Add the Soundtrack to Your Outdoor Spaces

Springtime in Chicago is the perfect time to move your recreational activities outside. But there's nothing better than spending your time outdoors with quality sound that won't let you down when you have guests over or have a barbecue with your family. You can turn your Chicago, IL home into an enhanced entertainment space with a sound system that gives you full power and control over your favorite music, podcasts, or news. You can even integrate it with a video system for outdoor movie and TV nights. Read on to learn more about the benefits of an outdoor speaker installation.

Bring Integrated Lighting & Shading to Your Everyday Smart Home Living

Lighting can transform every aspect of your home – from how it appears to you and guests to how it makes everyone feel in it at every hour of the day. The right lighting is crucial for an enhanced living experience, and for this level of illumination, you need the best lighting solutions in the industry.

Lutron is the leading brand in home lighting and motorized shading – and as your Lutron dealer in the Chicago, IL area, r:home is here to bring these smart solutions to your property! Want to learn more about these technologies and our services? Just keep reading on below.

Here at r:home, our team went on an off-site retreat and reflected on why our company exists in the first place. After hours of discussion, we decided our mission is to “make life easier and more enjoyable" through the design and deployment of smart homes. However, this got me thinking… is it possible for a smart home to not only make life more enjoyable, but more meaningful?

I’m Derick Downey, lead programmer for r:home, and in this blog series I’m going to explore this question. If you are a fan of self-help authors like James Clear or Tony Robbins, or just interested in learning new and creative smart home ideas, this blog is for you. Also, this series will only improve from your contribution, so please subscribe and leave your thoughts in the comments below! 

Defining the Terms

What Is Home Automation?

“Home Automation” is a fancy word for the automatic control of electronic devices in your home. It typically involves multiple electronic devices working together toward a common goal. A “smart home” is simply a home that has “home automation” built into it.

Some classic examples of home automation include: