Residential Tech Talks

A show like CEDIA Expo is always going to create a lot of news and excitement around new introductions, and new opportunities for custom integrators. In our chat with Alex Weaver of Legrand AV, we dove into one of the hotter topics swirling around the world of CI—that being light commercial, or resimercial work. Seeing the commercial category make its way into a show like CEDIA Expo speaks to how important and relevant it is in the channel today, and we wanted to understand how Legrand is helping integrators succeed in this booming area, and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5HiZbHFp_4

Blackwire Designs is a special type of distributor in the CI channel, in that they have a team that's intimately aware of the challenges faced by a custom integrator—because they're all former installers in their own right. At CEDIA Expo 2025, we sat down with Cody Crossland, Vice President, Sales and Customer Service at Blackwire Designs, to explore how they leverage that collective experience both internally and in how they work with integrators and manufacturers. In addition, Cody shares some business updates, and we talk trends in the channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsWYWTT_-Jk

Patrick Coleman and his team at Future Automation & Design have built a reputation of being a very hands-on and white-glove type of integrator. That approach has helped them build clients-for-life and one of the most knowledgeable teams around—all as the business prepares to enter adulthood in its 18th year. Now, Coleman and his team are working on a new initiative to help other integrators learn not only the tricks of the trade, but improve their own customer relations. Their recently redesigned showroom (which we detailed here) includes an active training center that'll allow the group to host rotating classes in their Integrator Academy. The first class, which kicks off in October, will be the start of something special for their business and the entire channel.

Learn more about Future Automation & Design here: https://futureautomationdesign.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcoYTiDGQh4

Massive displays and impressive audio might draw all the attention at a show like CEDIA Expo and in the world of custom integration. But the channel wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the products and solutions that come out of a brand like Just Add Power. The brand brought a bunch of new Audio and Video over IP solutions to the event, showing how there's still plenty of innovation to be had from what many might consider a mundane category.

https://youtu.be/1cBc96sg5I8?si=rBGlnhmUt5b0WlRw

At CEDIA Expo 2025, Lutron rolled out a massive new partner program that has the potential to change the course of the channel. The first major product to launch out of the program was a collaboration between Lutron and Coastal Source. We sat down with Ben Bard, VP of Luxury Residential at Lutron, to dive into the program, it's intended benefits to the integrator, and much more.

https://youtu.be/lZJkr6C_FYM

The 8K Association | Elite Screens | Hisense | Oasys Residential Technology Group

Ahead of its official grand opening, Andrew Davis walks us through the brand new World Wide Stereo experience center in Wayne, PA. Davis, the CEO of Gramophone and Partner at World Wide Stereo, explains how the 21 different zones come together to paint a complete picture for potential clients. Bringing the building to life was also a great example of the growing partnership between the WWS and Gramophone teams.

Check out the video version of this episode to peek inside the new location:

https://youtu.be/hKtpgewfTWg

At CEDIA Expo 2024, Richard Charschan introduced us to his passion project, Home Theaterology. The book serves as a love letter of sorts to the home theater industry. But it's also proof that the ultimate in-home cinematic space can still be the heartbeat of the custom integration industry. One year since its launch, we caught up with Charschan to look back on the book's influence, how it came together, the unexpected benefits of the content, and where it could go in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM-BC5_iyc8

When you look at the portfolio of a company like ADI | SnapOne, it's easy to feel slightly overwhelmed as an outsider. Imagine what it must be like, then, to manage that massive product landscape. For Matt Kamp, VP of Product Management for the brand, it's a role he feels like he was built for and is thriving in. We jumped into it with Matt to explore the trends of today, where there are growth opportunities for integrators, and much more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7tOPl-pD_0

Messing with water heaters sounds like something that professionals who typically deal with hard wiring and electrical work would much rather avoid. However, in today's increasingly connected home, where every system appears to interact and communicate with one another, water heaters are becoming smarter. Here, we chat with Cala Systems Co-Founder and CEO Michael Rigney about the company's forthcoming smart heat pump water heater, how it's changing the game from an efficiency standpoint, and the role he hopes custom integrators can play in getting their product into more consumers' homes, quickly.

https://youtu.be/QiPSVg9i3gw

 

Explaining what's possible within the realm of custom integration is a constant challenge when speaking with an industry outsider, or a potential client for that matter. The biggest reason why? This is an experiential business. You have to "see it to believe it" in every sense of the phrase. The problem, then, becomes how you go about getting a client to experience the smart home before they decide to partner with you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxWuIQ7inzw