More and more home systems are adding voice control technology. Let’s look at the pros and cons. The star of this year’s International Builder’s Show was a smart lady by the name of Alexa. As you know, she’s the personal digital assistant that lives inside Amazon’s Echo smart speaker, and we seemed to bump into
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PC Magazine has called 2016 The Year of the Home—the start of a flowering of wireless devices that will make home life easier, healthier and more fun. This growth is thanks mostly to affordable wireless technology. Home tech devices now cost a fraction of what they did a decade ago, and most offer a simple smart phone or tablet control interface.
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Residential solar electric systems have seen phenomenal growth in recent years, with those distinctive panels now a common feature on American roofs.
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Why did Castle Homes choose LP to partner for the Southern Living Showcase Home at Dorset Park? Superior engineered wood floor components that build straight and stable floors. “We’re a big believer in using an engineered floor system,” said Brett Wright, project manager for Castle Homes. “All of the pieces of LP’s floor system worked
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Great design inspiration for your own home awaits you when you step inside the inviting seeded glass, knotty alder door of the Nashville’s only Southern Living Showcase Home open daily through Sunday, November 6. So, slip on the shoes covers, grab your camera and be prepared to take some great notes. First, from the tour
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Who doesn’t love that huge room over the garage? For many, it is a catch all for toys and dust-gathering work out equipment. However, Nashville’s only Southern Living Showcase Home has embraced the space with a clever “envelope of color” approach being implemented by experienced Bradford’s Interiors’ designer Treesa Hudson, Allied ASID. The approximately 400
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In a truly southern home, the kitchen may as well be called the ‘living room.’ It’s where we gather and chatter, commiserate and contemplate. I’ve been to many events in grand homes with palatial sitting areas, decks and views yet all I can recall are the kitchens. Maybe it’s the anticipation of what’s cooking or
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For years premiere home tours have been touting home technology advances which still required the company’s special control pad and remote gizmos. Step into Nashville’s only Southern Living Showcase Home, open through November 6 in Brentwood, pull out your iPhone or iPad, loaded with a Control4 app, and you can turn on, up and off
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Custom home pricing is a complex subject. Here are some ways to think about it. Have you ever called a car dealership to ask how much cars cost per pound? You say that’s a ridiculous question? We agree. In fact, we expect the dealership’s sales staff would wonder what you had been smoking. The serious
How to keep your new home on track amid COVID-related price spikes and shortages If you’re ready to start a new custom home, you may need to deal with the ongoing fallout from the coronavirus-related economic shutdown. That means working with your builder to mitigate its impact. The problem, as we all know, started in
Transparency about what you can afford is the only way to get the most house for your money. Your new custom home is likely one of your biggest-ever investments, so you obviously need a builder you can trust. Ways to confirm trustworthiness include reading online reviews, calling references and noting the builder’s professional certifications. As
This imaginative and fun exercise will get you a space that’s just right for your needs One of the many benefits of a new custom home is that the kitchen can be perfectly tailored to support how you cook and entertain. A first step to getting that result is to think through the space in
Societal trends are making the home office a must-have for many homeowners. Careful planning is the key to getting a space where you can be truly productive. Remote work arrangements have been on the upswing for a long time. Research firm Global Workplace Analytics figured in 2019 that there were 4.3 million telecommuters in the