Every project we build starts with questions — what screen size is actually right for this room, how many audio zones does a yard this size need, what has to be pre-wired before drywall goes up. These guides are our answers, the same ones our Luxury Technology Advisors walk clients through in person.
Organized into Planning Guides, Buying Guides, and Technology Comparisons, then grouped by the part of the home they cover. Read one or read all of them — each one reflects the same standard we build to on every project: The ACT Standard™.
Object-based audio, height channels, and how the format scales from a media room to a reference theater.
Read Guide → Planning GuideA practical guide to room size, ceiling height, launch monitors, and design for building a home golf simulator you will actually use.
Read Guide → Planning GuideTV lift options, mirror TVs, cabinet and ceiling lifts, art displays — every way to enjoy a screen without ever seeing one.
Read Guide → Planning GuideA clear-eyed look at how invisible speakers work, where they perform best, and how they compare to standard in-ceiling audio.
Read Guide → Planning GuideScreen types, audio tiers, acoustic treatment, and The Signature Rack™ — everything that goes into a theater built the ACT way.
Read Guide → Planning GuideA practical guide to planning multi-room, distributed audio — from zone layout and invisible speakers to amplification and control.
Read Guide →A complete walkthrough of Control4 home automation — lighting, audio-video, security, and climate, unified into one system.
Read Guide → Planning GuideA room-by-room, phase-by-phase guide to planning a luxury smart home — from pre-construction wiring to control, audio, and security.
Read Guide → Planning GuideEvery system category Control4 can unify — lighting, audio-video, climate, security, shades, and more.
Read Guide → Cost GuideRealistic cost ranges by scope, from a single-room starting point to a full-estate automation build.
Read Guide →A practical way to estimate fixture count by property feature instead of guessing at a number.
Read Guide → Planning GuideWhy one uniform layer of light falls flat, and how up-lighting, path lighting, and moonlighting work together.
Read Guide → Planning GuideA layer-by-layer guide to luxury lighting design, from Lutron controls to landscape lighting and scene programming.
Read Guide → Planning GuideA practical guide to motorized shades — roller, blackout, and solar options, and how they integrate into a fully automated luxury home.
Read Guide →What separates a dead zone from whole-home coverage — mesh WiFi, enterprise access points, and network design for luxury homes.
Read Guide → Planning GuideA square-footage and construction-material-based way to estimate access point count before you buy.
Read Guide → Planning GuideSecurity cameras, whole-home audio, and smart control all depend on a network most homes were never wired for.
Read Guide →A complete guide to designing weatherproof outdoor TVs, landscape audio, smart lighting, and automation for luxury backyard entertaining spaces.
Read Guide → Planning GuideHow TV, audio, and lighting come together into a single outdoor entertaining plan instead of separate add-ons.
Read Guide → Planning GuideMounting height, shade planning, weatherproof enclosures, and cable runs done the right way the first time.
Read Guide →A stage-by-stage technology checklist for new construction, from foundation sleeves to the final pre-move-in walkthrough.
Read Guide → Planning GuideA room-by-room guide to smart home prewire, low voltage rough-in, and structured wiring for new construction and major remodels.
Read Guide →Laser vs. lamp, resolution, and matching brightness to the room it's actually going in.
Read Guide → Buying GuideRiser height, sightlines, and choosing a tier from essentials to haptic reference seating.
Read Guide → Buying GuideChannel configurations, Atmos height channels, subwoofers, and in-wall vs. freestanding.
Read Guide → FAQThe outdated '3x diagonal' rule, and the viewing-distance math that actually applies to 4K content.
Read Guide → Buying GuideWhat to know before buying an LED video wall — pixel pitch, indoor vs. outdoor, mounting, and control, explained plainly.
Read Guide →Why professionally engineered platforms outperform consumer ecosystems once a home reaches a certain scale.
Read Guide → FAQAn honest look at what Control4 costs versus what it replaces, and who actually needs it.
Read Guide →How color temperature changes the mood and materials of a landscape lighting design.
Read Guide → Buying GuidePath lights, up-lights, well lights, and hardscape fixtures — what to specify for each role in the yard.
Read Guide →When concealment is worth the added planning, and when a straightforward mount is still the right call.
Compare → ComparisonTwo genuinely different rooms get used interchangeably. Here's how to know which one fits your house.
Compare → ComparisonModern in-wall audio has closed most of the old sound-quality gap. Here's what's left.
Compare → ComparisonPast 100 inches, ambient light and room use decide the winner more than picture quality alone.
Compare → ComparisonWhich flagship TV wins for living rooms, theaters, and Art Mode — they're rarely the same answer.
Compare → ComparisonExcellent wireless audio versus a system engineered into the home from the start.
Compare →Symmetrical upload is the real differentiator once a home is running cameras and whole-home streaming.
Compare → ComparisonWhy a retail mesh kit and a professionally wired access-point network aren't the same architecture.
Compare → ComparisonWhat Multi-Link Operation and 320MHz channels actually change, and whether your home needs it yet.
Compare →How your yard's terrain and planting decide which hidden outdoor speaker style actually blends in.
Compare → ComparisonWhy an indoor television carried outdoors is the most common — and costly — outdoor AV mistake we see.
Compare →These guides cover the fundamentals — but the right plan for your home depends on its layout, your build timeline, and how you actually live. That's what a Luxury Technology Advisor is for.
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