Originally featured on CE Pro back in March of 2022, SoundVision’s 3,150-square-foot technology showroom was designed to cleanly represent the same client experience SoundVision seeks to create in each home they visit. For Mark DiPietro, this meant featuring enterprise-grade networking solutions, Wi-Fi connected control system, remotes, TVs, lighting, surveillance cameras, doorbells, window shades and other smart home solutions throughout the demo space.
The initial construction of the location was a product of DiPietro’s 25 years of experience designing and installing custom smart home solutions throughout North Carolina.
“For most people, the top concern about building a smart home is the same as it’s always been: they just want it to work reliably every day,” says DiPietro.
“[For instance] after seeing wireless usage increase dramatically when more people started working from home, along with the rapid growth of HD streaming services, we knew network demand was only going to continue increasing, so we used the best available solutions to ensure client satisfaction and minimize service calls.”
Photo Courtesy/SoundVision LLC
As time progressed, however, the team at SoundVision saw other opportunities emerging within the custom integration market.
Lightapalooza took place in late February, and the growth of the event has mirrored the rapid ascension lighting fixtures and controls.
“The demand for lighting design made the showroom updates feel vitally important,” noted Michelle Ferlauto, and so, eager to showcase new products that would match evolving client tastes, the team went to work updating the space shortly after it was completed in February 2022.
“Beginning in June 2022, we started working with David Warfel and the team from Light Can Help You to improve upon our original showroom lighting design. Subsequently, our team took the Peter Romaniello Lighting Concepts class at Lightapalooza. Peter, it turned out lived only a few miles away in Huntersville and was a willing resource for additional input and was a featured presenter at our grand reveal.”
Photo Courtesy/SoundVision LLC
Ultimately, SoundVision worked with both Warfel’s and Romaniello’s recommendations, while also receiving some in house guidance to create a lighting experience throughout the showroom that would fit within the preferred client experience, though, they do still see some room for improvement.
“We compromised on the powder room and podcast studio lighting for now,” noted Ferlauto explaining the financial considerations the team took when kitting out the space. Part of the updates also included adding Bang & Olufsen to the array of products SoundVision had on display within the showroom, which currently includes Martin Logan, Bowers & Wilkins, Paradigm, and Sonos.
“After seeing the Bang & Olufsen product at the Origin Acoustics experience center during a ProSource event, the opportunity arose to become a dealer,” Ferlauto recalled. “
Based on the aesthetic needs of our clientele and their interior designers, with the rich history of a line like Bang & Olufsen, it was a very easy decision for the SoundVision team. While we loved the original lake view concept, the pivot to transform the space into an opportunity for a new vertical and added another level of sophistication to the space overall.”
Now, SoundVision has the distinction of being the only Bang & Olufsen CI partner in the state of North Carolina, and while the firm wishes it could have added more cabinetry and lighting to help round out the overall experience, the team did get to squeeze in a few extra additions in the form of what it calls “ugly duckling lighting.”
“We also added the can lighting offered by most builders to demonstrate the stark contrast with the lighting upgrades,” Ferlauto explains.
Photo Courtesy/SoundVision LLC
As Ferlauto describes, the downtime for the renovation of the showroom posed the greatest challenge for the company, as the space hadn’t even been open for a year by that point. However, it didn’t seem as though clients minded the dust that much–in fact, two clients in particular saw the immediate possibility for doing this with their own homes and netted SoundVision two extra projects.
Now, the new showroom highlights just about everything a homeowner could ask for, from the latest designer TV sets and surround sound systems to full home control and security systems that integrate door locks, motorized window shades, smart thermostats, automated lighting and more.
When issues occasionally arise, SoundVision relies on Wattbox power products with OvrC remote access technologies to provide insight and remote maintenance capabilities that often eliminate the need to send a technician to the home.
“Once we finish a client’s home, we want them to be able to live in it without interruptions, and without having to call for help on a regular basis,” he explained. “With OvrC remote equipment monitoring that provides push alerts and information on power, data and connectivity, we can often fix a problem before the homeowner even notices, and that saves time, money and frustration for both us and them.”
In fact, DiPietro said his company has turned down jobs that refuse to implement professional-grade remote monitoring and networking solutions because of the hassle inferior systems inevitably present. The showroom also uses Wattbox power conditioners and surge protectors, so DiPietro can demonstrate to clients the full breadth of knowledge and expertise that makes SoundVision a top dealer.
Photo Courtesy/SoundVision LLC
Photo Courtesy/SoundVision LLC
Photo Courtesy/SoundVision LLC
Photo Courtesy/SoundVision LLC
Photo Courtesy/SoundVision LLC
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