From System Rescue to No-Compromise Smart Home: The Meadows

Phase 1: Taking Over a System That Wasn't Working

The client's existing system had been installed some years earlier and included networking, distributed audio, and general home technology. It looked, on paper, like a reasonable installation. In practice, it behaved like one that had been rushed through commissioning and never properly documented or maintained. Network performance was inconsistent — devices dropped connections unpredictably. The audio system worked intermittently at best.

The first and most important thing we did was assess honestly. After spending time understanding the architecture, we told the client what we found clearly: some aspects of the hardware could be improved with a targeted intervention. Some parts of the system could be stabilised through configuration changes. Some fundamental limitations could not be fully solved without a complete rebuild — and we told them that explicitly, rather than selling them a false promise.

This honesty — and the absence of a sales pitch for an unnecessary full replacement — was what built the foundation of this relationship.

The Network Restructure

The weakest link was the network. The existing router had no security features worth noting, no visibility into device traffic, and had been configured in a way that created broadcast conflicts between the audio and control layers. We installed a Firewalla firewall between the ISP connection and the existing network, immediately providing proper security monitoring, device categorisation, and the ability to see exactly what was happening on the network at any moment. We added a correctly specified core switch, cleaning up the ad-hoc cabling that had accumulated over years of ad-hoc expansion.

The day-to-day improvement was immediately noticeable. Network stability increased significantly, audio dropouts reduced, and for the first time the client had a clear picture of every device on their network and its traffic behaviour.

External Security and Garden Audio

Two additional scopes were addressed during Phase 1. First, the external perimeter had no camera coverage. We installed a UniFi Protect system — cameras covering the main entrance, gates, driveway, and side access — integrated into the restructured network. All footage stored locally with no subscription and accessible via the app from anywhere.

Second, the garden audio system was underperforming. Existing hardware was providing an unsatisfying listening experience. We added dedicated amplification and replaced the outdoor speakers with Bowers & Wilkins AM-1 all-weather units. The improvement in outdoor audio quality was significant — the garden became a place the family actually wanted to use in the evenings.

Phase 2: The No-Compromise Renovation

The Phase 1 relationship built sufficient trust that when the client began renovating a new property — a larger villa in The Meadows — the brief was simple: "We want this done properly from the start. No compromises."

This is the scenario where good engineering and good relationships produce exceptional outcomes. There were no legacy constraints — open walls, full access to the structure before plaster, and a client with clear priorities and trust in our specification.

Lutron HomeWorks: The Professional Lighting Standard

For the lighting, we specified Lutron HomeWorks — the top tier of the Lutron residential range, above the RA2 Select system used in most projects. HomeWorks uses a centralised processor architecture where all lighting logic runs on dedicated hardware, connecting to keypads and dimmers throughout the property via a star-wired topology. This provides the highest possible reliability and programmability — individual dimming curves per circuit, time-based scheduling, and scene programming that is stored locally on the processor.

Throughout the property we installed Lutron Alisse keypads — Lutron's most premium residential keypad design, with beautiful glass faces and backlit buttons that look and feel commensurate with a high-end villa renovation. The keypads are programmed with scenes tailored to the client's preferences for every room: how they like the kitchen lit for cooking versus entertaining, what the bedroom should look like for late-night reading versus waking up.

Nine Zones of Sonos Audio

The audio scope for the new home was significant: nine independent Sonos zones, each driven by a Sonos Amp connected to architectural speakers. Throughout the main living areas and bedrooms, we used Focal ceiling speakers — the same brand as the surround system — for tonal consistency across the home. The main cinema room received an Anthem MRX receiver driving a custom Paradigm soundbar with Focal ceiling surrounds, providing a genuinely high-performance home cinema presentation.

Where the client already had functioning B&W AM-1 garden speakers from the Phase 1 work at the previous property, we reused that hardware at the new villa rather than replacing it with new units. This is a deliberate approach: we respect client investments and avoid selling replacements where existing hardware continues to perform well.