It?s the very picture of a rustic Italian summer evening. The rolling hills decorated with rows of grapevines, a loggia providing shade from the summer sun, and a bocce ball court that presents stunning views of all this Tuscan scenery.
Except, wait a minute, this scene is set in the Silicon Valley. And the 6,000-square-foot Tuscan villa perched on top of a hill is outfitted with the latest technology. But that?s beside the point. This house was built to accommodate family and friends, and the emphasis is on outdoor entertaining, not techno-speak.
That was a message received loud and clear by the home automation and electronics specialists at Century Stereo in San Jose. Their clients were looking to complement their villa?s stunning views with music and entertainment, without making the place feel like a science lab where only a true techno-wiz could turn up the stereo.
?They really wanted it to be comfortable for everyone to come over and gather there,? recalls Roy Mareau, a consultant with Century Stereo. ?This is a close-knit family. It?s a large family, and their home is a gathering place for the extended family as well. So most importantly, they wanted their technology to be easy to use.?
When the initial plans for this Tuscan villa were in the works, the homeowners sought the advice of Mareau and the Century Stereo team. ?He was building a new home, and he was really open to suggestions,? Mareau describes. ?In talking to his family and getting to know more about their lifestyle, we had several ideas.?
First, this family owns a lot of movies. So Mareau suggested a Kaleidescape system, which stores an entire collection of DVDs and makes it easy to access the films in various locations in the house. In this case, those locations were easy to pinpoint.
?In this house, the great room really gets used. Everybody meets there,? Mareau enthuses. As such, a Kaleidescape video player was connected to the plasma over the fireplace, and a 7.1-channel surround sound system was discretely installed with in-wall and in-ceiling speakers.
Another video viewing room is the common area between the bedrooms upstairs. There, tucked in among a foosball table and a computer workstation, there are four home theater chairs. Kicking back in those chairs, the kids can catch a movie or a game.
The master bedroom video display is also connected to the Kaleidescape server, which also provides music options for the family. All this great techno functionality is made easy with the Elan touch-panel control panels installed throughout the house. In addition to selecting music or video and controlling lighting via a Lutron HomeWorks system, the touch panels also create a sense of security. The touch of a button provides access to images from various security cameras.
But that?s just the indoor portion of the house. Thanks to the glorious California weather, there?s plenty of outdoor living to be had as well. Out there with the loggia and the bocce and basketball courts is an outdoor kitchen and barbecue setup. And in case the stellar views aren?t enough, an outdoor LCD TV is tucked in next to the grill. Outdoor speakers provide musical accompaniment to the beautiful scenery.
Further out on the property is the pool house where another home theater setup has become a popular hangout for the kids. There another surround-sound system and a connection to the Kaleidescape server make it easy to stay entertained.
Even with all this top-notch technology, the emphasis at this house is firmly on the family. ?Everything is so easy to use,? Mareau says, the technology doesn?t detract from the beautiful views outside or the family fun inside.
Related: Century Stereo, Home Theater, surround sound attic home theater lighting, outdoor living
Ready to start living a High Definition Lifestyle?
An amazing new life of smart automation, on-demand media, and state of the art conveniences can deploy at the touch of your finger.
Search by your town or city name, state, or zipcode.
More Great Articles from HD Living's
HD Homes Department
Source: http://hdliving.com/high-definition-homes/2011/10/04/technology-blends-outdoor-entertaining
santa monica backlink morehead city nc morehead city nc virginia beach little caesars raleigh nc
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.