never have to learn two separate systems. 

At Barrett’s Technology Solutions, we use our six decades of accumulated know-how to collapse the distance between your properties. Because your intuitive smart home setup is mirrored in both locations, you can feel completely at home with how the technology works the second you walk through either door. We provide the "Invisible Magic" that allows you to manage your second home with the same ease as your primary residence, ensuring that the moment you pull into the drive, the house is ready to welcome you. 

The Weekend Welcome Home

Imagine leaving a long week of meetings and strategy sessions behind on a Friday afternoon. As you cross the state line, you pull up your home automation app. With one tap, your second home wakes up. The HVAC adjusts from "Unoccupied" to your perfect 68 degrees. The exterior lights turn on to greet your arrival, and your pool and spa systems begin to warm to your preferred temperature. 

By the time you pull into the driveway, the "Micro Friction" of owning a second home has been eliminated. You aren't walking into a cold, dark house to begin a list of chores. You are walking into a sanctuary that has been expecting you.

Discover What Smart Homes Are Made Of!

As smart home technology goes mainstream, homeowners are exploring the immense possibilities, often one step at a time. They may start with a smart lightbulb before adding a smart thermostat and, eventually, a smart oven. These devices provide convenience, letting users control them via their smartphones.

They are, however, far different than a home automation system. 

As a home automation company serving Chicago, IL, for almost 60 years, we’ve witnessed incredible technological advancements. Today’s smart home is an ecosystem of integrated systems and devices working together to create the ideal environment, perform everyday tasks, and enhance a home’s beauty.

Let’s explore the many devices and components in home automation and how they come together to create a lifestyle once unimaginable.

Barrett’s Is Here For Forward-Thinking Homeowners

The concept of a smart home has been around for decades, but the futuristic idea of robot-powered homes is off the mark. Instead, a modern smart home offers incredible convenience for everyday living, saving time, adding style, reducing stress, and more, with the simple press of a button or a voice command. 

Below, you’ll discover how working with a premier home automation company like Barrett’s can transform your Lincoln Park, IL, lifestyle. Keep reading for more.

Chicago’s Leading Home Automation Company Has a Fresh, New Web Presence

Remember the Yellow Pages? The directory was once an all-important presence for local businesses to be found. If you needed a plumber, heating system repair, or just about anything else, the Yellow Pages was the place to look. And if you remember them, you know how many local businesses called themselves AAA plumbing or ABC Auto Repair to be listed at the beginning of them, with flashy full-page ads.

That world, of course, has changed. Today, an internet presence in the form of a website is a critical marketing card for any company. On the internet, you'll never be found by changing your name to AAAA Home Technology. Instead, you will be recognized by the quality of the content you put on your website and by continually updating it with fresh, useful information that helps people decide to contact you for your services.

In that vein, that’s why Barrett’s Technology Solutions – one of Chicago's premier home automation companies – has totally revamped our website. While our old website was extensive, the new design, layout, and richer graphics enable us to tell our story better. And with this change, we’ve also updated our web domain name – we are now Barretts.tech. The new URL, changing from Barretts.tv, better reflects our focus on all things home technology. 

Keep reading below to learn more about our new website. Please check it out, peruse our new look, and reach out with any questions!

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!

Barrett’s Technology Solutions Is Proud to Serve Lake Geneva

In the home technology business, while most integrators are local, some will go well beyond their home geographies to serve their clients. Barrett’s Technology Solutions is no exception, as we have served clients outside of the greater Chicagoland area for many years as we have evolved to best meet their needs.

As one of the Midwest’s leading AV technology and home automation companies, we’re thrilled to announce that we have opened a local office to serve customers in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Lake Geneva has always been a great vacation destination for Chicagoans over the years, and we’re proud to have developed deep relationships with homeowners and trade partners there. Read below to learn more about our new Lake Geneva outpost!

Reason 1: Do You Want Home Automation That Works? 

The title is only a bit facetious, but there are many, many home automation options in the market. You only need to look in Home Depot, Best Buy, and Amazon to find a wide range of smart home devices from a plethora of vendors, with most of them tying into the platform umbrellas of the world’s largest tech companies.  

So, what’s wrong with that? Nothing, many of those devices are brilliant products. But what happens when you try to put together a complete smart home using these devices and platforms? It can get surprisingly complicated. Think about your laptop or desktop computer. You probably know how to maintain it and keep it updated and running relatively smoothly. What if you had a whole department full of them to manage? That's what IT departments or outside services tend to do, so employees don't have to spend time worrying about the technology they use. 

The concept is the same for a smart home. If you want to be your own integrator, you may be happy with DIY solutions. If you need a Chicago, IL smart home that just works – so you don’t have to be the IT department – you might consider an experienced home automation company like Barrett’s Technology Solutions. Explore why below! 

Our Reimagined Website Is Just One Way We Continue to Move Forward 

At Barrett’s Technology Solutions, we’ve been in business since 1966. As you might expect, there have been many changes in our business since that time. Audio, video, and automation technology have changed radically, and our firm has evolved with it. Our goal is to continue to be the best home automation company in the Chicago area and through our new office in Lake Geneva, WI.  

This month, we’d like to give you a taste of what’s to come for Barrett’s Technology Solutions. Chief among them is a new website that will launch soon, and we can’t wait for you to see it. Why a new website? It’s all about effectively communicating what we can do so we can better serve our clients. Keep reading to learn more!