Residential lighting design is something homeowners can take for granted until they are left in the dark. Unfortunately, this happens more often than we'd like to see. The typical correction? A strategically placed lamp. 

These pockets of darkness can happen because your home is unique to you and your lifestyle; no builder can guess how you may ultimately use a space, so their lighting solutions are often generic and leave darkened areas throughout a residence. This setup will work fine for most homeowners, but why settle when you could have perfection?

As you consider an update to your home's lighting design, or if you are building a new home in the Manhattan, NY, area, ask yourself these questions to discover the lighting enhancements that could add value to your daily living.

Hosting a gathering for your family and friends is no easy task. No matter how much you love sharing your home and spending quality time with your loved ones, it is undeniable that getting your home ready and entertaining everyone can be challenging. Well, no worries! An updated home audio system is the answer you’re looking for. 

A multi-room audio system brings more fun and entertainment to every corner of your Essex County, NJ, home. It’s great for big parties, small get-togethers, and even for times when you have the whole house to yourself. Keep reading this blog to learn three cool ways our distributed audio solutions enhance your next party.

A well-designed home theater is a lot like a good movie; there is plenty of action behind the scenes and beyond the starring roles!  

At Total Home Technologies, we have been innovating home theater design for over 30 years and offering best-in-class technologies to our clients in New York, NY. 

From the largest screens to the tiniest in-ceiling light fixtures, we understand every element in a home theater plays a critical role in creating the ultimate cinematic experience.

Here are some of the brands and design secrets that turn any room in your home into serious competition for even the best commercial theaters. 

As the weather turns colder, the days get shorter. That means the amount of time people can get outside and soak in the natural light decreases this time of year. Some professionals may be going into the office right as the sun rises only to get off when the sun has already begun to set.

This lack of sunlight can cause people to feel low on energy. Sunlight signals to the brain that it’s time to be awake and productive and supports people’s energy throughout the day. In the winter, people can lose energy and motivation with less sunlight.

But did you know that your home’s lighting can help combat this? By installing a smart lighting control system in your New York, NY, home, you can mimic natural light in your interior living spaces. Keep reading to find out more!

You may have heard that a home lighting control can help save energy, which is good for the environment and your wallet. Control options like dimmers, sensors and timers help conserve energy throughout the year.

Continue reading for more information about how home lighting control in your Manhattan, NY, home can help you be more energy-conscious and save money.

One tap of a button, and you’ve illuminated your entire Bergen County, NJ home with natural light! This is the power of motorized shades, a smart solution that far surpasses its standard counterpart. However, while this technology's benefits are endless, it’s essential that you find the right kind for your home.

As an investment, automated window treatments can serve your family and property for years and years, providing the top-notch benefits that reshape your everyday lifestyle. Want to learn more? Keep reading on below.

In the past two installments of this blog, we've explored popular smart home features and their differences as implemented on the best professionally installed smart home platforms available today. As both a credentialed Control4 and Savant dealer, Total Home Technologies is qualified to compare and contrast these two excellent smart home platforms for you. While the platform and technology are important, we believe that the integrator ultimately makes more of a difference in your overall smart home experience.

In this third installment, we will compare the user control interface and remote access and control capabilities to critical aspects of interacting with a smart home system. We hope that at the end of this series, we've provided a little more insight into comparing systems that, from afar, might look more similar than different. Our goal is to better educate and guide you on your choice of smart home automation for your Bergen Country, NJ home. Please keep reading below!

A quality home network and Wi-Fi connection are important, especially if you have a large family or are looking to automate aspects of your living environment. However, keeping track of the newest network solutions coming out every couple of years can be challenging and even more difficult to install. 

If you want a high-speed internet connection that can handle multiple devices and provide superior performance, we have network options that are a great fit for your home in Ocean County, NJ. Network and Wi-Fi leasing is a smarter and more cost-effective network installation option! 

At Total Home Technologies, we offer network solutions that power all the devices you need to get through the day, whether working from home or relaxing and looking for a movie on your favorite streaming platform. Discover more in our latest blog below!

The leading smart home automation systems are frankly more similar than different. Unlike what you might find with other products, there aren't 27 different systems from which to choose; there are a handful. Many integrators are Control4, Crestron, or Savant dealers, representing three of the most popular and ubiquitous platforms in high-end home automation. While these systems have important differences, we'd still argue that the integrator will make more of a difference to your smart home experience.

Last month, we kicked off this series by highlighting a couple of subtle but important feature differences between Savant and Control4. As an integrator authorized for both, we like to point out these differences and recommend which one might best fit your specific needs. However, you ultimately decide what’s best for your home in Morris County, NJ. In this blog, we’ll delve into a couple of other aspects of Savant versus Control4 smart home automation to better educate and guide you on your choice. The idea is to get you to think about what’s really important to you to make the right decisions. Ready? Please stay with us below.

Home theaters are becoming a popular addition to luxury homes, and with good reason. As more content is available for streaming and blockbusters are being released on demand, the appeal of a cinematic viewing experience in the comfort of your home is undeniable. But before you go to the big-box technology store and buy the equipment for a DIY installation, you should consider working with a home theater installation expert to create the home cinema of your dreams. Read on to learn why it is essential to work with a professional on your home theater design in New York, NY.