The challenging Greenbriar project from frayednot took place during a million-dollar renovation and smart home technology retrofit that sought to blend legacy and modern automation and control systems. The homeowners wanted a sleek, user-friendly system that kept technology hidden without sacrificing functionality.
Frayednot’s custom design approach met this need, but the Greenbriar project was far from straightforward due to a mix of old and new construction, unforeseen structural changes, and a lack of pre-existing wiring.
“This customer began a million-dollar renovation and wanted it to be clean and simple to use,” says frayedont founder Constantinos Sandoukas. “The home had hardly any existing wire with no sense of direction or schematic. frayednot to the rescue!”
The Greenbriar renovation involved a partial gut, covering about 60% of the home, while the remaining areas were untouched. This mix of old and new construction made wiring extremely difficult, particularly in areas like the loft apartment and outdoor Pavilion, which required seamless integration into the new AV system.
In total, frayednot pulled over 240 wires, including 68 data and 8 speaker runs, all of which needed to be connected back to the server room in the basement of the home. Many these runs also had to be rerouted after changes like new window installations and foundation issues discovered late in the process. These setbacks meant that some areas had to be rewired multiple times, tripling the work.
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The outdoor Pavilion presented additional challenges. Frayednot had initially wired the space through walls that were later torn down, forcing them to redo the wiring for over 200 feet. Moreover, the Pavilion’s ceiling required precise retro-cutting to accommodate both speakers and lighting, which hadn’t been planned together, adding significant complexity.
Throughout the 11-month Greenbriarproject, frayednot maintained a presence with daily visits, adjusting plans as construction evolved. Despite careful planning and testing—frayednot pre-tested the system for two months in their shop—the team faced several unforeseen setbacks.
At one point, premature system activation was requested by the builder, leading to significant damage. Power fluctuations caused by other trades working on-site led to equipment failures, resulting in around $30,000 in additional costs for frayednot, all of which the company absorbed.
Despite these challenges, the end result exceeded expectations. The final system featured Stealth Acoustics LRX83 speakers throughout the first floor, providing invisible sound, and a Lutron lighting control system covering the entire home. The outdoor Pavilion became a year-round entertainment space, complete with electric heaters, a TV, and full AV integration. Remote power monitoring and network management were also implemented for long-term reliability and ease of maintenance.
In September 2023, frayednot handed over the completed system to the homeowners, who have since enjoyed a flawless, seamless smart home experience. The Greenbriar project, though fraught with challenges, became a testament to frayednot’s commitment to delivering customized, reliable, and easy-to-use smart home solutions, even in the face of significant obstacles.
This project is part of our coverage for the 2024 CE Pro Home of the Year Awards. Presented annually at CEDIA Expo, the Home of the Year Awards represent the best of the best smart home innovations within the CEDIA channel. If you have a project you would like to submit to the Home of the Year Awards, consider following CE Pro if you aren’t already for when we announce the next submission round.
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