Introduction
A classic, Tudor-style home from the outside and a contemporary, luxurious haven on the inside, this 15,000-square-foot new build is set on several acres of countryside in Kent, England. The homeowner, doubling as the builder, made this project extra special. This remarkable home includes six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, two swimming pools, multiple saunas, a home theater, and a gym.
The challenge
The homeowner wanted to create spaces that fully encompass the interests of his large, extended family, with whom he shares a love of football and music. For the home to function as a hub for friends and family to gather, the technology and design needed to serve two opposing purposes: the control system needed to perform on a large scale for impressive entertaining while also feeling intimate when the homeowner had no guests. The homeowner wanted a user-friendly home automation solution, as it would be his first time living with extensive technology.
The solution
As a successful developer accustomed to building for others, the homeowner wanted to use his skills and the best resources available to fulfill his vision. The homeowner chose a well-established dealer, Inspired Dwellings, to install a complete home automation system. Chris McCain, technical manager at Inspired Dwellings, recommended the Crestron Home® OS due to its ease of use and ability to work well with partners under one unified platform.
The solution:
As a successful developer accustomed to building for others, the homeowner wanted to use his skills and the best resources available to fulfill his vision. The homeowner chose a well-established dealer, Inspired Dwellings, to install a complete home automation system. Chris McCain, technical manager at Inspired Dwellings, recommended the Crestron Home® OS due to its ease of use and ability to work well with partners under one unified platform.
The technology
The easy-to-use and reliable Crestron Home OS is the control backbone for the home, which can be conveniently accessed using Crestron touch screens, remotes, Crestron Cameo® keypads, or the Crestron Home app. Crestron touch screens are strategically placed where they would be used most often for full control of the house. For entertaining, the living room and dining area feature an expansive, open floor plan (a crowd favorite), enabling guests to gather and enjoy conversation with one another. Using Crestron Home, the party scene continues throughout the house and out to the patio and pool areas as colorful pool lights turn on and music is amplified around the home. This is not the only scene the homeowner can call on demand; other scenes like ‘good morning’ and ‘good night’ trigger the lighting, shading, and audio in each part of the home to adjust without having to travel to each room individually. This convenience makes waking up and heading to sleep a breeze for the homeowner.
One of the guests’ favorite rooms is the 14-seat home theater with built-in amplifiers on the back row seats for a complete cinematic experience. For action movies, the homeowner’s favorite, every explosive moment is intensified by the high-end sound system. Any guest is able to easily and confidently play their movie or TV show of choice at the touch of a button, thanks to Crestron touch screens and remotes. This comfortable theater has three rows of recliner chairs with backlighting on the stairs and the walls.
Crestron DM NVX® AV-over-IP provides video distribution throughout the entire estate, which is especially important when entertaining during football games, as each display can show the same game in any given room. Hidden TVs were tastefully incorporated to meet the high-end design expectations throughout the home. There are sophisticated mirror TVs in the bar area and a concealed TV in the music room, which is revealed by automated panels. The primary suite also includes a hidden TV at the foot of the bed, controlled by Crestron, that will slowly rise when turned on. The primary suite offers the homeowner a private sanctuary after a long day. Through the walk-in closet, there is another personal seating area where he can wind down. After putting his feet up to relax, the homeowner can rest assured that the home is secured by using the Crestron Home app to check security.
The possibilities and rooms in this home are endless. Other highlighted areas include a gym, cigar lounge, indoor pool, and a music room. The gym is small but fully equipped, allowing the homeowner to box, lift weights, and climb rope. Using Crestron DM NVX technology, the homeowner can watch guided workout videos or turn on his favorite music channel and let it flow throughout the house. Next to the gym is a lively music room, which features a jukebox and drum set to jam with friends and family. Through the glass walls of the home gym and the music room is a magnificent view of the indoor pool and sauna. The indoor pool features a connected hot tub, surrounding lounge chairs, and a perfect year-round tempered environment, leaving every guest excited to return.
For the home to feel personal while not entertaining, the technology and design needed to work in the smaller rooms, such as the cigar lounge and bar, study, and private primary suite. Security was also an important feature. Using the Crestron Home OS, the homeowner can control the entrance gate, video entry, and cameras connected through the DM NVX platform, viewable from multiple TVs. The homeowner chose to program the outside speakers to mimic a dog barking when triggered at night to keep animals away from the garden.
The results
Using the Crestron Home platform as a single control system made it simple for the homeowner to manage the vast property. The homeowner expressed that Crestron Home OS has made his transition to living with technology seamless by leveraging scenes and having control at the tip of his fingers.
A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.
Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.
A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.
Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.
Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.
Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.
Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.
With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.
By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.
Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.
Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.
Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.
