No matter which room of your home you choose to enhance, a typical media room consists of a large viewing area and a high quality audio package. And don’t forget seating for all your guests to enjoy while watching this summer’s blockbusters. Want to integrate a media room in your home but aren’t sure if you have enough space? Relative has a few suggestions for making the most of any space or any media design setup.

Multipurpose Room
In today’s modern age, a media room can be integrated into a traditional living room, creating a cozy and enchanting space for your guests. A variety of large flat 4K televisions are available for big screen viewing in a small space. Do your kids always have friends over to play video games? Accompanied by a strong integrated network, your modern theater space can have multiple screens for a multiple player game room that everyone in the neighborhood will love. A media room that doubles as a playroom can incorporate a big screen that is only seen when in use. Relative can even install a large projector screen that retreat back into the ceiling. There are really very few limitations to designing whatever you imagine!

After-Hours (and Under-the-Covers) Cinema
For some, watching a movie before bedtime is the ultimate escape. Turning your bedroom into a sci-fi command bridge or a romantic comedy love nest is possible no matter the size of your space. Televisions can be mounted to various locations in a bedroom with limited space or installed using motorized lifts that return the screen into a closet or under the bed when not in use. Custom cabinets can also be built to hide televisions when not in use, while speakers can be hidden in walls or ceilings to blend in with your interior décor.

Small Home Theater
A short room, such as an unused portion of a basement, can be converted to a home theater as well – outfitted with a projector designed for a shorter viewing distance, and a dedicated screen wall. Relative can help you choose the right screen size for the dimensions of your space that won’t overwhelm your guests, yet still provides a cinematic feel. These dimensions will also be taken into account when designing a multi-channel surround sound system, as well as an integrated lighting system.

Relative works with Crestron Electronics to design and program a system that connects your media room to your overall home automation. Whether you live in The Woodlands, River Oaks, Tanglewood, Memorial, Bellaire, Conroe, or anywhere in the greater Houston area, and if you have any questions about smart technology for entertainment, security, green solutions and more, give Relative Home Systems a call!

Detailed attention is given to every aspect of your décor- so why not your lighting? Customized lighting is important for overall design, enhancing star pieces and flattering other furniture. With the variety of customized lighting and shading options available today, lighting that complements your décor is easier than ever.

Relative Home Systems knows that custom lighting can be used to enhance the natural beauty of your home rather than detract. Great lighting is the icing on the cake of a well-designed interior and can be created for any and every room, not just one location.  Want to know how automated lighting can not only reduce energy costs but spotlight your interior design skills? You’re in the right place.

Enhance Your Décor

A professional integrator such as RHS can construct your scenes of light in “layers” allowing you to assemble the perfect atmosphere with the touch of a button.  A room of featured artwork can be put on display when a guest arrives, simply by engaging a “showcase” setting.   Lighting control can help create a consistent design style throughout a home, replacing clusters of switches in various locations with simple control panels, set to pre-programmed settings, such as “high and low.”  With dimmers and motorized shades throughout your home, natural light can also be included as a complementary layer to an overall lighting control system for the best possible results.

Reduce Solar Gain

As the home automation industry continues to evolve with product advancements and integration technologies, Relative Home Systems is ready to bring our expertise to you! Our new blog is here as a resource to spotlight products and services that will have the most impact on your projects.

Our first spotlight, however, is actually on RHS(or Relative Home Systems, being…us). More specifically, we wanted to take this opportunity to present the advantages of working with an experienced Crestron Integrator.

Why Crestron?

The new home automation systems are sometimes called “Smart Home” systems or “Systems Integration.” Whatever the title, they are all referring to intuitive control of your home's subsystems, including audio/video, lighting, security, CCTV, motorized shades & drapes, pool/spa and more. Besides a consistent system-to-system look and feel which makes controlling your home easier, combining these subsystems into a unified control also greatly eliminates wall clutter. Thermostats are hidden in closets or a mechanical room and backup security keypads and pool/spa controllers can likewise be hidden.

Crestron is a world-wide leader in this home automation control, and RHS is one of a few audio-visual firms that can boast nearly a century of combined Crestron experience. This means that our staff has earned its stripes! Through intensive training and real-world experience, we offer the highest level of expertise and quality in programming our client's integration systems.

MainStreet America® is a year-round showcase of homes where people will be inspired, informed and empowered to build or remodel their home. Positioned as a truly innovative concept in shopping for new homes and related services, MainStreet America® premiers this Fall as the only venue of its kind in the country with dining, retail, entertainment and educational opportunities added to the blend of activities. Opening at a time of national economic uncertainty, MainStreet America® is located in Houston, Texas, one of the nation’s healthiest housing markets, a leader in job growth and rising consumer confidence. That makes Houston perhaps the perfect locale for unveiling a new beacon of hope symbolic of the promise that the American dream is alive and well.

There is a new destination on the horizon for consumers in the greater Houston area who are eager to experience a new and unique way of shopping for new homes, home products, and home services. Situated on a 14-acre site just south of The Woodlands on Interstate 45 is MainStreet America® (MSA), a multi-million dollar home product theme park. This innovative shopping venue can best be described as an inspiring world of discovery built around empowering educational technology and the home. MainStreet America® will be a powerful influence on consumer spending and will soon redefine how people shop for home products and services.

MSA is the culmination of years of study and research by owners Michael and Barbara Feigin. “MainStreet America® will be open year-round, seven days a week – the only perpetual showcase of homes of its kind in the country,” says founder/CEO, Michael Feigin. “But it’s more than a showcase of new homes … it’s an educational, shopping and entertainment destination centered on the home.” Twelve dynamic model homes, along with a two-story, 45,000 square foot Guest Center have been under construction for the past 15 months and are now slated for opening early November. From Old World Mediterranean to Contemporary Modern, the Park will feature a wide range of architectural styles, interior décor and square footages. In addition, each home is designed to operate as a retail furniture showroom. For the first time, consumers will be able shop for home furnishings within the full context of a completely decorated and functional home.

Visitors to MainStreet America® will begin their experience at the Guest Center where they can engage in a number of activities. From there they can embark on a self-guided tour of each showcase home, participate in a how-to workshop, or enjoy one of the many planned family and seasonal events. While in the Park, visitors can also access a complete list of home services — all under one roof. On site is a custom home builder, a full-service remodeling company, a mortgage company, interior design studio and a residential architectural firm. “One of the unique highlights of the park is that guests can access instant information on desired products in each showcase home through their use of our specially designed, hand-held Technological Education Device we call TED,” states Feigin. “The TED experience can best be described as online browsing combined with in-store shopping – taken to a whole new level.” Utilizing the latest in scanning technology, the TED device will allow users to wave over a programmed product tag to initiate audio and/or visual feedback. If you’re interested in a specific brick exterior, swimming pool accessory, surround sound system component, kitchen appliance, or even the radiant barrier found inside an attic – TED will access its brand name, list of features, provide buying information and create a virtual shopping list.