Quick Bits

WE ASK INDUSTRY INSIDERS ONE QUESTION

What outdoor tech trend, product, or product family seems to resonate most with your homeowners as so many of them have invested in the outdoor environment around their residences in the past couple of years?

The trend we are most excited about is outdoor lighting. Lighting enhances the investments made in both the interior and exterior spaces. For outdoor, I really like the flexibility of the accents and wall washers by WAC, which have adjustable beam angles and brightness. As a landscape continues to grow and change, having the option to make adjustments right in the fixture itself gives our clients confidence that their home will look great for years to come. — Kristin Reinitz, Admit One, Edina, MN

Great quality landscape speakers have been a game changer with regards to drastically improving outdoor audio and being able to “hide” the speakers. The other outdoor trend that has been growing over the past five years is outdoor shading. Integrators are getting more creative in offering solutions for direct sun patios/decks so that our clients can use them for longer periods of time in the summer months. — Patrick Hartman, Diversified Systems International, Carson City, NV Without question it is landscape audio. Many of our clients still believe the only outdoor audio solution is a couple soffit-mounted speakers. So, when we demonstrate for them the audio quality and flexibility a landscape audio system provides, they are blown away. I believe that our industry is still at the

“early adopter” phase of landscape audio systems and, as more people experience it, we will start seeing a far higher attach rate. — Eric Crawford,

The Loop, Boise, ID

Speakers, speakers, and more speakers. We have seen not just an increase in outdoor audio requests but the sheer size of the systems being requested have surprised us. We recently completed a project that utilized 16 satellite speakers and four buried subwoofers by James Loudspeaker to provide concert-level sound in their amazing backyard transformation. — Lamar

Gibson, Miestro, Memphis, TN

I think one area we’ve seen a lot of traction in is outdoor lighting. With the integration of lighting control and the ability to change colors, creating a dynamic and impactful outdoor space has never been easier or more interactive. Customer requests for outdoor TVs cannot go unmentioned. End users no longer seem to accept that an indoor display is a “good enough” solution and they begin to see their outdoor area as a true entertainment space and additional “room” in their house. — Kat Wheeler, Snap One, Columbus, OH Our clients love the concept of outdoor living and want to do many of the same things they do indoors when they’re outside — watch a movie, host a football viewing party, jam out to their favorite album. Utilizing TVs designed for sun and shade and made to withstand heat and moisture, the entertaining square footage can double. Landscape audio systems can be designed so the homeowner can crank it up without disturbing the neighborhood. Landscape lighting solutions tied into a whole-home automation system make decorating for holidays and special events convenient and fun. — Lee Travis, Wipliance, Washington, AZ

Our clients have been investing in three major categories for the outdoor environment: discrete outdoor audio, such as the Sonance SLS system, outdoor televisions from Samsung, and outdoor motorized screens for bugs and sun protection from SI. — Navot Shorish, Spire Integrated Systems, Troy, MI

Even in Northern Ohio, where we only have a handful of really comfortable months of weather to enjoy, I have clients investing crazy amounts of money to create an outdoor entertainment system that rivals what I used to install only inside the home. — Tony Fabrick, Xtend Technologies,

Broadview Heights, OH

Being in Michigan, our clients want to do anything they can to maximize their time and entertainment in the outdoors … especially when we have nice weather! Technology can play a huge part in making that a reality.

Outdoor and landscape speaker systems are a must have, and we are seeing a lot of requests for motorized screens for porches and patios. It’s like you get a whole additional room for your house! — Amanda Wildman,

TruMedia, Ada, MI