SmartHouse Blog

Everything to Look For in a Home Security System Design

Over 1 million burglaries happen in the United States a year. With 75% of homeowners not having a security system, many homes are left unprotected from invaders. Adding a security system to your home can help keep your family safe and your home secure. Many wealthy homeowners fail to protect their valuables by...

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Top 5 Factors to Consider When Choosing Home Security Cameras

Several studies have documented lower incidents of crime in homes and businesses that employ security cameras, especially when those devices are coupled with other proven security steps. Security cameras may not deter 100% of crime, but they can significantly make your home safer. Choosing home security cameras should be a top...

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Let SmartHouse Integration Bring Automation and Innovation to Your Home

A smart house, where technology can be used to perform household tasks, is no longer something out of a science fiction movie. Homeowners and apartment dwellers alike have access to quick and easy devices and apps that allow them to control tasks with the click of a button. Seeing who...

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Premium Sound Systems as Part of Home Automation

Are you considering upgrading your whole-house sound system? Like any other technology, sound systems become increasingly advanced as time goes on. In a contemporary automated home, a premium sound system is essential. Here we consider the added benefits that a sound system as part of your home automation can bring,...

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8 Perfect Ways Smart Blinds Will Benefit Your Home Building Project

As smart homes are becoming increasingly popular, one feature on the rise is automated shades. This automated shading, also known as smart blinds, is an easy and convenient way to control your home and save energy. In fact, there are over 40 million smart homes in the United States, many of which...

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Enjoy the Peace of Mind Home Automation Can Bring

Chances are, some parts of your property will already benefit from home automation. HVAC, for example, security, garage door operating systems, or blind controls are all examples of home automation. A home automation system is a coordinated system that integrates a wide range of home controls and operating processes in...

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5 Signs You Need a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS)

Are you concerned that you or a loved one may not be able to remain at home due to health concerns? The latest Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) solutions may provide an elegant solution to the situation. With the latest in home automation technology, help is only a button press or...

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How Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) Helps Seniors Be Truly Independent

Aging in their own home is important for many seniors. For loved ones, respecting their wishes must be balanced with safety concerns. Technology, through ambient assisted living, helps seniors remain in place while providing assurances to their loved ones that they are safe. Read on to learn of the many ways AAL can...

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Personal Emergency Response Systems: The Ultimate Guide

Did you know that falling once doubles your chances of falling again? This is a scary fact for individuals who live alone. Luckily, with emergency response systems automated into the home, anyone can get the medical help they need instantly. Read our guide to personal emergency response systems. The Risk When someone...

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3 Reasons to Get a Personal Emergency Response System

Medical emergencies can happen at any time when this happens it is good to have a system in place that will give off an alert. This is especially important if you live alone. A personal emergency response system can save your life. It will help to get you the necessary...

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Think Smart (Homes): How to Build the Best Home Automation System

Remember that scene in Back to the Future Part II, where we get a glimpse of Marty McFly’s home in the “future”—i.e., 2015? It’s full of smart, automated gadgets and features that seemed pretty incredible at the time. Well, it’s now 2020, and smart homes are a reality. There’s a host...

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The 5 Best Home Automation Systems

Over 60 million properties in the U.S. will be labeled “smart homes” by the year 2022. But our homes have a much greater capacity for technological innovation than simply asking Alexa to play some music. So how can you take your home automation to the next level? And what are the best...

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5 Things to Look for When Choosing Custom Security Systems

As a homeowner, your home and everything inside of it is precious to you. Whether we’re talking about your family members, important heirlooms, or valuable items, you must take measures to ensure safety and security. Even if you live in a nice neighborhood and know the neighbors well, it doesn’t...

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Here’s How Future Technology Will Transform Your Home

The ways in which future technology will affect our lives is far-reaching. From healthcare to tasks of daily living, the advancement of new technology aims to make our lives easier and better in just about every way. Nowhere is this more true than in our own homes. Studies show 69% of...

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5 Home Security Features You Should Be Looking For

There are approximately 1.6 million burglaries in the United States each year. This means that it’s of the utmost importance that you protect your home and your valuables to the best of your ability. Fortunately, innovative advancements in smart home technology have made keeping your home safe easy. Read on to learn five...

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How Does Lighting Impact Circadian Rhythm? Light, Darkness, and Your Sleep Cycle

You want a seamless morning routine. From the moment your head hits the pillow until you wake up, you want a home system that fits into the start of your day. Perhaps you wake up to an alarm. But that’s a jarring start to your day, even for those of...

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Diving Into Some Of Today’s Top Home Automation Products

When was the last time you switched on the kettle or the oven with your own hands? probably very recently but all that could be about to change. The future is here. Many home automation products are changing the way we live our lives for the better. From the comfort...

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Facial Recognition is Emerging (SRQ Magazine Feature)

We recently had a tip included in the 2020 Spring Home Portfolio guide from SRQ Magazine. Check it out online here… While voice control has had a steady growth in popularity, facial recognition is an emerging technology that goes one step further. If you’re interested in implementing facial recognition into...

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How to Optimize a Smart Home Thermostat for Comfort and Energy Savings

Don’t you hate those moments when you first come home and have to wait for your heat or AC to kick in? You’re paying for it, so why can’t you enjoy it the entire time you’re at home? A smart home thermostat might just be the solution you’re looking for....

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Great Home Technology Trends to Look out for in 2020

In 1999, the Disney Channel released a movie called Smart House. The forward-thinking kids’ movie featured a home outfitted with futuristic technologies. This included an interactive home computer capable of making meals, cleaning up messes, and playing with the family dog. 20 years later as we head into 2020, the concept...

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Creating the Ultimate Smart Home in 2020: New Trends to Look For

Homes that adjust the lighting depending on the time of day. Blinds that draw with a voice command. Robot house assistants. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi cartoon. However, some of these home automation technologies are already here, and some of it is on its way. Here are some trends to...

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Smart Homes of the Future: Smart Home Technology Predictions to Know

Experts believe that the smart home industry will grow from a $4.4 billion industry in 2013 to a $21 billion industry in 2020. To understand this growth, it’s important to know what the future of home tech holds. Let’s take a look at some predictions to see what smart homes of the...

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How Can Your Smart Home’s Circadian Lighting Improve Your Sleep?

Getting a good night’s sleep can sometimes feel like a huge struggle. Work-related stress, physical illness, and using screens before bed affect sleep quality. Between 50 and 70 million Americans suffer from sleep-related problems. But the smart home offers a solution in the form of circadian lighting. Wondering how circadian lighting could improve...

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4 Smart Home Security Trends You Need to Know

As a homeowner, you want to protect your home. Right? If you’ve got a nice house and a lot of valuables, there’s always the potential of a break-in. Protecting your stuff should always be a priority, but with all of the security trends out there, it can be difficult to...

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Sarasota’s SmartHouse Integration creates user-friendly, integrated home networks

Note: This article was originally published at Herald Tribune. State-of-the-art system features intuitive, accessible controls One in an occasional series about the region’s growing technology sector. Smart homes have graduated from a collection of complicated remote controls for each device, cluttering tables and frustrating residents. Today, homes are far more...

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Latest ELAN Project Values the Voice

Note: This article was originally published at Connected Design. A Longboat Key, Florida couple was recently tasked with finding someone to integrate a system into their home that would allow for total control of their technology by voice command. The music-loving duo elicited Mark Van den Broek for the job...

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ELAN Turns On The Waterworks

Note: This article was originally published at essentialinstall.com. ELAN Control and 2GIG Security Bring 24-Hour Automation to New Waterworks Private Social Club Sarasota, Florida social club can now almost run itself thanks to advanced automation designed and installed by local award-winning electronic firm SmartHouse Integration. The owners of Waterworks, a...

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The Alarming Science Behind Sunrise Alarm Clocks

With all the smart home options available to today’s consumers, sometimes you want a natural solution to wake you up in the morning. Sunrise alarm clock lets you avoid harsh klaxons and beeps, allowing you to wake up naturally. To learn more about why sunrise alarm clocks are the right...

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5 Brilliant Home Automation Ideas You Need to Know

Thanks to automation devices like Alexa becoming more proficient and accessible, turning your house into a smart house easier than ever. There are so many awesome features and ways to take your house to the next level. Here are five cool and totally useful home automation ideas you can use...

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Smart Home Style Tips With Mark van den Broek from SmartHouse Integration

Note: This article was originally published at yonomi.co. Revamping your home into a connected smart house can seem like an intimidating task. You might wonder if the place will end up looking like an eyesore, with wires and gadgets everywhere you look. But as technological advances have been made and...

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Top 4 Reasons to Love a Smart Thermostat

Your home should be a comfortable place to reside in. If it’s somewhere where you only eat, sleep, and shower, then there’s something wrong. You might spend a lot of time outside of your house because the internal temperatures are always unbearable. But that no longer has to be the case...

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Simple Living: Set-and-Forget Luxury with ELAN-Automation

The July 2019 issue of Residential Systems magazine just ran a nice piece on an ELAN-automated home project we completed recently in here in Sarasota. Learn more about our residential home automation projects here.

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Case Study: Home Automation for Commercial

Sound & Video Contractor magazine featured a case study on our work at Waterworks, one of Sarasota’s premier social and business clubs. Learn more about our commercial technology automation projects here.

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SmartHouse Earns Top ELAN Awards at CEDIA Expo 2018

September 2018 CEDIA, the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association, held their annual Expo in San Diego earlier this month. This home tech trade show and conference brings together more than 20,000 home tech pros and 500+ exhibitors for the leading event in connected technology. During the event, they present...

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Ask SmartHouse Why You Need Lutron Shades

Daylight has a quality that we respond to emotionally. Colors read true, finishes reveal their texture, and an uplifting quality pervades any room bathed in daylight. As we become more conscious of our footprint on this planet, we realize that making the most of daylight in our homes simply makes...

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SmartHouse Integration: NEW Upcoming Projects

Check out two of the NEW and EXCITING projects SmartHouse Integration has in the works; Halcyon of Siesta Key and The Pearl Sarasota. Both projects are multiple dwelling units (MDUs) where we are not only using home automation and lighting control within each of the residences, but also for the grounds...

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SmartHouse Integration Open House – May 16, 2018

If you were fortunate enough to attend our Open House, thank you for stopping by and making it such a huge success. The event brought together industry professionals to show, instead of tell, what home automation can do. The demonstrations featured “A Day in the Life with a SmartHouse” which took attendees through...

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Island Get Away Project: 2018 Mark of Excellence Award WINNER!!!

January 10, 2018 — SmartHouse Integration was awarded the 2018 TechHome® Mark of Excellence Award for CUSTOM HOME OF THE YEAR – UNDER $50,000 for their Island Get Away project. This award was presented at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 9-12, 2018....

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SmartHouse Integration – Your Sarasota CEDIA Integrator

SmartHouse Integration – Your Sarasota CEDIA Integrator CEDIA is the international trade association and central touchpoint for 3,700 member companies that represent every facet of the ever-evolving technology market. The association powers integrators’ passion by providing development pathways that move them to the next level by providing education, community, resources,...

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SmartHouse Integration partners with Bang & Olufsen

Like no one else. Since 1925, Bang & Olfusen has become an international design icon and a global symbol of audio-visual excellence. Today, Bang & Olufsen is world renowned for its distinctive range of quality televisions, music systems, and high-performance loudspeakers; products that combine technological excellence with emotional appeal in a...

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Get Ready for Your New Smart TV

If it’s been a few years since you have bought a new TV, well, a lot has changed. No longer is it enough to go into a store and simply look for the best picture and sound. The advent of smart TVs has turned the typical display device into an...

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Art Collector Controls Waterfront Home With ELAN

17,000-Square-Foot Home Uses Smart Lighting to Highlight Art With exquisite artwork, a comprehensive wine collection, and a keen eye for modern design, two Sarasota, FL homeowners decided to push their smart home beyond industry convention. To enhance the home’s art, architecture, and interior design with modern technology, they put their...

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Congratulations to the Winners!

Congratulations to all the winners of SRQ’s 2017 Home of the Year awards. SmartHouse Integration is proud to have been the technology partner on these projects: Best Overall Home – Over $2 Million Platinum – Compasshaus, Josh Wynne Construction Best Remodel / Renovation Platinum – Donnelly Condo, Haflants + Pichette Studio for...

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SmartHouse Integration Wins Electronic House’s Silver 2016 Home of the Year Award for “Best Unique Space”!

SmartHouse Integration, southwest Florida’s leading commercial and residential technology integration firm, today announced that the Sarasota Modern home has been named the silver winner of Electronic House’s 2016 Home of the Year Award in the “Best Unique Space” category. According to SmartHouse Integration Founder, President and industry veteran, Mark van...

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SMARTHOUSE: Featured in Palm Beach Illustrated!

SmartHouse is in the press again for it’s renowned Sarasota Modern project! Click below to check out the article on page 97!

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A Harbor Acres House Showcases the Latest in Smart-Home Technology

An ultra-modern local home is packed with cutting-edge tech. The new owners of this ultra-modern Harbor Acres showplace never have to fret that their 2,000-bottle collection of fine wines will go bad. A built-in monitor in their floor-to-ceiling glass-walled wine cellar keeps the temperature at 56 to 59 degrees; they’re...

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Common Smart Lighting Scenes

MOST PEOPLE THINK of their home lights as things that get turned on, off or dimmed as needed, but not as a design and lifestyle element that can be programmed to fit your moods, activities or schedule. That’s what smart lighting systems do. They can light your home and yard,...

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Houzz Study: Automated Outdoor Lighting Is Hot for 2016

Houzz study reveals nearly two thirds of U.S. homeowners (57%) who are planning outdoor renovations in 2016 are looking to upgrade their exterior lighting. Automated outdoor lighting is one of the hottest exterior technologies among homeowners today, according to new data from Houzz, a leading consumer home improvement website. The 2016 U.S. Houzz...

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25 Terms & Tips for Choosing and Using Speakers

Your home theater will only sound as good as your speakers, no matter how solid your other audio components are. Bad speakers will produce bad sound, period. And when you have bad sound, you won’t want to listen to your home theater as much. There is a type of speaker...

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Eco Minimalist Smart Home Makes Its Mark

This peaceful Sarasota pad borrows and blends the best from modern design and energy efficiency. When you enter this house by stepping across concrete pads that appear to float over a lotus pond, you know you are in for a modernist Zen experience. Expanses of clean white walls and polished concrete...

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BUSINESS BUZZ: Smarthouse Integration; Zoller Roofing; Eurotech Cabinetry

Smarthouse Integration awards Sarasota-based home electronics and home automation company SmartHouse Integration has received 2016 Best of Houzz awards for Design and Customer Service for the second year in a row and three Mark Of Excellence Awards from the Consumer Electronics Association. The Houzz prizes for design and customer service are based on the...

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Custom Career Paths

Exploring the Diverse Backgrounds of Unsung Leaders in Custom Integration What did you want to be when you were young? An astronaut? A firefighter? I think it’s safe to say almost no one grew up dreaming of being a custom integrator. But like most paths through life, chance and circumstances...

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Sarasota, Florida-Based SmartHouse Integration Wins Three Coveted CTA 2016 Mark of Excellence Awards

PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA, February 5, 2016 – Last month, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the consumer electronics industry’s oldest and most established trade association, awarded SmartHouse Integration, southwest Florida’s leading commercial and residential technology integration firm, an unprecedented three Mark of Excellence awards for its pioneering work on the “Sarasota Modern”. SmartHouse...

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SmartHouse Integration of Sarasota Awarded Best Of Houzz 2016

Over 35 Million Monthly Unique Users Nominated Best Home Building, Remodeling and Design Professionals in North America and Around the World Sarasota, FL, USA, January 12, 2016 – Smarthouse Integration of Sarasota, Florida has won “Best Of Design” and “Best of Customer Service” on Houzz®, the leading platform for home...

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Installation Options for Whole-House Audio

If you like to listen to music, all day long, in every room of your house, you’re a prime candidate for a whole-house music system. Systems designed to distribute audio signals over cabling to multiple loudspeakers are widely available, and in configurations to handle any number of components. A custom electronics...

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10 Key Features of a Home Automation System

THE ABILITY TO MANAGE your home’s electronic systems from one main control system can make your household run smoother, feel better, and save energy. The trick is to find a system that will meet all the demands of your household, now and in the future. Most systems can be tailored...

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Planning Your Home Theater: THE ROOM COMES FIRST

“It’s the seating,” says John Dahl, director of education for THX. “Most people do it backwards. They go to a store and buy an AV receiver [or something] first,” he says, which is putting the egg before the chicken (not taking discussions of evolution theory into account, of course). Dahl,...

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SMART LIGHTING

ADD CONVENIENCE, SECURITY AND STYLE TO YOUR HOME. SMART LIGHTING CONTROL, while not exactly a new technology, has grown to become one of the most important features in a home control system. Smart lighting solutions can enhance a home’s décor and security, while making management of the lights much easier....

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BASICS OF A HOME SECURITY SYSTEM

Here are products, features and FAQs for you to consider when setting up home security. WHILE DO-IT-YOURSELF security is all the rage, many homeowners feel more comfortable about the reliability of a comprehensive, professionally monitored alarm system that ensures emergency crews will reach your residence fast. This may also help you...

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WHY & HOW to Automate Your Home

Unsure about automation? Here’s a primer to help you get started on your quest for easy living. AUTOMATION USED TO CONJURE thoughts of a house gone wild, where technology ruled the roost and the decor resembled a science lab. Fortunately, this stereotype has been shattered, thanks to improvements in the technology...

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Soundbars & Soundbases: When, Where, and What to Look For

Soundbar and soundbases can be audio saviors for living rooms, bedrooms and dens. They can be the answer to a homeowner’s home audio prayers, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. First, what’s the difference between a soundbar and a soundbase? At its most basic, a soundbar is a small tube or...

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Top 5 Reasons to Get Motorized Window Shades

The benefits of investing in motorized window shades include energy savings, lighting control and convenience. Motorized window shades and draperies have long been an overlooked piece of home technology. Yes, I said technology. With the addition of a motorized track or rod, they can take your home comfort, protection, convenience...

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Mandeville Beer Garden Focuses on the Details

Florida’s first-ever beer garden focuses on the beer and lets the ELAN control system manage all the audio, video, lighting, security, surveillance cameras and HVAC. Launching a restaurant is often a sink-or-swim moment. It’s stressful, exciting and demanding, so any help keeping things organized and flowing smoothly is essential. Just...

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Mandeville Beer Garden Focuses On The Details With The ELAN Control System

Sarasota, Florida’s first-ever beer garden focuses on the beer and lets the ELAN control system manage all the audio, video, lighting, security, surveillance cameras and HVAC. PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA, July 22, 2015 – Launching a restaurant is often a sink-or-swim moment. It’s stressful, exciting and demanding, so any help keeping things...

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Environmentally Sound & Tech Smart Home

Structurally, there are endless ways to beef up a home’s energy efficiency: install highly insulated doors and windows, outfit with Energy Star appliances, and ensure a tightly constructed shell. Florida builder Josh Wynne of Josh Wynne Construction, Sarasota, Fla., has made a name for himself as a premier provider of...

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The Entertaining Green Home

Modern luxury homebuilding isn’t just about square footage and exotic materials. The best new homes today incorporate smart designs that minimize energy usage, maximize living comfort and provide aesthetics that perfectly match the owner’s personality. Florida homebuilder Josh Wynne of Josh Wynne Construction knows this better than most, and it’s...

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Sunny Disposition

A cinema under the sky can be an amazing home theater option. It turned out to be just the ticket for this Florida family who lives in sunny Sarasota and spends a lot of time outdoors. The backyard entertainment area with its swim-up theater is so well-engineered that, at first...

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Yogurtology Simplifies Multi-Store Management

Susan McCart, a Florida franchisee and now part-owner of premium frozen yogurt chain Yogurtology, uses modern automation and control tech to help manage growing company. PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA, August 19, 2015 – No matter how hard you try or how little you sleep, you can’t be in two places at once....

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