Kitchens are such an important space in the home. The kitchen is the hub of the modern home, a place that transcends food preparation. It’s a gathering place for the family, a social space for family and friends, a place for homework, school projects, and so much more. And of course, cooking and enjoying food.

If there’s a part of a home that can benefit from the right lighting design, it's the kitchen. So how can you make sure your kitchen is both a useful and inviting place? Of course, lighting isn't the only tool, but it can play a huge role in going from a merely average to a great kitchen where everyone hangs out. Here are five tips for elevating your kitchen illumination from the pros at GHT Group, Alpharetta, and Metro Atlanta’s premier interior lighting design company.

You may think motorized shades sound like a luxury. Indeed, they are luxurious. However, onetime luxuries are now essentials and staples. When is the last time you cranked down a manual car window? Exactly, that’s what we thought.

Adding power to window treatments and shades are far more practical than power windows in automobiles. In a car, it's mostly about convenience, but motorized shades have real efficiency and even safety benefits.

When it comes to motorized shades, one name stands out – Lutron. Our favorite lighting control brand is also one of the premier vendors for powered shades and window treatments. Read on for four reasons why Lutron shades are not just a luxury for your Roswell, GA, home; they are also an excellent investment.

If you’re fortunate enough to live in Buckhead, GA, widely thought of as Atlanta’s premier neighborhood, life is better than in most places. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take some routine and monotony out of life with the help of smart home automation. They say work smarter, not harder, right? Smart home technology lets you live smarter! 

There is a long, long list of what you can do with home automation to make your life easier and have time for things that matter. In the interest of brevity, we’ll detail six of our favorites below for better living through automation. 

To paraphrase a common refrain on airline flights, "we know you have many choices in home automation systems, and we're glad you chose us." True, there are many choices in smart home automation. There is an almost bewildering array of options in consumer automation devices and platforms, tied together by software and devices from Google, Amazon, Apple, and Samsung.

But when it comes to managing larger, more sophisticated homes, the choices narrow down further and quickly. Sure, you can use parts of excellent consumer products like Google's Nest ecosystem to manage some functions of your home. You can run your own email server at home, too. But few people operate their own email servers because they have to be quite technically savvy to keep them running correctly. And while consumer home automation is far more accessible, the more you do with it, the more complicated it gets. And there are some things that these systems won't do without a great deal of advanced hacking.

There is a more straightforward way. You can call GHT Group to design and build a customized home automation solution that works exactly the way you want in your Johns Creek, GA home, with no tech support required from you. And if your property is quite large and there are many things to manage – we would likely recommend a Crestron solution, as there are few limits as to what it can do. Read on to learn more about three ways Crestron systems are a different breed of automation solution.

It’s difficult to escape the ubiquity of smart home devices and technology. From Nest thermostats prominently displayed at Best Buy or Home Depot to Amazon Alexa smart speakers, we’re all aware of the promise of smart home automation. If you are building a new home or embarking on a significant remodel, chances are smart home technology is high on your priority list.

You may be tempted by DIY (do it yourself) solutions. Still, GHT Group knows from three decades of experience serving homeowners in Georgia that an integrated approach – like that offered by Control4 home automation solutions – is far more likely to satisfy your Atlanta smart home’s needs and accommodate your lifestyle better than disparate systems cobbled together.

There is no better time to consider home automation than when you are early in the planning process so that you can integrate all the infrastructure that your smart home will need. Read on to view all the possibilities.

We’ve discussed the merits of Crestron home automation systems at length in the past. Crestron is the company that is practically synonymous with automation in both the residential and commercial spaces. For some smaller residential applications, Crestron solutions had the reputation of being complex to integrate, as the system had many options.

Several months ago, Crestron introduced OS 3, a redesigned automation system aimed at making a home automation system easier for a homeowner to use and for integrators like GHT Group to install. In truth, OS 3 was not radically new; it was an evolution and improvement over the Pyng system that they had introduced a few years earlier that added many modern features to Crestron automation.

It’s important to understand Crestron’s approach to home automation. They are a company that designs and tests all their own equipment and software, not merely designing equipment that is manufactured offshore. When it comes to the software, the ability to control a home remotely through the internet also means being able to do it with the utmost security and privacy.  

If you have multiple homes, like your primary residence in Brookhaven and a cabin in Blue Ridge in the Georgia mountains, Crestron OS 3 is an ideal solution for managing your homes securely. Read on to learn more. 

SEE ALSO: 5 Reasons to Automate Your Home Media with Crestron

When buying, building, or remodeling a new home, you'll have many decisions to make. Everything from landscaping to interior finishes to window treatments is on the table. All the decisions and options to evaluate can be exhausting. While you can't call Saul to help, you can rely on your local Control4 installer.

Smart home features are high on the list of most homebuyers today, and you likely want at least a couple of things or many. And the decisions for smart home tech can be equally overwhelming. But with a Control4 installer like GHT Group, you can have a personal expert in smart home automation that can take the stress out of the planning and work with your builder and designer to integrate the tailored system you want. Keep reading to learn what a Control4 installer can do for your new Cumming, GA home.

Our clients love Control4 home automation for its power, flexibility, and compatibility with so many smart home features. Control4 never stands still, and they're always adding new features and functionality to the system, as well as continuously improving the performance, usability, and scalability of the system.

GHT Group – metro Atlanta's premier Control4 installer – is pleased to offer Control4 OS 3.3, available now. If you have an existing Control4 system, it's an excellent upgrade for your Milton, GA home. And if you don't, it's another great reason to step up to the convenience and luxury of Control4 smart automation. 

Keep reading below to learn about the major improvements in Control4 OS 3.3!

Have we gone off the deep end? We are now claiming that home automation can improve wellness? Bear with us; it's not as wild as it seems. First, home automation is a great convenience – and luxury – and if that alone reduces stress, that's an improvement in your wellness.

Think about it. If your home automation system can inform you that you left the garage door open because it knows you're not at home, you can close it with a tap on a screen or have it do so automatically after a few minutes. If you're on vacation and you have a video doorbell and smart security cameras, you can check in on your house at any time and be notified of any unusual activity. Peace of mind and reduced anxiety is a boon for wellness too.

But even beyond the convenience and security aspects, comprehensive smart home systems like Control4 can create a better atmosphere for wellness too. As a Control4 installer in Cumming and Metro Atlanta, we have seen (and helped create) many ways clients have used their smart home features to improve fitness, mood, and relaxation for a healthier atmosphere. Keep reading for some of the best ideas!

Spring is in the air, and it’s time to get outdoors. While Georgia’s weather is mild in the spring, the Kennesaw area will soon experience the southern summer’s warmer, more humid season. And with spring and summer comes rain, and oh, the bugs. Does that sometimes keep you from enjoying your patio?

You can control the environment outside, too (within limits, of course). Did you know that motorized outdoor shades can let you enjoy your patios even more? Today’s solutions are more integrated and sleeker than ever. Keep reading below to see how outdoor shading helps you make the most of your outside areas.

We’ve discussed the merits of Crestron home automation systems at length in the past. Crestron is the company that is practically synonymous with automation in both the residential and commercial spaces. For some smaller residential applications, Crestron solutions had the reputation of being complex to integrate, as the system had many options.

Several months ago, Crestron introduced OS 3, a redesigned automation system aimed at making a home automation system easier for a homeowner to use and for integrators like GHT Group to install. In truth, OS 3 was not radically new; it was an evolution and improvement over the Pyng system that they had introduced a few years earlier that added many modern features to Crestron automation.

It’s important to understand Crestron’s approach to home automation. They are a company that designs and tests all their own equipment and software, not merely designing equipment that is manufactured offshore. When it comes to the software, the ability to control a home remotely through the internet also means being able to do it with the utmost security and privacy. 

If you have multiple homes, like your primary residence in Brookhaven and a cabin in Blue Ridge in the Georgia mountains, Crestron OS 3 is an ideal solution for managing your homes securely. Read on to learn more.

Sometimes, technology adds needless complexity to life. Shouldn’t technology make our life easier? When it comes to home automation, it’s surprising how some products and solutions seem to forget that critical aspect. Sometimes you get new innovative ways of doing things, but often you have to adjust to the vagaries of the technology.

As a company that has been at the forefront of smart home automation for decades, Crestron believes technology should simplify, not complicate. With the latest iteration of Crestron Home, they continue to deliver on that premise with an intelligent platform designed to make managing a smart home as simple, intuitive, and natural as possible. As a longtime Crestron dealer in Metro Atlanta, GHT Group is excited by the evolution of Crestron Home and the ease it presents in leveraging the full power of home automation, from lighting to climate to entertainment to security and more.

With the challenges of the pandemic still with us, working and schooling from home will be a continuing reality for the better part of 2020 in many areas. Major tech companies like Google have already announced they will continue work-from-home policies into 2021. Educational institutions at all levels are also grappling with how to resume classes, and many will adopt remote approaches in the short term. 

In this environment, communicating effectively from home has become critical. Communication is not just for work and school; maintaining social contacts with family and friends is also needed to not feel isolated.

Crestron has thought about this, too. A worldwide leader in enterprise video conferencing, audio-visual, and commercial automation, the company is bringing that expertise to improve communication and collaboration from home. Of course, Crestron is also a leader in smart home automation, so it couldn’t be a more perfect fit.

Keep reading to learn more about Crestron's new HomeTime, which brings together sophisticated video conferencing, communication, and home control to your Atlanta residence.

By all accounts, the market for home automation and smart technology is growing at a rapid clip. The research firm IDC projects growth at 16.9% annually over the next few years, which means that prospective homeowners will be prioritizing smart automation features.

As trade professionals, you already know that you need to plan early for home infrastructure. But smart home technology is more than just including a basic pre-wire low-voltage cabling package. Keep reading to see how it pays to bring in a home automation company early in your process to make your Duluth, GA projects smart from the start.

If you’re considering adding a lighting control solution to your Atlanta home, you need to consider both the functional and aesthetic factors. On the functional side, you want a lighting control solution to offer many ways to control lights through apps, sensors, schedules, and wall-mounted controls. On the aesthetic side, you’ll consider the color temperature and dimming capabilities of lights and the look and style of the fixtures.

When it comes to those lighting wall controls, they need to meet your most stringent criteria – are they easy to use, save you time and effort, and look good doing their job? Lutron dealers like GHT Group understand these needs and have the full set of Lutron solutions available to meet your needs.

Lutron offers seven styles of wall-mounted controls, ranging from wired models to wireless models that use RF (radio frequency) for ease of installation in existing homes. We’ll cover three of these popular wireless styles below, so we hope you keep reading!