Photography by Donovan Roberts Witmer
In today’s stress-saturated world, every moment of down time is critical to salvaging sanity. Luckily, this fast-paced society also brings with it some soothing new technologies, which make creating a personalized paradise simple.
Imagine a home where you can relax, explore your interests and make memories. A home filled with your favorite luxuries; one so comforting that you begin to prefer stay-cations to vacations. Most importantly, imagine a home where even the tiniest details are custom-fitted to your preferences.
With today’s strides in outdoor technology, escaping can happen right in your own backyard. Patios, decks and lawns can become idyllic outdoor-living areas overflowing with amenities.
For music lovers, the best outdoor moment might mean some favorite tunes played at the perfect volume in just the right order. For sports enthusiasts, down time might consist of catching a football game on the big screen in fall’s cool night air. For romantics, a classic love flick beside a roaring outdoor fireplace could do the trick. Those in need of some R&R might enjoy floating in the pool while being serenaded by meditative tones, and those who love company can host the party of the year, effortlessly. These things can be at anyone’s fingertips—literally—with just one push of a button.
Cutting-edge technology should be simple, according to Bryan Stanley at Spycom Technology Solutions (spycomtech.com). The audio/visual outfitter, located in Lancaster’s Richmond Square shopping center, maintains that new home technology should be used to simplify life rather than complicate it. Their focus is on providing clients with top-of-the-line products that are also refreshingly easy to use.
“We use top-notch products, because clients want simple operation and they depend on things to consistently work,” says Stanley.
To extend your outdoor season expertly, Stanley recommends “outdoor-rated” equipment. This means that anything you put into your open-air hideaway–speakers, televisions, 3-D projectors or even 200-inch drive-in-movie-style screens–will be fully weather-proof and safe from the elements all year long. If these are not in the budget, regular TVs can be mounted in a way that they’re easy to take down and s
tore away when you’re ready to end your outdoor living season.
By pushing a button on your iPad or smart phone, you can entertain all night long. Custom audio/visual installations can create pre-programmed settings for lighting, music, TV and more. For example, if you like to unwind in the early evening, but enjoy rocking out on weekend afternoons, experts can program a “party” button and a “relax” button through an app on your phone. Hitting the “party” button might brighten lights, play U2’s best beats and turn on the Wii, while the “relax” button would dim lights, put on some soulful Sinatra and ignite your fireplace.
Best of all, this backyard technology looks great, too. The speakers producing incredible sound can be skillfully tucked into shrubbery to look like landscape lighting, and those attached to homes can be discreetly color-coordinated to blend with stucco siding, for example.
Speakers are professionally placed for sound that is comfortable and even no matter where you stand, and you can enjoy WiFi access from any location on your property. For those who know they want to use this technology in their homes, Stanley advises that the sooner products can be installed, the better. Much thought goes into planning system designs from the beginning of the process to the end. If contacted during the building stages of your home, audio/visual companies like Spycom can work with the architect and landscaper to create a custom backyard from the very beginning. If, however, you’ve had your home for years and decide to add some indulgence, systems can be created to accommodate the existing features of your outdoor space.
Almost any technology request can be answered with a custom solution. “One customer,” Stanley recalls, “was having trouble with his son getting up too early, and waking everyone by begging to watch cartoons. We installed sensors in the chairs downstairs so that when the child woke up, he could go down, sit in an armchair and the TV would turn on and play his favorite cartoons without waking anyone.”
Tech-savvy solutions help create entertaining spaces for kids. Pandora’s Disney Radio can echo over the patio for a truly posh princess party, and teens can play video games, watch movies, browse Facebook or even—dare we say it—research homework.
Inside your home, everything from the garage door and climate control to door locks and blinds can be programmed to fit your schedule. Want to see who just rang your doorbell? Install a video intercom at the door. Want an announcement played when a car pulls in your driveway? Consider it done.
These new technologies are perfect for self-pampering from home. Here’s to embracing life in the lap of technologic luxury.
