Why do you need a media integrator for your project

27 May Why do you need a media integrator for your project

Your needs are changing, your house should too!

Today there are so many technological capabilities that simply didn’t exist even 5 years ago. Our cars have internet capability, our cell phones are small enough to lose, and often are waterproof. Even our children are using iPads at school as early as Grade 1. So if our life is so set up for technological advances, why aren’t our homes?

I recently had the chance to talk to Ian Funay at Perfection Connection about how to best include media integration into the design process. This is, of course, to ensure that we are best representing our clients when we strive towards integrated design. So what exactly is home automation because we aren’t quite at the Jetsons level of the future yet?

What is home automation?

Imagine coming home from work, you unlock the front door by inputting your code instead of fighting with a key in our Vancouver rain storms. There’s a keypad right by the door and you press the Welcome button. All your lights come on, the temperature goes up 3 degrees and the motorized shades open. Your favorite playlist starts. In the push of a button your home is set exactly as you want it to be. Now you just have to enjoy your evening. Then at bedtime you press the Goodnight button. All the motorized shades close, the music turns down and the lights turn off. No more running around searching for the right switches. Sounds amazing right? So how do we make that happen for your home?

Well the first step is to check out what a home automation company like Perfection Connection can do for you. Maybe you are ready for your home to be fully automated and they can help with that. However, for those who aren’t quite ready for full automation, you don’t want to have to do a major renovation when you are ready. So the bare minimum that should be done for every new build is to put in the wiring. With the wiring installed you can always add things in pieces or even all at once just at a later date.

You aren’t saving any money by waiting.

We know that your new build is already costing you more money than you have probably spent on anything before. The idea of adding in all this Technology and spending even more money may not be appealing to you right now. However, there are many reasons to do so right now instead of waiting until after the build is complete to decide to bring in a media integrator.

For starters, it is not going to save you any money if you wait. Even just running the prewire now can save you thousands of dollars. Running the prewire now will cost less money, even if you decide not to hook anything up, than it would to skip it and later on decide you want cameras or motorized shades. Then, they would have to cut into the drywall and patch it up later, costing you more money in drywall than it would have cost if you had run the wires in the first place. Also, having more technology in your home will add to its value should you ever choose to sell.

You want your home to look as amazing as possible.

Secondly, there’s the aesthetics. You have put a ton of time, energy and money into designing your new home. The last thing we want is for you to see wires, cameras or cut marks in your home. Running the prewire means that the equipment can be cleverly hidden within the structure and design of your home. This allows for you to have all the technology with none of the eyesore. A media integrator can also ensure that electrical plugs are put at the right height to remain hidden behind your television – no more cables running down the wall!

Lastly, there’s the convenience. You absolutely can go around your home every night turning off every light switch, but why should you have to? You’ve designed these beautiful homes with huge windows that require large shades , you shouldn’t have to fight the shades each day to open and close them. You’ve worked hard to be able to afford to build in this expensive economy, you deserve this technology and the ability to simply push a button to put your house to bed each night.

If your designer hasn’t included a media integrator like Perfection Connection in your design process, reach out to one yourself. Find out what they can do for you and do so as early in the process as possible for your sake and theirs.