Integrating Technology Aesthetically

Published: January 27, 2025

Integrating Technology Aesthetically

It’s likely the number one request that both designers and integrators hear from clients when it comes to home automation systems: “I don’t want to see the technology.”

Ultimately, though, it’s something of a misnomer: A client absolutely wants to see, hear and even feel the intended effects of the technology, from the perfect lighting to mood-setting audio to an HVAC system that delivers pure air at the most comfortable temp. What they probably don’t want to see is a “stack of black boxes” – and, as any integrator will tell you, exposed cables are anathema to 99% of homeowners.

What we’ve come to understand is that there are ways to hide tech, there are ways to blend tech into the lived environment, and there are ways to simply make the tech more aesthetically appealing. Striking that balance is the ticket to realizing the result: a marriage of technology and design that creates a true “dream home” for the customer.

JoAnn Arcenal, Crestron’s director of business development, has seen this dynamic firsthand. A notable example was a recent trip to Arizona that incorporated a variety of solutions to integrating technology – including faux finishes.

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Matching Speakers to a Wooden Ceiling

integrating speaker technology in outdoor ceiling

Photo courtesy of Portal Media/Andrew Hoppin

“These solutions always work best when they start this conversation: How much technology does the client want, and how much do they need to balance that with the aesthetic?” says Arcenal. In this case, the client was “heavy on both,” she recalls: “This is one of our builder partners, and he knows the value of the Crestron Home OS.” The builder wanted to deploy as many technological solutions as he could while incorporating the natural textures of the desert Southwest, from weathered stone to rich woodgrains.

The builder engaged MARA Interior Design, a Scottsdale firm, which contracted a faux-finish painter. The first order of business was incorporating a wide variety of finishes to the home’s Crestron keypads, from marble to rough concrete to match individual spaces in the residence, and then the painter moved on to the in-ceiling speakers.

faux painted aesthetically integrated audio speaker technology crestron

Photo credit: Crestron

“The wood for this particular ceiling had been very carefully sourced,” explains Arcenal. “The builder took quite a bit of time with architects and designers to achieve a perfect look, and any disruption of that natural grain would have been a blemish.” The builder didn’t want to sacrifice a bit of audio quality – a common issue with “invisible” speakers that live underneath a wall – so exposed speaker grilles were a must.

“By collaborating with the faux painter and working carefully with Crestron’s paintable speaker grilles, he was able to match that beautiful and natural grain of the wood without sacrificing any sound quality at all,” says Arcenal.

—By Ed Wenck, Senior Content Writer, Crestron

Tagged with: Crestron, JoAnn Arcenal

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