Smart Home Automation Makes Entertaining and Holidays a Breeze

It's still late summer in Illinois, so why are we already discussing the holidays? As you know, if you don't think about them, they're upon you before you know it! But there's a reason we're bringing up the holidays now. With a little planning right now, you can have a Savant home automation system and Lutron lighting control that get you through the holiday season in Western Springs with less effort and more enjoyment. 

Ready to see how a smart home system can help? Keep reading below!

Music You Can Enjoy with Any Activity Around the House 

What should you listen to on your whole home audio system? Far be it for us to tell you, it will all sound fantastic whether you go with a Meridian audio system, Savant, or something else. Not only will all your favorite tunes sound great, but you’ll enjoy the effortless ease of calling them up with your smartphone, a touchscreen, a voice command, or a press on a wall-mounted keypad. 

That said, we can’t resist recommending a few tracks that lend themselves well to playing on every speaker in the house as you meander through your daily routine. Whether it’s a background soundtrack to your work-from-home day, doing chores, exercising, or soaking up the last of the good Illinois fall weather on your Chicago townhouse patio, you’ll enjoy how these songs stick with you wherever you roam.  

Ready? Here are five tunes to enjoy in every corner of your home with multiroom audio. 

How Home Automation Lets You Worry Less and Enjoy More

With Halloween just behind us, we’re now barreling headlong into the holiday season in Hinsdale. With it, the Illinois fall is also in full swing, and winter – well, it does come early here! But you can be ready for the holidays with a little help from a Savant home automation system. Savant's smart home features can take care of little things, give you peace of mind, and make holiday entertaining just a little easier.

There's a lot to do for the holidays. Whether it's ordering gifts, getting the house decorated, keeping the holiday lights working, or ensuring all the meals and parties are affairs to remember. As always, you’ll be busy! Let a Savant home automation systems take a bit of the load. Here are four of our favorite ways you can enjoy the holidays more with home automation.

Barrett’s Technology Solutions brings specifiers to visit leading smart home manufacturers to learn about our evolving industry

It’s crucial that a smart home company serve as a technology ambassador, educating specifiers and homeowners alike on the latest products, features and trends. From Illinois’ Gold Coast region to Chicago, the suburbs and beyond (as you’ll see below!), we take proactive steps to help our trade partners in particular know what role technology can play in their projects.

As technology becomes such an integral part of homeowners’ lifestyles, it’s more important than ever that architects, designers, and custom builders be able to have conversations with them about how to optimize this aspect of their homes.

That’s where Barrett’s Technology Solutions steps in to help, introducing our specifier partners to the top manufacturers in the smart home industry. As part of this ambassadorial role, Barrett’s hosted a group of specifiers on a trip to New York City to let them experience some of our favorite technology partners firsthand! Below are some highlights on what our group got to see during our trip.

Enjoy the Perks of a Professional Whole Home Audio Installation

How do you typically play music in your home when hosting a party, doing the dishes or relaxing after work? In most cases, people listen to streaming services or digital libraries using a smartphone, wireless or Bluetooth speakers. Sometimes these do the trick, but in the long run, they come with limited quality, reach, and scalability that will leave you wanting more. Often adding more speakers helps, but this means a lot of unsightly components not blending in well with your interior décor. You can get more out of your favorite music by upgrading to one of our professional audio installations.   Using speakers from Sonance and a control solution from Savant, we can deliver the ultimate listening experience in your Hinsdale, Il home. Our whole home audio systems give you instant access to your favorite music while providing high-end sound to every corner of your space. Intuitive control of your music makes it easy to set the right mood for any activity or environment.

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.

Set the Tone for the Season with Music

Winter is fast approaching. The winter season likely means more time spent at home with family and friends. And while winter brings a lot of reason to celebrate, it can still be stressful, too, as the days get shorter and the temperatures dip.

Our advice is to keepcalm and ease the stress with music. Nothing can set a mood like music, whether it’s a playlist for your next cooking session or one that inspires an impromptu dance party in the middle of the day.

The best way to enjoy music all over the house is with an integrated multi-room audio system for your Chicago home. With whole-home audio, you can play the same music in perfect synchrony everywhere – or let the family create their own harmonies in different rooms. Keep reading to learn more about multi-room audio options sure to add a spark this winter season.