The Journal
Notes on lighting, home cinema, motorized shading, security and whole-home control, from our Los Angeles studio.
More from the Journal
Beginner's Guide to Smart Lighting
How smart lighting works, what scenes and schedules can do for a home, and when it makes sense to move from a few smart lights to a whole-home system.
In-Depth Guide to Home Security Systems
How professionally integrated home security differs from a DIY kit: the sensors that matter, monitored response, and how it ties into the rest of the house.
An Essential Guide to Energy Management Basics
How a home can use less energy without giving anything up: smart panels, automated shading, battery backup and the rules California adds on top.
Bespoke Projection Surface Design for the Home Cinema
A high contrast projection screen gives a home cinema deeper blacks and a more convincing picture, provided the surface is matched to the room and the projector.
House Surveillance Cameras: The Ultimate Guide to Smart Home Security
What to look for in house surveillance cameras: features, power and storage, and where to place them so the property has no blind spots.
3 Reasons to Power Motorized Shades with Crestron Home
Motorized shades that open and close on a schedule, or from a single tap, are one of the most useful additions to a Crestron Home system.
Builders and Home Automation Companies Combine Forces to Create the Ultimate Smart Homes
See how builders and home automation companies work together to create smarter, more desirable luxury homes through centralized control, low-voltage prewiring, and long-term support.
How an OLED TV Installation Improves Entertainment at Home
The right display technology matters as much as the content itself. Here's how an OLED TV installation improves contrast, gaming, and design in your home theater.
Offer Clients Intuitive Control with Savant Systems
Show clients how Savant Systems deliver intuitive, luxury smart-home control through a mobile app, Pro Remote, voice commands, and elegant wall-mounted interfaces.
How PROJECT: automate Looks After Your Home After Installation
For more than 17 years, PROJECT: automate has focused on one thing: delivering high-class technological upgrades to homes and businesses across Los Angeles.
Should I Choose Lutron Wired or Wireless Lighting Control?
Help clients choose the right Lutron lighting control solution by comparing wired and wireless options for luxury homes and design projects.
Why Builders Are Including Crestron Installations in Their Homes
Learn why builders are adding Crestron smart home installations to luxury residences to increase property value, client convenience, and design appeal.
Why Interior Designers Love Basalte
Basalte pairs whole-home control with minimalist, premium-material interfaces, which is why interior designers keep specifying it for luxury smart home projects.
Why Interior Designers Should Partner with A Lutron Dealer
Why interior designers work with a Lutron dealer: custom lighting scenes, tunable light for wellbeing, and a single party responsible for the result.
How Motorized Window Coverings Can Enhance Your Interior Design
Motorized shades bring quiet performance, refined aesthetics, and simple smart-home control to any interior, with the added benefits of better daylight management and energy efficiency.
3 Unique Ways to Use Your Outdoor Audio System This Spring
From sunrise yoga to backyard camping nights, an outdoor audio system can turn ordinary spring evenings into something worth stepping outside for.
How Ketra Lighting Design Can Radically Change Your Indoor Experience
Ketra's tunable, full-spectrum lighting goes beyond simple on/off control, letting you shape color and warmth throughout the day to change how a room actually feels.
Integrate These Technologies For World-Class Outdoor Entertainment
A weatherproof TV, high-definition outdoor speakers, and a strong networking backbone are the core technologies behind a genuinely great outdoor entertainment space.
Keep Your Peace of Mind with a Top-Level Alarm System
A customized alarm system built on Alarm.com can bring video surveillance, smart-home automation, and environmental monitoring together to protect your family and property.
3 Types of Landscape Lighting to Enhance Your Outdoors
Landscape lighting does more than boost curb appeal. Match lights, step lights, and bullet lights each bring a different mix of style, safety, and functionality to your outdoor space.
3 Unique Security Solutions That Will Make Your Home a Safer Place
Smart home security goes well beyond surveillance cameras. Alarm systems, security landscape lighting, and smart locks work together to protect your home from intruders and everyday hazards alike.
High-End TVs for Luxurious Outdoor Entertainment
Bring the fun outside with a proper outdoor TV installation. High-end outdoor displays are engineered for brightness and weather that indoor TVs simply can't handle.
Take Your Entertainment Outside with a Stellar Outdoor TV
A true outdoor TV brings ultra-bright, glare-resistant picture quality outside so movie nights and game days hold up against direct sun.
The Must-Have Elements of a Home Theater System
A great home theater is more than a big screen. A world-class sound system, a high-definition projector, and home automation together create the full content-watching experience.
Top Reasons You Need a Control4 System at Home
A Control4 system lets you personalize your lighting, climate, and entertainment from one place — while also keeping your home and family protected.
Top Elements of a High-Class Surround Sound Installation
High-end speakers, a world-class receiver, and a powerful subwoofer are the three building blocks of a surround sound system that does justice to your favorite films and music.