Thursday, November 5, 2009

Onstar for your house?



Have you ever been locked out of your house? Well, fear no more! No keys, no problem. A simple battery operated keypad lock integrates seamlessly into our Smart Home system. Punch in your keycode and the door lock opens! Securely open your lock from the Internet or even an iPhone.

Create temporary codes to give to a friend staying for the weekend, or a code that only works during certain hours for the housekeeper. Receive email alerts when your kids get home from school, and have the lights and music automatically come on to your personal preferences.

When you're ready for bed- simply touch the "Goodnight" button on your nightstand to turn all the lights off, close your garage door, arm your security system, and now, lock your doors!

Security and Peace of Mind come in these three flavors- and are available to order now!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Same theater, more pics- maybe even a video if I have time...











Create a relaxing atmosphere with the right music!







Welcome to Meltdown Day Spa!
www.meltdowndayspa.com

It has been about 4 months since they opened, but I had not seen the 100% completed project until today.




Our portion of the project was small, but the music system we provided adds to the atmosphere when you walk in.


Here are some of their signature services:
ancient detour
thai yoga massage
meltdown salt & pepper scrub
morrocan rassoul body wrap
volcanic ash meltdown soak
timeless caviar & pearl facial
heel your sole pedicure





Each of the treatment rooms has its own sound system that allows your choice of music. You can listen to the shared sources (iPod, radio or cd changer) or you can even bring your own music while you meltdown!
























Meltdown Day Spa offers complete Manicure/Pedicure services as well- check their website for monthly specials and services.






x

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

D-Box at the Tysons Luxury Expo!

I think we had more exhibitors sitting in the D-box chairs than actual customers. Sunday traffic was a bit slower than it typically has been in previous years, but it was still a great show overall.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

It's amazing the difference a week can make...

This is the before picture of the hallway. Our client (Tony) wanted to do something to "jazz up" his space. His theater room was built about 8 years ago and we had already done a few upgrades to the system.
It was nice for the time, and it still had some appeal- but it wasn't as good as it could be. In our initial walkthrough I made some suggestions for the future- (because I didn't think he didn't want to spend the money- after all, a few days prior he told me that he and his wife got into a fight about spending money...)
The faux painting on the walls was very well done, but not suited to my tastes, the projector was about 2 years old, and he was happy with the sound system... So what could we do on a budget to improve the aesthetic of the room? My suggestions were to replace the carpet, and create some appeal when you're entering the room so that before you even walk into the room you know it's something special! He also wanted to raise the back row higher, so there was an unobstructed view of the screen.

As you can see from this after picture, I believe we have accomplished our desired effect! The walls were painted a dark brown, gold painted trim was added to make the halllway more elegant, remote controlled, color changing LED lighting was added to create a color wash on the ceiling. The walls have some shadow boxes made for moovie posters, curved marble tiles add some elegance, and my favorite part is the suede-leather porthole door!
This normally would not be a big deal to complete this project in less than a week- but going from concept to completion in less than a week was an amazing feat! (Tony wanted to surprise his family and have this all done while they were on vacation) So with the initial concept in place on Tuesday, and the deadline set for next Tuesday evening, I had my work cut out for me!
I didn't do all the work on my own- I'd like to thank Ramzy Andary for having his team take care of all the construction with zero notice, and a very special thanks to Taylor of Nic-lor floors, for getting her installers to drive down to Richmond (and back to Clifton) at 3:00 on a weekday, so that the carpet could be installed when it was promised. She went above and beyond to help us get it done! Good service is hard to come by these days, so when you get awesome service, and people followup and do what they say they'e going to do- they deserve some recognition!

This is the before sightline-it's fine if you're sitting up in the backrow- but when you recline in the back row, the fromt row chairs block the bottom of the screen. Moving the screen up was not an option due to the bulkhead iin the room- so the only option we had was to raise the seating platform even higher. By adding another 7" only underneath the seating- Tony now has a perfect view.



This is the new back row configuration- For a smaller room, I'm surprised that we were able to fit 10 chairs total in here! The prime seating here is a pair of leather D-Box Motion simulator home theater recliners with motorized recline! If you've never heard of D-Box, check the back of many Blu-ray DVD's... If you love action movies, you have to at least look at it.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Another D-Box Theater Completed!


Our client didn't think we would get it done, but as we typically do- we prevailled! A truly state-of-the-art home theater system, complete with a Panamorph anamophic lens, 2.35:1 wide screen Cinema Design Group Acoustics, Isky starlight panels and the highlight feature- four D-Box seats made by Fortress that move in sync with the action on the screen!
Everything is able to be controlled from the Control4 universal remote-including the 4 preset lighting scenes. we even made it so that when he pauses the movie, the lights automatically raise. As a little bonus feature, we are using the control4 system as a water leak detector- to notify the homeowner if there's any water in the basement.
Our clients first reaction- he loved it! I bet he's going to be watching movies all week in there....
A special thanks to Mike Carr of Carrmichael construction for taking care of the trim work and painting.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Why we do what we do...

Seven years ago when we started this business, we focused the business around what we knew best at the time- Computers! PC and Mac hardware and software support for small business and residential clients.

After getting a few years into the business and developing it to some extent, I decided to take the business in a different direction...enter the home theater business! Why home theaters? Because it's cool! Home electronics, automation, and all kinds of gadgets! Not only do we get to "play" with cool technology, we make people happy and we make their lives easier! I've always thought it would be neat to be an "imagineer" that's Disney-speak for the wizards that put the rides and scences together- they make the magic happen.

We run a service based business- we provide the knowledge, and the people with the right experience to help save time and money.

If you've done any research on home theaters or home automation systems you know that there are a plethora of choices and brands and features and you could spend weeks and weeks doing the research yourself. That's where we can help you make the right choices.

I enjoy what I do, but still find it tiresome at times. Demanding clients who want everything but don't want to pay the price, employees, and the neverending stream of calls and to-do lists... It's the life of a small business owner facing growing pains due to success. On the bright side, being busy during a recession is one of the best problems to have!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Washington Home and Garden Show!

I've been asked to speak at this year's show!

Not a big fan of public speaking, so we shall see how it goes...

There is a Thursday and Friday seminar- Thursday at 1:00- Friday at 3:00...
http://www.washingtonhomeandgardenshow.com/seminar-schedule.html

I should really put something together before the show...

Colorado Vnet Homeowner Perspective

Saturday, March 7, 2009
















It's been a very busy week since the end of the home show! While Thursday and Friday were fairly slow, Saturday and Sunday were so busy we didn't even have time to eat! Here are some pictures of people who took the time to experience the D-box chair in our demo theater room.



Everyone who sat in it agreed that it was a great experience- "Wow! You gotta sit in that chair!"


The D-Box simulator system starts around $4500, using your own seat- various configurations are available, single chairs, loveseats, entire seating platforms, even build it in custom seating!











There's no question about it, if you love movies, you will want this in your theater.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Control4 controller differences

Control4 has two "entry-level" controllers that are priced within the realm of someone looking for a universal remote that does WAY more than most remotes.

While they can both function as a stand-alone controller, the differences that really matter are outlined below.

HC200: Must be used with a display- the included remote does not have a OLED screen that tells you what room you are in... Also limited to controlling 4 devices (4 IR outputs) and no contacts/relays for expansion. This would be ideal for someone who is just looking to control a stack of equipment-but probably not expand it later on. $500

HC300: Comes with a nicer remote, 6 IR outputs, 1 contact and relay- If you want the basic home automation package, I would start with this controller. $700

I'll update the HC500 and HC1000 in the next blog...

This is just in response to some recent questions-

Monday, February 23, 2009

Get 19,530 new twitter followers in 30 days?

Tweetergetter? Not sure what this is all about- but it's worth spending 5 minutes looking into right?

So you go to this site- and similar to a MLM/ pyramid setup, it puts you at the top of a list- and drops the next name down...though I don't know what it does in the background... We shall see...

This is the email it generates automatically.

I just found this site that shows you away of getting 1000's of new followers on twitter, I just started using itmyself and its starting to work already.
http://tweetergetter.com/executive411
Thought it might interest you.

Theater- built to order!

Lights, camera, action! Everything you need to enjoy a theater in your own home. From a basic $5,000 theater in a box package- to a 6-figure custom theater with theater seating built-to-order.

One of my favorite manufacturers to do business with, Fortress seating is certainly pricy when compared to department store or the Roomstore- but the product you get is far different.

Comparing a "theater chair" from the Big Screen Store and a theater chair from Fortress would be like comparing a McDonald's Hamburger to a Ruth's Chris steak. Sure a McDonalds hamburger is tasty once in awhile, but to eat one day after day... ugh.

Fortress allows us to customize a theater chair to your individual needs- If you are taller, shorter, wider, or smaller- the seat back, seat width, leg height, cushion density can all be changed. There are numerous styles to choose from, and they can be made in leather, suede or other fabrics.

Check out their website for more info www.fortresseating.com and we have some picture of our jobs on www.executive411.com

Friday, February 20, 2009

Remote control lights!

Not just a "thing for lazy people..." Remote control lights enable you to easily adjust the lighting to suit your mood and save energy. (including your own)

Control4 lights recently raised their prices, but they are still on par or less than many professional lighting systems.

A retrofit system allows us to easily install dimmers to replace your existing switches without running any new wires. The professional systems we use are very reliable and are easily controlled.

Here are three good retrofittable lighting systems:


www.control4.com
www.centralite.com
http://www.universalremote.com/product_detail.php?model=157

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Consumer Reports: Best TV's?

In general, I like Consumer reports- they typically know a thing or two, and they're unbiased in their reviews...

Looking through the latest March Issue- the cover story is the Best TV's.

Being in the industry, I find some of their comments and notes amusing... For example, "Panasonic, Pioneer, LG and Samsung have most consistenly been among the best." (Plasma TV's)

There aren't any other name brand tv sets!

Another comparison that i don't understand is between the Samsung 6 series and the 7 series- The 7 series has better sound- that's part of the reason why it's more expensive, yet CR rated the 6 series with better sound....

Then at the 52" size they have the 6,7, 9 series, but at the 46" size they only rate the 8 and 5 series-

Why not be consistent?

At least Sony's aren't at the top of the list...

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Free Tickets!

To the Capital Home and Garden Show in Chantilly next weekend... It starts Thursday the 26th, goes until Sunday March 1.

We have a limited number of free tickets available- these tickets are first-come first serve. Each person at the door is $10...

We will be showcasing our movie trailer and the latest Control4 home automation system. Hands on demo of the iphone control4 interface, invisible speakers, home security cameras, and a $5,000 home theater!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Control4 Automation

For all the people who have installed X-10 devices in their home, hoping to be able to control everything with the push of a single button- and then being sorely disappointed with the reliability of X-10 devices, Control4 is a robust wireless home automation system.

It does not have the phase coupling issues of channel issues that you would face with a typical X-10 system.

It can be completely wireless, and/or use a variety of IEEE standards to communite- (nothing proprietary)

Control4 can be used to control your lights, HVAC/thermostat, music throughout your house, security system, and even a closet full of audio/video gear!

Setting it up with XBMC to use as a media server allows you to access your entire media library from your couch by using your remote- much simpler than using a keyboard and mouse to select files... (more on this later)

The true difference between a home-made system and a professionally installed system is that a professional control system can be easily operated by anyone in the family, with minimal tutorial...

Tech-savvy?

Given how tech-savvy we are as a company, it's amazing that we haven't starting using blogs and other "modern" tools to send out information to our clients...

Either myself or another Executive 411 employee will be updating this blog with a few articlees a week, possibly once per day- depending on how busy we all are...

These articles will be short- If I spent all day blogging, I wouldn't have time to do anything else...

Please post up any comments or get in touch with me if you want specific information on a particular topic- otherwise I'll just post up something Audio/video related that we're working with or that catches my eye that day.