ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (WTHR) — When you think of smart home technology, you might think that means your Ring doorbell or Nest thermostat. Those solutions are only a glimpse into what is actually possible.
At this year's First Internet Bank Home-A-Rama you will get to see solutions far beyond the DIY ones you might be buying.
That couldn't be more true than when you walk into the Gradison Design Build.
The home boasts five bedrooms and five-and-a-half baths and you'll get more than 5,600 square feet. That's a lot of room and when you're trying to relax, getting up to adjust the lights or the temperature, to check if you closed the garage door or who is at the front door are things that take away from you just simply enjoying your home.
That's where Gradison took a more aggressive approach and executed it with a subtlety that blends into the aesthetics of the home.
Gone are the days of mounted speakers, dangling wires, impossible to use remote or a half dozen apps to download and create accounts to use.
The technology
At the Gradison Design Build, the technology is there before you even get to the front door, but you might not even notice.
Security cameras, automatic locks and garage doors are there as you approach the home.
Inside is a multi-zone, climate-controlled home that you can adjust from anywhere your cell phone has reception.
There aren't light switches like you might flip in your home or switches lined up next to each other to control all the different lights in a room. Instead you will find one simple panel with a host of options that include: Suite On, Master Bath, Entry, Kitchen, Goodnight and Suite Off. From one switch, you can control your world or shut it all down at the push of a button and head to bed.
There is still a remote to help bridge you from what you are used to and what now exists.
To monitor it all there is also a video panel on the wall that can show your security cameras, arm the security system, play music on speakers throughout the house or turn the AC down a few degrees on a hot night.
What makes the system better is one app controls everything and we mean everything. Here are some examples: security, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, security cameras, intercom, even your pool.
There's something for everyone and you can really get creative about what you do with your home. The cost can range from a few thousand dollars on up depending on how much automation you're looking to get.
Planning it out
If you've added cameras or other smart-home features you probably ended up with wires hanging somewhere and that is exactly what Gradison isn't willing to compromise on in its homes.
Instead, you get a month's worth of planning into how the technology your looking for in your home will integrate with your lifestyle.
Think of it like choosing your cable package. You decide what you want and how much you want and then Gradison teams up with TRIPhase Technologies to execute that.
That could not be more obvious than when you step into the basement of the Gradison Design Build.
Your home theater system is there, but you will only see the screen. The projector is hidden away into the build-outs under the screen instead of hanging from the ceiling. Speakers are tucked away into walls or built flush with the ceiling. The high-end entertainment system is there for you to experience, without being seen.
The only touchpoint you will find to what is running this bank of smart home solutions throughout your house, is what looks like a server tower tucked into a side room of your basement. Running into it are so many wires that you would think NASA had launch installation somewhere nearby.
A/V is part of home maintenance
The big take away from seeing this Gradison Home Build, and what it offers to make your life easier at home, is that your smart-home technology needs to be maintained just like your plumbing or HVAC system.
Gradison helps with that and so will TRIPhase as you move in and get used to your house. You will be shown how everything works and supported if you have issues.
Just like everything in your home, each year it gets older means maintenance. Having everything checked and updated will help keep your smart home working the way you want and need it to.
How to see it
The Gradison Home Build is just one example of smart-home solutions and you will find a whole range at Home-A-Rama.
It runs Sept. 19 - 22, 26 - 29 and Oct. 3 - 6 from 1 - 8 p.m. each of those days.
Tickets are $20 online or at the door and children under 12 are free.
Parking is at the Zionsville United Methodist Church.