_{photos by Jenny Terrell}

In the world of smart homes, there’s often a disconnect that happens between a home’s design and its technology. Sometimes, the technology can overpower the architecture in a smart home, and then there are times when a home’s design dictates the performance of the electronics gear. A pleasing middle ground where both design and technology can coexist together without conflict is the aspiration of most home systems integrators and their clients.

Fusion of Form and Function

The team integration specialists at Lelch Audio/Video, of Saint Louis Park, Minn., achieved this pinnacle of smart home planning in our Gold-award-winning Traditional-Style Smart Home Less than $150,000. The fusion between the home’s eye-catching cosmetic details and high-performance electronic gear is nothing short of spectacular. In recreation room, for example, small VP40 Sonance speakers share space with recessed lights in a custom-built, decorative, suspended ceiling. Tucked inconspicuously into the structure, the speakers spread audio over a center island in the room.

To ensure harmony between design and tech, even the 11 speakers comprising a Dolby Atmos setup in the media room were given top consideration during the construction of the space. “To fit the clients’ stylistic requirements, we worked with the builder to modify the curvature of the media room walls so that the Paradigm Signature Series speakers could be angled to create a more engaging soundfield,” explains Lelch Audio/Video founder Alex Lelchuk. The team topped off the media room with two Paradigm subwoofers, an Anthem receiver, and a Sony 75-inch TV.

Remarkably, all of this integration was part of a remodel. “It was a super substantial renovation that involved our firm, an architect, and a builder,” Lelchuk continues. “And given that the homeowners were extremely tech savvy, all the key people were heavily involved in and in constant communication during every phase of the project.”

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