With warm weather finally returning to New York and New Jersey, we’re already thinking about all the activities to do in the longer, brighter days. This is a popular time of year for home renovations, and if you’re thinking about updating or building an outdoor living space, make this your year! 

An outdoor living area doesn’t have to be limited to Adirondack chairs around a campfire. You can construct a luxurious villa or bungalow to enjoy warm days and nights with many activities. 

At Total Home Technologies, we design and install outdoor entertainment systems on porches, patios, verandas, and outdoor living rooms. Read on to get inspired for your Bergen County, NJ, home and see what you can include in your outdoor space. 

If you’re building a new home or undergoing a renovation, this is the perfect opportunity to undergo a lighting design. With professionally designed lighting, you’ll create an incredible atmosphere that illuminates your house like never before.

But what does a lighting design do?

Many of our clients are unsure what a lighting design is when we first meet them and aren’t aware of the impact it can make. In this blog, we’ll explain what a lighting design entails and how greatly it will help your Red Banks, NJ home.

As we head into darker, shorter days here in New York, NY, many people are seeking more ways to bring light into their homes. Smart lighting control lets users customize the color temperature and brightness of their lighting fixtures, automating bulbs to mimic the sunrise and sunset, and even control when lights are on to save energy. 

There are countless benefits to smart lighting, but there’s one question that remains unclear for many homeowners: should I install this myself or hire a professional? 

Online and in stores, you’ll find DIY off-the-shelf smart bulbs that connect to your phone over Wi-Fi. In some cases, that’s a fine option. But if you want a fully integrated home with more customization and automation options, a professional smart lighting installation is your best bet. 

If you’re unsure what you really need for your New York home, we share below what your expectations can be for both a DIY and professional lighting system. 

For a better life, you need better home lighting!

That may sound like an exaggeration—but think about it. What do people supposedly see when they’re about to enter the heavenly gates? Light. What’s at the end of the tunnel? Light. And when life has got us down, what do we tell ourselves? The sun will come out tomorrow.

Humans need light to feel energized, happy, and productive. Yet, most of us spend a majority of our time indoors. If your New York home doesn’t have ample sunlight, you could be inadvertently hindering your wellbeing. Even if you have large windows, at night, you need atmospheric lighting to create a comfortable mood before bed.

When most houses are built, only the lighting layout is considered, as in, where lights will be installed. But a layout doesn’t address how it will look and feel to live under those lights. A lighting design with smart lighting control can help your home in New York, NY, achieve the perfect mood all day long.

In any interior, lighting is arguably one of the most important elements. If you’ve been in a basement apartment, you know how moody and stuffy it can feel in a dark space. But in an open, well-lit room, suddenly you feel ready to seize the day.

New York homes are not known for their abundant space, even if you live in a sizable penthouse or brownstone. You need to make the most of your Manhattan home with a lighting design that enhances both natural and artificial light.

How? With smart lighting control by Control4 and motorized shades that are synched to one smart system. If you’re curious about lighting control in Manhattan, learn how it works and discover your options below.

Many people hang any old projector, connect a couple of speakers, and call the room a home theater. That may work for them, but much more goes into animmersive, high-end theater than that. The care and attention applied toluxury homecinemas create an experience that outshines a night at aRegal or AMC. 

As a home theater installer based in New York, NY,we’ve worked on spaces large and small, modern and retro. When it comes to the best theaters, they all have the same thing in common: attention to detail.So, if you’re interested in building an entertainment haven, don’t miss these essential features of a home theater design. 

In the past year, we’ve seen smart lighting attract more and more New Yorkers—perhaps due to abundant time spent at home. If you’ve dipped into smart lighting control at all, then you’ve seen how addicting it is. Once you are able to customize the color and brightness of one lightbulb, you’ll want your entire home’s lights to be tunable, too. 

With a smart lighting system, you can adjust your lightsinstantly from a smartphone app or create a schedule for LEDs to turn on and shift colors automatically. The high-definition color palette lets you drench your home in color, pinpointing the exact shade you want. Plus, motion sensors can help control when lights are on, illuminating rooms only when you need. 

But maybe you’re wondering, ‘Why would I use that? My regular lightbulbs are fine!’ That’s a common question we hear, and we understand the confusion. Read on to see when tunable smart lightingis not only funbut also can improve your health and safety in your New York, NY, home. 

Voice control is one of the most convenient ways to use a smart home system like Control4. As you walk around the house or settle in to watch a movie, you can adjust the lights, lower the shades, and turn on speakers—all hands-free.

But if you’ve ever tried using Alexa or Siri voice assistants, you know they’re far from perfect. Many of us have listened, exasperated, when the voice replies, “I’m sorry, I didn’t get that.”

And with a smart system, you need your voice assistant to understand you. After all, if you’re heading out the door and trying to turn off the lights, you don’t have time to play guessing games. That’s why we suggest Josh.ai.

Josh.ai is the latest voice-controlled system that understands natural speech patterns better than any other. It’s built specifically for home control, unlike other programs. Read on to see how Josh.ai works and how it will assist your Morris County, NJ, household.  

Once you experience smart lighting, it’s tough to go back to the standard on/off switch with no customization options. Those who have not witnessed the beauty, convenience and thrill of smart lighting may wonder: Is it really necessary? A lot of things in our lives are not necessary per se, but they make life much more convenient.

 Looking back at the introduction of new technology, we often approach change in the same way. When text messaging was first introduced, many wondered, “Why do I need that? I can just call a friend.” When voice assistant technology arrived, many questioned its necessity. Now, more than 60 million Americans use smart speakers.

The same applies to home lighting control. Be one of the first to enhance your Manhattan, NY home with intuitive smart lights and reap the benefits. Below, we highlight when you’ll routinely use smart lighting so you can envision your life with it.

According to a study on the habits of burglars by UNC Charlotte, 83% of burglars admitted that they specifically look to see if a house is armed with alarms. 60% said they would change their minds if there were one installed.

That may sound like enough to convince anyone, but many still wonder if a home security system helps homeowners. Certainly, a system that is not efficiently built and leaves behind blind spots will be vulnerable. But a layered system with multiple levels of protection will make it nearly impossible for your house to be targeted, or for disasters to go too far. Read on to see how your Monmouth County, NJ home could gain from a new safety system.