The integrators at Vancouver, B.C.-based La Scala Integrated Media were approached by clients who had built an 18,000-square-foot residence there for their tech-savvy children to use as a place to live while at university. The aim of the project, said Tavish Macdonald, of La Scala’s design sales team, was to adhere to a clean, minimalistic style while customizing the…

This Boston Back Bay mansion, first built and occupied in 1889 by the prominent descendant of a Revolutionary-era merchant family, was prepped for a 21st-Century technology overhaul for a new set of owners who wanted to harmoniously amalgamate top-shelf automation in this 4,000-square-foot property with their love of Classicism and Art Deco interior design. So…

Everyone remembers that house from the neighborhood, the one all the kids referred to as the ‘cool’ house. It may have had a relaxing pool, a cozy patio with a grill, or a tricked-out home theater that made it the place to be for hosting and entertaining. Becoming the cool home that people will flock to is…

There are numerous factors to consider and measures to take when building the ideal home. At the base level, the house must be large enough to meet the needs of the client and the location should be prime for living in long term. For the owners of a multi-acre home in the greater Des Moines,…

This new home in the desert environs of La Quinta, Calif., was designed as a vacation retreat for the residents. The El Segundo, Calif. integration firm Signals Audio/Video was originally called upon to install only televisions and speakers everywhere, but Jesse Howe, Signals A/V president, explained how that quickly changed. After the owners visited his showroom and a nearby…