AV Trade Talk

Introducing Alexa Centeno and the new VELLA HAUS luxury home staging franchise

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In this episode of AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett sits down with Alexa Centeno, co‑owner of Systems Design & Integration (SDI Boston) and founder of the new VELLA HAUS franchise, to explore how premium home staging and home technology come together to sell faster, sell higher, and create lifelong clients. Alexa shares her journey from integrator to stager (without leaving integration behind), the moment a $10M project setback became rocket fuel, and why she’s taking her staging brand national.

You’ll hear about:

  • How SDI evolved from hanging TVs to delivering 20,000‑sq‑ft smart estates with lighting control, theaters, outdoor lifts, motorized shades, voice control and more.

  • The origin story of VELLA HAUS: turning a last‑minute “no” into a thriving staging business that completed 77 homes last year—and the systems she uses to scale.

  • Staging with real tech to create emotion and demand: framed displays, full theater seating with screens and speakers, landscape audio, and why these experiences become powerful AV lead generators.

  • Education as a differentiator: helping builders plan for shade pockets, lighting, and infrastructure—so design and technology align from day one.

  • The big announcement: VELLA HAUS has launched and is now accepting franchise applicants for a national luxury home staging franchise with protected territories—starting in Massachusetts—and a highly selective (≈1%) award process. Who they’re looking for and how to raise your hand.

  • A peek inside SDI Boston’s experience center: a Listening Room for cinema demos, an Experience Room showcasing Lutron, Ketra, Leon, Coastal Source, outdoor living, and more—curated to inspire designers, architects, builders, and homeowners alike.

  • Highlights from Katye’s CEDIA Expo Smart Stage panel on design‑tech collaboration featuring Toni Sabatino (Toni Sabatino Style), Caitlin Stewart (Leon Speakers), Frank DeFilippis (Sonos), and Alexa Centeno (VELLA HAUS), and what those conversations signal for integrator–designer partnerships.

    • Whether you’re a designer, integrator, builder, or realtor, this conversation offers practical ideas for teaming up, differentiating your projects, and creating unforgettable client experiences before, during, and long after the sale.

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