As a two-time-consecutive Best of Our Valley winner, Wipliance Owner Lee Travis chats about what’s new and next in smart home automation.
Since your BOOV win last year, what’s new and exciting?
Lee Travis (LT): Wipliance was honored to be recognized as a top-tier Black Diamond dealer for Lutron Electronics in 2021, and our company has grown more than 20% in the last year. We are excited to assist homeowners who are investing in their homes as a place to entertain, enjoy a favorite movie or create a serene and relaxing home space that works in harmony with how our clients want to live their lives. In addition to our show home in north Scotts- dale, we are building out a new office space/showroom in Scottsdale that is slated to open later this year.
What would you recommend for homeowners who are new to smart home solutions?
LT: Prioritize the items that would provide the most benefit every day—repetitive actions you do every morning (like turning on/off lights, setting your alarm system, closing your garage door)—and consider how streamlining some of these actions into an automation solution might save time. We recommend meeting with our team for an inspiration session to learn about what is possible with professional smart home installation versus what is available for consumers to buy direct so that you know you are making a wise investment from day one.
What new smart home tech are you most excited about? What do you predict will be the next big trend in smart home tech?
LT: Lighting! The invention and enhancement of LED solutions means that there is no longer a one-size-fits-all approach to lighting, and it is a very emotional response to see how the color and quality of lighting can affect how you feel in a space. We are excited to expand our offerings to tunable lighting solutions that allow you to dial in the correct color and brightness of light for different times of day with a single touch and even add pops of the full rainbow of colors for holidays and celebrations. We have a whole series of videos on our Wipliance YouTube channel educating our clients on the benefits of smart lighting solutions: youtube.com/wipliance.
Are there any smart home solutions that are particularly suited for the desert environment here in Arizona?
LT: The concept of the “Arizona Room” and outdoor living and entertainment is taken to the next level by partnering with Wipliance. We can bring your full media experience outside with TVs that are designed to handle the elements and models specifically designed for sun and shade. Landscape audio that is thoughtfully placed creates an immersive environment without alienating neighbors. Even outdoor shades can help keep spaces cool in summer and warm in winter; these also help to keep out bugs, golf balls and more. Landscape lighting that works with a whole-home lighting control system allows your living spaces to extend and expand.
As you also won “Best Home Security” and “Best Home Theater”, please provide an example of each of these and explain the thought behind the equipment.
LT: Our security solutions offer peace of mind, whether you live in the AZ area full time or are traveling and need to be able to manage your property remotely. With comprehensive monitoring services and high-resolution surveillance products, we enable our clients to rest easy, knowing they are fully protected.
Our theater solutions have regained momentum in the last one to two years with the increased avail- ability of direct-to-stream newly released movies and services like Kaleidescape that offer theater-quality resolution and sound in the comfort of home. We offer ambient-light-reducing projection screens, so theater environments are possible in more rooms, and our team of experts can work through challenges, such as tricky room configurations, to assist you with providing that immersive movie environment. This theater, for example, challenged us with its low ceilings and a long and narrow square footage. Wipliance was able to incorporate several rows of tiered seating, total light control and a premium audio/video system that is controllable from several interfaces including touchscreen, universal remote and even the client’s phone.
Learn more at wipliance.com and youtube.com/wipliance.
Photos courtesy Wipliance
