Stephen Fanuka knows all about making tough decisions under pressure. Several celebrities and affluent homeowners have placed seven-figure remodeling projects in his trusted hands. In recent years, the range of decisions he must make for every job has become even more overwhelming. That\u2019s due in no small part to the rise of the smart home, with automated controls for everything from blinds and lights to the swimming pool and thermostat.<\/p>\n
Not too long ago, these computer-driven systems were the exclusive playthings of the elite. Now, they\u2019re an expectation for any client, no matter the budget nor the dwelling they live in.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThe great thing about home automation is that it can go into anything,\u201d Fanuka says. \u201cIt can go into period pieces, it can go into traditional, into eclectic, it can go into modern. You can have any home automated. It can be 600 years old or two days old.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fanuka is used to working with unlimited budgets and massive spaces. But when it comes to automating your abode, the same expert rules apply for any space. And with smart-home tech now ubiquitous, there\u2019s only one way to wow your visitors: You need a professionally installed system that becomes a holistic part of your house.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlug-and-play to me, it doesn\u2019t do anything,\u201d Fanuka explains. \u201cYou\u2019ll never go into someone\u2019s home and be wowed by their plug-and-play system. There\u2019s nothing to look at. It\u2019s not true to what the intention is in a really nice home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The last thing you want to do after renovating your home is to update or upgrade everything in a few years. To avoid having to swap out outdated or incompatible components, Fanuka suggests sticking with big-name brands. They may not be the cheapest options, but they have a proven track record and a reliable upgrade cycle.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s especially important when it comes to your audio\/video systems, as they\u2019ll likely be the centerpiece of your home life. But right now, the landscape is a bit confusing: There are a growing number of multi-room audio systems, and new televisions are offering resolution and picture-quality capabilities that put last year\u2019s models to shame. Fanuka says that in some ways, these TVs are \u201cahead of themselves,\u201d as they support technologies that will become mainstream in the next few years.<\/p>\n
Fanuka says one TV, in particular, is in especially high demand, and its unique features make it a perfect renovation pick. Sony\u2019s A1E BRAVIA OLED TV has what is considered to be the best panel technology on the market, gorgeous color reproduction, and a fetching physical design. But beyond its jaw-dropping picture quality, what Fanuka likes most is the way it produces sound: The display doubles as a giant speaker.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s far from the only benefit the A1E BRAVIA OLED brings to his projects. Sony\u2019s stunning set is compatible with Google Home and its extensive smart home ecosystem. You can bring up your next binge session just by asking a Google Home to play it on the TV. Sony has been focusing on integration both with voice controlled devices and with custom control systems. It\u2019s one of several reasons why CE Pro picked Sony as its best custom-integration vendor for 2016; the company\u2019s TVs also work seamlessly with Fanuka\u2019s favorite home-automation systems, including Crestron, Control4, and Savant.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have 17 renovations going on right now, and 10 or 11 of them are going to have this TV be part of it,\u201d Fanuka says. \u201cGranted, my clients can afford anything. They want this one because it\u2019s the best. But because this TV is also a massive speaker, you don\u2019t need to embed speakers in your walls or the ceilings. We can really play with that. The picture quality is awesome, and it\u2019s something that won\u2019t need to get upgraded too often. It\u2019s a huge plus.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Sound Advice<\/strong><\/p>\n
Having your TV double as a big speaker is especially beneficial for certain renovation projects. Fanuka says one of his biggest challenges is building these ultimate A\/V systems into Manhattan apartments, as they often don\u2019t have much vertical space to work with. Fanuka loves drop ceilings when it comes to concealing wires and cables, but that often isn\u2019t an option in these spaces. Sony\u2019s picture-perfect TV can actually save his client a lot of money.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Manhattan, you already have 8-foot ceilings,\u201d Fanuka explains. \u201cNobody wants to drop that ceiling another three inches, so you end up doing perimeter soffits. The clients would like to avoid that, and now they can, so it reduces the cost of construction.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, how about running wires behind the baseboards? It may seem like a neat, logical solution, but Fanuka much prefers using drop ceilings or drop soffits to conceal cables. The reason is that homes aren\u2019t entirely stationary, and drop ceilings and soffits give those wires much more room to breathe.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m opposed to running wire behind baseboards or crown moldings, because even if nine out of ten times you don\u2019t hit that wire with a nail, you may still skim it,\u201d Fanuka says. \u201cA lot of houses and structures move ever so slightly over time, so it could short itself out six months later. And it\u2019s impossible for me to find the problem for you. I just have to re-run the wire.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Conduit for Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n
According to Fanuka, another way to avoid costly short-term re-renovations is to plan for a year or two down the line. Technological innovation is happening at such a fast pace, you\u2019re sure to want the next big thing soon enough. And the key to adding them seamlessly to your system is to use some simple plastic tubes.<\/p>\n
\u201cTry to run conduits, plastic pipes, outside the walls from the system itself,\u201d Fanuka says. \u201cThat way, you can always snake new wires through them without ripping walls open. It\u2019s so simple for someone to forget something or add something to their system at the last minute. Wires aren\u2019t necessarily the cheapest thing you\u2019re going to buy, but they\u2019re inexpensive compared to having to open up a wall and run something extra after you\u2019ve just finished them, and they\u2019re all painted and done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t Eliminate All \u201cWall Acne\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
Another important trend is that everyone now wants to control everything from their smartphones and tablets. Fanuka loves the convenience; he says he and his family use their own mobile devices for much of their in-home tinkering.<\/p>\n
But he also cautions against using phones and tablets for everything. For one, your device\u2019s IP address tends to wander; so you annoyingly lose total control of your abode from time to time. And if you lose your phone, break it, or find yourself without juice or a charger, you\u2019ll be out of luck, too. Fanuka recommends keeping all the main remotes handy, just in case a mobile mishap happens.<\/p>\n
For custom-installed systems, there\u2019s been a major recent backlash against \u201cwall acne,\u201d the wall-mounted panels and control units for various smart-home components. After all, they\u2019re an eyesore, and they may seem superfluous if you can control everything from your phone. However, Fanuka cautions against ditching all those panels and keypads entirely. Instead, you should choose smarter installation locations for these critical control centers.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still need the switches, you just have to be smart about where to put them,\u201d Fanuka says. \u201cFind someplace for the switches, even if they\u2019re in a closet or a main control in the front hallway. How are you going to turn the lights on if you left your phone somewhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sony A1E BRAVIA OLED TV\u2019s Google Home capabilities also help eliminate unsightly control units. By using the television\u2019s voice controls\u2014or by controlling the TV with a simple Google Home speaker\u2014you can keep remotes and wall panels hidden away. And because the A1E BRAVIA OLED TV offers built-in Chromecast capabilities and the robust Android TV platform, it\u2019ll keep your living room free of dongles and streaming boxes for a more streamlined look.<\/p>\n
Ask for What You Need<\/strong><\/p>\n
Despite the always-evolving state of technology, Fanuka says his biggest challenge with any project is often the client themselves. Sometimes, they\u2019re so excited about their new toys that they forget to pay attention when the system programmer teaches them how to use it. It results in a lot of support calls or complaints that the contractors didn\u2019t do the best job.<\/p>\n
Other times, clients fail to delineate everything they want in their new home. If you are embarking on a home-renovation project, make sure to write a complete list of the features you want in your dream home. Otherwise, fairly simple things may be lost in the mix.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had an A-list movie star, and we spent $3 million renovating their whole apartment,\u201d Fanuka explains. \u201cSo he moves in and says, \u2018I can\u2019t wait to plug in my old-school rotary phone.\u2019 He shows me this old yellow rotary phone, and all I can think is \u2018Oh no, I don\u2019t recall running a phone jack anywhere.\u2019 Nobody uses a hardline phone anymore! We put a phone jack behind a TV for cable, but we don\u2019t do it for bedside tables or kitchens or anywhere you\u2019d put a phone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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Stephen Fanuka knows all about making tough decisions under pressure. Several celebrities and affluent homeowners have placed seven-figure remodeling projects in his trusted hands. In recent years, the range of decisions he must make for every job has become even more overwhelming. That\u2019s due in no small part to the rise of the smart home, … <\/p>\n
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