Smart Home & Automation

A home that thinks ahead of you.

Smart home done right is invisible: lights that follow the sun, shades that beat the heat, audio in every room, and a network that never blinks. This pillar covers the systems worth the money — lighting control, motorized shades, whole-home audio, security, and networking — with 2026 costs and honest comparisons of the platforms.

• ✓Platform comparisons — Lutron vs Control4, Sonos vs architectural audio, UniFi vs the rest.
• ✓2026 cost ranges per room and per system, installed by pros.
• ✓Design guides — prewire plans, rack builds, and what to decide before drywall.