Most homes accumulate three or four control systems over time. The Lutron from the original install. The Sonos that someone added. The Nest from the HVAC contractor. Jimmy designs a single coherent layer – built on Lutron and Control4, with DMF Lighting fixtures – that ties everything together without forcing you to live in a tablet.
Lutron HomeWorks for lighting-first control – the system Jimmy has programmed since before HomeWorks QS shipped. Control4 when the household needs broad third-party device support. DMF Lighting for fixtures that match the control system's dimming curves. Sonos for distributed audio, Sonance for in-ceiling and landscape speakers, and Ubiquiti for the network underneath it all.
Control system design starts before drywall. Keypad locations, conduit, and head-end rack placement all need to be set at rough-in. Jimmy walks the house with the architect, the GC, and the electrician to verify every box.
Programming happens after the family has moved in. Jimmy spends a day in the house listening to how each room actually gets used – then writes scenes that match. A keypad that says "Goodnight" should turn off the lights, lower the shades, lock the doors, and arm the perimeter. Not eight buttons that do one thing each.
