Reliable Home Comfort that Works Even When the Teenagers Are in Charge

Ah, the long-awaited summer finally arrives in Chicago. Kids can ride their bikes to the Lincoln Park Zoo, teenagers meet friends at North Avenue Beach, and parents juggle work schedules that might include Monday morning Zoom calls from the home office or Friday afternoon flexibility. But when your family's lakefront lifestyle has everyone scattered across the city's 18-mile trail system, who's managing the house? Those elegant windows in your brownstone flood spaces with afternoon heat while you're downtown and the kids perfect their volleyball serves at the beach. Automated shading works like having a responsible adult at home—handling comfort and energy efficiency so you can focus on what matters most during Chicago's brief but glorious summer season.

Enjoy Spectacular Views Without The Glare, Heat, and Constant Adjustments

Living 40 floors above Chicago's streets comes with extraordinary rewards—Lake Michigan views stretching endlessly to the east, and the city's architectural marvels everywhere you look. But those floor-to-ceiling windows that sealed the deal on your high-rise home can become your biggest challenge when August’s relentless sun turns your living space into a greenhouse. By 2 PM, you're squinting at your laptop screen, ratcheting the temperature down on your thermostat, and contemplating keeping those blinds closed all summer. Automated shading offers an elegant solution, working in concert with your daily rhythm to maintain comfort while preserving those spectacular views that define high-rise living.

How Barrett's Partners with Coastal Source for the Perfect Outdoor Audio Experience

Standing in your backyard while crystal-clear music fills the air around your patio, pool, and garden paths creates an entirely different experience than listening to speakers in a showroom. The sound isn't coming from a sterile demo room—it's happening right in your own outdoor space, giving you the chance to hear exactly how premium audio will transform your property. This is the unique approach Barrett's Technology Solutions takes with their trusted partner Coastal Source, bringing their innovative demo van directly to your home. In a recent interview with Robert Bacci, Coastal Source's Technical Sales Specialist, you can learn how this hands-on experience makes all the difference when designing your outdoor entertainment space.

Lake Life, Simplified

The journey to your lake house should mark the beginning of relaxation, not the start of a weekend-long to-do list. As you navigate the final turns toward your waterfront retreat at the end of a long week, your lights automatically illuminate the driveway, a relaxing soundtrack plays through outdoor speakers, and the spa is already heated to your preferred temperature, just like at a resort. You didn’t have to employ a concierge service—it's the quiet efficiency of home automation working behind the scenes at your lake property. Today's technology transforms weekend getaways from maintenance-heavy obligations into true escapes where the focus remains exactly where it should be: on family, relaxation, and making memories on the water.

Ready for Your Arrival

Home automation brings the luxury of convenience, eliminating the traditional arrival routine of adjusting thermostats, turning on water features, and preparing outdoor spaces. Your property is ready for your arrival. Using your smartphone, you can activate "Weekend Mode" while still on the road, triggering a cascade of preparations: climate control adjusts to your preferred temperature, landscape lighting creates an inviting atmosphere, and outdoor entertainment systems are ready for use.

The pool and spa begin heating to perfect temperatures hours before you arrive. Motorized shades adjust based on the sun's position, protecting interiors while maximizing views. Water features like fountains activate, creating a welcoming ambiance. When you step from your car, you're greeted not by a list of tasks but by a home already in entertainment mode—music playing softly through landscape speakers, pathway lights guiding you to the dock, and comfort settings already dialed in to match the weather conditions.

Carefree Family Weekends

Lake homes should center around creating moments rather than managing systems. As your children race down to the water, motion sensors automatically illuminate their path. Instead of worrying about whether someone left lights on, automated scheduling ensures exterior lighting adjusts with sunset, brightening gradually as evening approaches. During the afternoon heat, motorized patio shades lower without prompting, creating comfortable shade over the outdoor kitchen.

For families, the advantages multiply. While the kids enjoy swimming, networked audio zones let you adjust volume levels specifically around the pool area without affecting conversations on the deck. As evening approaches, a single voice command or button press transforms the environment again: landscape lighting shifts to a warmer hue, the fire feature ignites, and the outdoor TV powers on for a movie night under the stars—all without interrupting the flow of your day. And if you do need to answer some work messages, your outdoor Wi-Fi is up to the task wherever you sit. 

How to Design Outdoor Spaces That Friends and Family Never Want to Leave

The warm nights and golden evenings of summer invite us to step beyond our walls and reimagine our backyards as true living spaces. Modern outdoor areas have evolved far beyond the basic patio and grill setup of yesteryear. Today's outdoor sanctuaries blend architecture, amenities, and discreet technology to create environments where every sense is engaged. When your lighting shifts with the sunset, music follows your conversation from the kitchen to the fire pit, and even the water features respond to your preferences, you've created a magnetic space that draws people in and keeps them there long into the evening. Let's explore how to create an outdoor retreat so compelling that checking your watch becomes an afterthought.

Preserve the View While Having Your Technology Too

There's something magical about Midwest evenings at the lake—watching the sunset paint colors across the water while a gentle breeze rustles through the trees. You bought your lake house for these moments. Nature is the focal point of this vista, and we want to keep it that way while still adding conveniences like outdoor televisions. This gives you the opportunity to host the big game viewing party in your backyard, where people naturally gather at your lakehouse.

Modern hidden technology solutions can give you the best of both worlds—magically appearing on cue when you need them, and vanishing the rest of the time. With the right outdoor technology and design, you'll never have to compromise on the views or the experience.

TV Solutions that Preserve the Views

Outdoor TVs can be quite large—often 75 inches or more. Many outdoor TV cabinets now have weatherproof designs that protect your equipment while blending with your deck or patio aesthetic. With the press of a button, your TV emerges for the big game or movie night, then disappears back into its housing when not needed.

For even greater flexibility, explore the innovative mounting options that are available. TV lifts can descend from pergola ceilings or rise from custom cabinetry built to match your landscape elements. Swivel mechanisms allow screens to rotate 360 degrees, ensuring you can enjoy the perfect viewing angle while you're in the hot tub or dining on your deck. These systems can be custom-built using materials that complement your existing outdoor features, whether that's natural stone, stucco, or weather-resistant wood. Some homeowners have even incorporated TVs into dock seating areas or fire pit surrounds, allowing entertainment to appear precisely where and when you want it.

Invisible Audio That Blankets Your Outdoor Space

Quality sound doesn't need to come with visual clutter. Modern audio solutions can deliver immersive experiences while remaining virtually invisible to the eye. Weather-resistant speakers can be tucked under the eaves of covered patios or mounted on walls with paintable covers that blend with your home's exterior.

How Barrett’s Technology Solutions Has Expanded to Serve Clients in Lake Geneva

When Joe Barrett spent childhood summers along the shores of Williams Bay, Wisconsin, he couldn't have known those experiences would one day influence Barrett’s Technology Solutions. Today, the company has established a significant presence in Lake Geneva, bringing our expertise in home automation and outdoor living technology to this scenic lakeside community. With the leadership of Senior Technology Consultant Rob Lubas, who recently celebrated his 23rd year with the company, Barrett's Technology Solutions has become the go-to resource for homeowners looking to enhance their lake living experience with sophisticated outdoor entertainment systems.

Extend Your Luxury Living Space Beyond Walls

Spring is finally in the air, and if you're like most homeowners, you're eagerly anticipating those perfect evenings spent outdoors. Whether it's hosting friends for cocktails under the stars or enjoying your morning coffee with a gentle breeze, your outdoor spaces can become the most cherished "rooms" in your home. With the right technology solutions, you can extend your outdoor living experience well beyond the typical season, creating a seamless transition between indoor luxury and outdoor enjoyment.

Dedicated Team for Expedient Client Service

Summer entertaining should be effortless, and with the right team behind your technology, it can be. Before you host your first outdoor event of the season, the dedicated service team at Barrett's Technology Solutions is ready to make sure your entertainment area is working at its best. As Ian Casper, one of our service technicians, puts it: "In these types of systems, it's not a 'set it and forget it' type of thing. It's like if someone went out and bought a Porsche and then didn't change the oil. It's important to have service on the systems we custom design and install so they run to their full potential." Our specialists understand the unique challenges of outdoor entertainment. It's this hands-on experience that ensures every component of your system performs correctly when you need it most. Learn more about our expert service team below!

Transform Your Backyard into an Enchanting Entertainment Destination

The first hints of summer bring an irresistible call to move life outdoors. As evening temperatures mellow and stars begin to peek through the twilight, your outdoor space becomes the perfect canvas for entertaining. Imagine serving hand-crafted cocktails from your outdoor kitchen while soft lighting bathes the pergola in a warm glow. Friends gather naturally around the fireplace, their conversations flowing as smoothly as the music that seems to drift on the evening breeze.

Creating these special moments takes more than the right furniture or a well-designed landscape, although these certainly set the stage. It's about crafting an atmosphere that transforms your outdoor space into an immersive entertainment environment where every element—from the ambient lighting to the perfectly positioned sound—enhances the natural beauty of your outdoor retreat.

Now Is the Perfect Time to Ensure Your Outdoor Living Space Is Ready for Magical Summer Days and Nights

Early spring brings the promise of summer entertaining just around the corner. As the days grow longer and temperatures begin to rise, our thoughts turn to evenings spent outdoors. It might mean cleaning the patio and the furniture, getting the pool ready, and sprucing up the yard with annuals for seasonal color. But that’s not all you need to create the outdoor ambiance that you might truly call magical. Think about the entertainment, lighting, and simplified control you'll need to set that stage. And if you want that for summer, now is the time to start planning! Let's let our imaginations run free on this for a bit, and then we'll tell you how to make it a reality. 

Meet the Team Behind the Home Automation Magic

If you peek behind the scenes at Barrett’s Technology Solutions, you'll find something pretty special. While we've been bringing the latest home entertainment and technology to clients for over fifty years, it's our unique approach to installation that sets us apart. Before any equipment reaches your home, we carefully assemble, program, and test it in our own deployment facility. As with most things, it’s the people that make it work. Below, you’ll get to learn more about them, understand what they do, and what fuels their passion for custom technology integration.

Create Future-Ready Homes for Advanced Connectivity, Entertainment, and Automation

When you're building or renovating a home, what's behind your walls is just as important as what's in front of them. Structured cabling might not be as visible as automated shades or as exciting as a home theater, but it's the infrastructure that powers every aspect of modern living. At Barrett's Technology Solutions, we design and install structured cabling systems that go beyond basic wiring to create a standardized, future-ready foundation for your home's technology. Whether you're a homeowner planning a renovation or getting ready to break ground on building your dream home, understanding the role of structured cabling is critical to building residences ready for today's home automation needs and tomorrow's innovations.

Integrating the Best Design with the Latest Innovations

As twilight settles over your homes, the real artistry of well-planned lighting control and design reveals itself. Windows that framed stunning Lake Michigan views during the day transform into sophisticated mirrors, reflecting carefully orchestrated layers of interior light. Through decades of experience with home technology, Barrett's Technology Solutions has witnessed how thoughtful lighting design transforms spaces from merely functional to extraordinary. Today's luxury homes demand more than standard illumination models—they require a masterful integration of lighting control and design that enhances architecture, ambiance, and lifestyle. 

In December 2015, Alter Brewing launched its taproom and production facility in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, Illinois, during the height of the craft beer boom, when the number of U.S. craft breweries surged from 2,400 in 2012 to around 8,200 by 2019. With such rapid growth, Alter Brewing realized it could no longer rely on distribution alone to meet its business goals. To adapt, the company pivoted toward hospitality, opening its first restaurant in May 2020 in St. Charles, IL.

Despite opening during the pandemic, the new location began to thrive as COVID became a concept many were ready to put in the rear view mirror, according to Alter Brewing President Ken Hendricks. “Restaurants became beacons of gathering and socialization with unwavering support from the community,” he said. Encouraged by this success, Alter Brewing expanded further, opening a second restaurant in Oak Brook, IL, in December 2022.

However, inflationary pressures in 2023 and 2024 presented new challenges. “Cost inputs surged as the spending power of our core guests declined,” Hendricks explained. “In short, folks simply couldn’t afford to come out as frequently as they wanted.” With consumer spending habits shifting, Alter Brewing recognized the need to adjust its strategy again. 

“Great beer and great food in a great location isn’t enough,” Hendricks said. “As people became more discerning with their spending, we needed to enhance the experience we provide. And, as sports fanatics, we want to offer the best sports viewing in the area.”

Ambiance with Excitement 

Photography by ©2024 Norman Sizemore

How the Nexthaus Alliance Is Building Passive Homes Through Sustainable Design

Building a sustainable luxury home requires far more than standard construction methods and materials—it requires a carefully orchestrated collaboration of experts dedicated to environmental responsibility. Around the Chicago area and Lake Michigan, the NextHaus Alliance is proving what's possible when forward-thinking professionals unite around this mission. 

As a key member of the alliance, Barrett’s Technology Solutions works with an elite group of Chicago’s best home design/build firms. Founder and Architect Nathan Kipnis, FAIA, is renowned for his commitment to sustainable architecture, and Berliant Builders is highly experienced in environmentally friendly construction. Interior designers Janet McCann and Lauren Coburn bring their aesthetic vision and expertise, and Bob Hursthouse of Hursthouse Landscape Architects provides outdoor and landscape design, installation, and maintenance. The result? Homes that minimize their environmental impact while still offering the modern technology, aesthetics, and conveniences that high-end homeowners expect. Let’s explore the NextHaus Alliance’s impact in more detail below. 

Yes! Let Barrett’s Technology Solutions Incorporate Innovative Tech into Union Pier Properties

Imagine a home that perfectly aligns with your schedule. It can adjust the temperature based on your personal preferences and adapt the lighting and shading to create the perfect ambiance—all while saving energy and reducing your monthly utility bills. 

While this may seem too good to be true, luckily, it isn’t. It is the modern luxury experience home automation companies like Barrett’s Barrett’s Technology Solutions can offer. We expertly blend convenience, elegance, and sustainability into one seamless technology experience. Adding a smart home system improves your life in Union Pier and makes your home more energy-efficient.

Let’s explore the topic below.