You know you can go to your local Best Buy (a home-grown Minnesota favorite) or Home Depot and find all sorts of smart devices for your home. Smart light bulbs, thermostats, locks, irrigation controllers, and much more are easily found up and down the aisles. So why not put them together your own smart home?

Of course, you can take this approach. But prepare to think like a home technology integrator like Lelch Audio-Video. We like to explain it this way: If you are reasonably handy, there’s a lot you can do with the right tools and materials from Home Depot to fix or upgrade your home. On the other hand, you may not want to take on a complete remodel of your home.

When it comes to something like smart lighting, you may want to add some intelligent light somewhere, like an outside light that you can program to come on at sunset. Or maybe you can put in a few smart bulbs that you can dim and control with your smartphone or with Alexa on your Echo smart speaker.

But doing lighting right is both art and science. The art is in achieving the right aesthetic effect, and the science is in having the right amount of lighting and easy and consistent control of your home’s illumination. To that end, we’d like to point out a few common mistakes we often see when lighting projects are not fully baked. The good news: Lelch Audio-Video is a certified Lutron smart lighting installer, and we can help you avoid these mistakes in your Woodbury home.

Are we making a bold claim about motorized shades? Perhaps, but we think we can back it up. Consider some known facts from medical science:

• Exposure to sunlight increases absorption of Vitamin D, a critical nutrient
• Natural light helps ward off seasonal depression - especially from long gray winters (unfortunately they are a Minnesota reality)
• Interestingly, natural light helps with sleep, and we know that sleep is critical to good health

You might be wondering at this point: what does this have to do with installing motorized shades in my Woodbury home? Read on as we connect the dots!

For four years running, Control4 has been named the top home automation company by technology professionals. Easy to implement with its intuitive, graphic-based user interface, it’s a favorite among both installers and homeowners. Though it’s one of the most accessible automation companies on the market, you still need a professional to enjoy its products and features.

As you prepare for your next smart home installation, the first step is finding a reliable Control4 dealer in your area. Not only do you need a company that has experience with the technology, but someone officially certified and with a proven track record of getting it to work in a variety of ways.

Don’t know what to look for when starting your search? Here we provide some questions you should answer before reaching out to your local Control4 Platinum Dealer in Edina, MN.

Voice-activated devices like Amazon Echoes are joining Edina, MN homes like yours in droves. According to a report by Strategy Analytics, Q4 sales of smart speakers reached 12 million units worldwide. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if many of them were wrapped in holiday paper right now.

Many smart home owners enjoy the novelty of hearing weather updates, playing music, getting recipe assistance and more, but some individuals and households ask Alexa to simplify their lifestyles, too. She isn’t just for fun: Alexa provides many time-savings and stress-relieving benefits. We’ve identified some people who might need her help next year.

With so many smart devices around us, from smart thermostats to lighting, how we interact with them is important.  In fact, human interface design is so important it’s a prime reason why people choose one product over another, especially when it comes to technology.  Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh?  IOS or Android?  These are some systems that have significant differences in how you interact with them, and many people have strong preferences about one or the other.

Control4 is a clear leader in smart home automation.  One significant way it leads is with the number of choices the system provides to control your home’s functions and smart devices.

The best way to see all the interface options for your Eden Prairie home is to visit our showroom.  Lelch AV is a Platinum Control4 dealer in the Twin Cities area, and our showroom is a great way to learn about all the possibilities with smart home automation.

But first, let’s tell you a few ways Control4 enables you do smart home automation your way.

It’s always nice to be recognized.  Lelch AV was recently honored with a Trillium award from the Builder’s Association of the Twin Cities.  The awards go to projects that builders are particularly proud of with their trade partners and subcontractors – like us – getting the Trillium award.

The winning project involved a significant remodel and finish-out of a large basement space.  The client had several objectives, and we listened carefully to their needs.  They wanted a home theater room, but it was to be design-focused and minimalist, both in terms of equipment and operation. 

They wanted access to music and video entertainment from various sources across the home theater and an adjacent exercise room.  While they desired excellent audio and video quality, they did not want speakers and subwoofers visible.  The client was not technology-focused, and wanted simple, intuitive control of the whole system.  They also wanted a system they could grow with to add future capabilities.  Finally, the client wanted to adhere to a budget as well.

We’re happy to report that the projected succeeded at all these levels.  Read on to learn more details about this smart home technology showcase in Plymouth.

In the excitement of a new home project, whether it’s a new build or a remodel, low-voltage wiring is one of those things that may get overlooked. Designers, builders, and homeowners may get wrapped up in the many other details of a project. Low-voltage wiring is much easier and less expensive to install before drywall is installed, and even if changes are required in that stage, it is relatively simple to do. If the requirements are not well thought out and planned early on, wiring can still be changed – but the project’s costs may increase, and some functionality may be compromised. 

Why is low-voltage wiring important? Today’s smart homes have many devices that will need to be enabled through low-voltage wiring. In fact, with today’s LED lighting technology, low-voltage wiring may be more extensive than electrical wiring in some cases!  As experts in all residential audio-video and smart home technology, Lelch Audio-Video is the low-voltage contractor you’ll want to bring in early in your next Lakeville MN project.

Let’s explore why low-voltage planning is so important.

When you’re about to start your smart technology installation journey, it can all seem quite daunting.  Where do you even begin?

Luckily, when you have the best home automation company on your team, you will get the smart home you’ve been dreaming of – with the right products and brands, top-notch features and technologies – and without any of the hassle involved in the installation.

We know that the installation process can be overwhelming.  That’s why we’re here to make it an easy and effective time for you, so you can start enjoying your Eden Prairie, MN living space as soon as possible.

Keep on reading below to learn why the proper smart home company can make all the difference for your plans.