Home Theaters Transform a Home
Custom Home Theater System
Home theater systems are not just about picture and sound quality any longer. This entertaining electronics trend has transformed into an interior design mainstay. It doesn’t matter if you are installing your system into a new custom home or an existing remodel; visual congruency between your home and theater system is vital to maintaining design harmony throughout your house. Theater systems should look good, even when the TV is not turned on.
The past 20 years have demonstrated a fast evolution of the home theater system design. Bulky, big screen televisions and movie projection devices have been replaced by sleek plasma screens and Blu-Ray hi-def video systems. Tiny speakers are seamlessly built into walls and ceilings. Even flat screens are disguised behind paintings and tapestries. Comfortable and flexible options for seating also abound.
Selecting a Home Theater System
The first step is considering your family’s viewing preferences. Do you prefer a hi-resolution screen for savoring every detail of your favorite movies, a large screen television for gathering around during a big game, or a modest-yet-accommodating TV for enjoying family time? Be sure to ask for professional advice from your builder and interior designer to ensure that you select a system that fits best with your viewing needs. Keep in mind, the home theater’s design will need to incorporate a sound system that fulfills these and aesthetic needs.
Setting Up Your Theater System
The next step is to determine the size and configuration of the system you choose. The size and shape of your viewing room will govern seating arrangements, placement of equipment, and storage options. An electronics professional can work with you and your custom home contractor to determine the best usage for the space.
Seamlessly Incorporating Your System
Incorporating the system to suit your home’s look and feel can mean the difference between an eyesore of a room and an enjoyable space for gathering with friends and family. Comfortable chairs or sofas that recline, swivel, and allow the viewer to adjust are a few of the many popular seating options. Eco-friendly dimmers on the lighting systems, attractive wall hangings or curtains for sound quality, and warm, non-distracting colors can help make your room design a success. Luxury includes like a custom wet bar or vintage popcorn machine can also add to your viewing pleasure.
An effective home theater design is just one special way that you can transform your home. Time spent viewing movies with family should be time enjoyed.
Quality is in the Decorative Trim Details.
Wood Trim Details in Custom Home Under Construction
Custom molding and trim speak volumes about craftsmanship. Truly esteemed and experienced custom home builders can add style and value to your home by carefully incorporating customized trims, such as crown molding, window trim, columns, coffered ceilings, mosaic tile designs and more. These are just a few thoughtful details that will transform your house into a truly special and unique home.
Interior trim details start at the bottom with the shoe molding and literally work their way up to the ceiling’s crowning glory.
Shoe Molding
Shoe moldings are a beautiful addition to baseboards that can create a smooth and useful transition from floor to wall. They can even help draw attention to a room’s decorative flooring such as hardwoods or custom tile.
Window Trim
A literal picture frame for outdoor views, window trims perfectly frame your view, adding intrigue to what’s outside.
Panel Molding
Decorative panel molding expertly frames shelving, artwork or open space to add dimension to any wall. A library or media room can even be trimmed in decorative paneling to support plasma or large screen televisions and media equipment, while adding a luxurious richness to the room.
Crown Molding
Crown molding finishes off a well designed interior, adding grace and classic architectural style to an interior room. Like shoe molding, baseboard trim, and window trim, crown molding can and should be consistent throughout your home. It is a simple, but effective way to add understated elegance.
Good interior design does not stop at the crown. Many classic homes also feature accents on the ceilings of rooms of all sizes for an extra pop of color, texture, or to draw attention to special lighting fixtures, such as chandeliers and pendant lights. Cove or coffered ceilings and light medallions add something a little extra to a home’s interior design.
Decorative wood trims are an easy way to update your existing home or add value to a new construction. Floor to ceiling, your home’s style should be reflected by every trim detail, no matter how small. A house well-outfitted with a few simple trim accents will certainly deliver that wow-factor that will stand the test of time and trends.
Get Tax Credits for Solar Hot Water Heaters
Tax Credits for Solar Hot Water Heaters
Long, hot baths don’t have to be a waste of energy. Solar hot water systems can heat the water for your kitchen or bath without running up your electric or gas bill.
In fact, many homeowners are now replacing traditional hot water heaters with solar powered systems, proving to be a revolution in green building. Solar water heaters use collection plates and highly insulated storage tanks to harness the power of the sun, thereby reducing carbon footprints and saving money on energy bills.
Systems are categorized as either active or passive. Active systems circulate the water within the tank using pumps or coils. While passive systems rely on gravity and the water’s natural temperature based circulation. An experienced green builder can advise you as to which system fits with your solar water heating needs. Some factors to be considered include your home site, local building codes, and the size of your family.
Whichever system you choose, the benefits can be astounding. According to some statistics, solar water heating systems can reduce your monthly utility bill, essentially paying for itself in less than five years. Your home builder can also help you to comply with federal tax credit regulations regarding a new solar hot water heating system to further help in covering the costs of the unit and installation. Federal tax credits will pay for up to 30% of the cost of installation of an energy star solar water heating system, but only if the system is installed before the deadline of December 31, 2016.
It’s important to contact your green building specialist as soon as possible to discuss the solar heating options for your home to start saving money and energy. Whether you’re building a new construction or updating the system in your existing homes, it’s a win-win situation for all homeowners.
Smart Home Automation Systems
Custom home by Brock Builders
Do you like the idea of coming home to the lights properly illuminated, a favorite song playing and the air or heat turned to a desirable temperature? What about the ability to open the front door with a keypad lock or fingerprint and no longer needing to fumble for keys? Home automation, better known as smart homes, make this and much more, possible.
Smart homes have the ability to simplify our daily lives into one of freedom and convenience. When building a custom home or undergoing a home remodel, it is important to work with a qualified general contractor who understands home automation. While you may only have the need for a basic package, such as a lighting system, it is still recommended to use a general contractor to assist with the wiring and installation.
What exactly is smart home automation?
A smart home is not just a home of the future, but rather an integrated way to wire a home to a network that controls all of the functions at once. Whether you prefer to use a remote control or wireless access is dependent upon the amount of home automation you wish to have. The heart of the smart home system is the network, which feeds from one main source of wiring and eliminates the need for several components, such as DVD, CD player and lights that are individually controlled.
Home automation systems are available in easy-to-use kits that allow the homeowner the freedom to install timers and wireless gadgets with the ease of a remote. The remote often controls appliances such as lighting, HVAC, and stereos. True home automation, however, is a much more complex system yet features many benefits and simplifies day-to-day activities.
Energy savings are just one of the many benefits of having an automated home, as the homes are typically more efficient. Some home automation systems heat and cool based on the time of day, while others adjust the temperature when someone is physically in the home. The networks can also automatically tell appliances to reduce function levels or go to “sleep,” thus lowering electric bills.
For those only wanting to program the home’s lights and HVAC, smart home technology is not as expensive as one may think. But for those looking for a more complex automated home, there are several exciting advances in wireless home automation and home automation electronics. A few new examples include:
- Programming your thermostat, oven and music from the Internet when not even in the home
- Illuminating the home with light before pulling in the driveway, or out of town to simulate someone is home
- A set of security cameras tied into the lighting system and doorbell
- Having a video feed of your favorite television station and making it visible in every room of the home you enter…and more!
Whatever you envision in a home of the future, chances are likely that it can be done. As technology and imagination continue to grow, smart homes will hopefully one day work in complete harmony to improve our daily functions.
Custom Home Construction Tour in Biltmore Forest (Video)
Brock Builders was the general contractor on the construction of this home in Biltmore forest. Together with architects ACM Design we held an open house construction tour for some Asheville REALTORs. This home is not for sale, we just wanted to show off this spectacular project. Check out the fantastic details in this home. Enjoy the video.
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