Smart homes offer a luxurious lifestyle, providing ease of control on an incredible scale. One touch or voice command manages every aspect of your home, including smart lighting, whole-home audio and video, the security system, climate control, pool, spa, and more. These customized smart solutions create a seamless design that blends beautifully with your home’s aesthetics.

At Eighteen Group, every one of our smart homes is unique, created with the homeowner’s lifestyle, moods, and activities in mind. Let’s explore what working with an expert-level smart home company offers and how it can transform your home in Portland, OR.

Motorized window treatments are rapidly jumping high on the list of most in-demand smart home technologies. They are popular with homeowners because they offer health benefits, improve productivity, and enhance energy efficiency. 

Today, we will highlight a few things you probably didn’t know about motorized blinds. Continue reading to learn about everything your smart blinds in your Portland, OR, home can do.

Home theater design isn’t a new concept, but its popularity and demand have recently grown to a large scale. Perhaps the pandemic played a vital role in this, or maybe people are just realizing the luxury of cinema-quality experiences in their own house! Whatever the reason may be, home theaters are a great addition, and we love them.

Carrying out the project, however, can get tricky if you do not hire the right people for the job. Let’s talk about some common mistakes people make with home theater design in Portland, OR, to learn why hiring a professional is better than DIY. 

Did you know lighting can transform how you feel in specific spaces throughout your home? For instance, dim lighting can make rooms feel cozier, or bright lighting can give you more energy. With smart lighting technology, transforming an area from exciting to serene is as simple as pressing a button. 

Continue reading to explore ways to use smart lighting throughout your Portland, OR, home to enhance how you live and feel.

Motorized shades are an increasingly popular choice of window treatments for homeowners. And rightly so! They offer comfort, convenience, and benefits that we couldn’t even dream of with traditional window coverings. 

However, since they are still comparatively new, quite a few people make mistakes that take away from the seamless experience motorized window treatments can otherwise offer. 

Read on as we discuss some of them to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes and can enjoy the full benefit of motorized shades in Portland, OR.

As summer brings warmer weather and increased outdoor activities, it's important not to overlook the security of your Portland, OR, home! Installing a smart home security system during the summer months provides essential protection and peace of mind whether you’re home or away. 

But why is summer the perfect time to bring this innovative system to your premises? In this blog, we’ll check out the reasons why installing a smart security system this season is key and how it can help protect your home and loved ones.

There was a time when automated home features were only seen in movies, and the thought of them becoming a reality seemed like a far-fetched idea. But today, according to Oberlo, about 60.4 million homes in the US alone have smart devices. We’ve come a long way! 

The comfort and convenience that smart home applications offer (along with several other benefits) make them an excellent option for today’s busy lifestyles, resulting in their ever-increasing popularity. Not sure if it’s worth investing in a smart home in Portland, OR? Read on as we discuss the benefits of smart technologies and home automation, and learn how these devices can change your life! 

Smart technology is appearing nearly everywhere in today’s homes. From thermostats to smart security cameras, motorized window coverings, and intelligent lighting, virtually every aspect is connected and controlled by home automation. And the world of home entertainment is no different.

4K and 8K HDR, QLED, and OLED TVs have become the norm. Media rooms and home theaters with laser projectors, handcrafted screens, and Dolby Atmos surround sound provide epic entertainment. Audio manufacturers artfully craft architectural speakers that deliver high-fidelity sound to every room in our homes and outdoor spaces. And it’s all controlled with one touch on a single intuitive interface. 

As the premier audio-video installation company serving Portland, OR, and the surrounding areas, we’ve watched this incredible transformation unfold. And, while people are anxious to enjoy the ultimate home entertainment, the common questions we receive are about the complexity that goes with it, the equipment involved, and the effect it will have on their home's aesthetics. Will their peaceful, serene retreat suddenly resemble a technology stronghold? 

The answer is a resounding no! With an integrated whole-home audio-video system, you experience high-resolution images and sound from sources that disappear when not in use and are controlled with one tap on a beautiful touchscreen or remote. Let’s see how it’s done. 

Home automation is the foundation of smart homes. The goal is to make your living space more comfortable, convenient, and functional. And Control4 is among the top brands that offer all these qualities. 

But when you wish to implement it in your home, working with a certified Control4 dealer is important. These are professional installers who specialize in designing and implementing home automation systems. Read on to discover how a certified dealer can help transform your home in Portland, OR, into a dream space with Control4 automation. 

Almost everyone we know in Portland, OR, is more than ready to enjoy the upcoming spring and summer. To say 2023 has been a winter to remember is the understatement of the year. The good news? Warmer days are upon us, and soon we’ll be enjoying al fresco dining, cozying up with a good book on the patio, and hosting outdoor celebrations that last long into the night. 

Are you ready to make this your best outdoor season yet? If so, it’s time to consider today’s outdoor speakers. These sound systems are far different than their predecessors, delivering incredible high-resolution music and surround sound-like audio throughout your outdoor spaces. 

Let’s explore the possibilities.

If you’re looking to build a home theater, you’ve probably realized that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. There are so many components of a theater that can (and should!) be customized based on your space and personal preference. For example, you can choose between a TV or a projector and screen. You also get to choose the lighting, seating, and so much more.

You also have many options when it comes to your home theater’s audio system. There are sound bars and two-speaker stereo systems you could choose. But for a truly cinematic experience, you should consider creating a multi-channel home theater. Multi-channel theaters will give that cinematic audio you crave and will astound you with every music note and piece of dialogue. Keep reading to learn more about multi-channel theaters and what they can bring to your Portland, OR, home.

How do you define a life of luxury? For many, it's a sense of safety, security, and extreme comfort. As André Leon Talley described in Vogue, “Luxury is to be able to take control of one’s life, health, and the pursuit of happiness in a way that is joyful.”

Today, home automation offers all of that and more. It brings extreme convenience and ease of living and enhances daily joys. At Eighteen Group, we create user-friendly systems that manage your lighting, climate, entertainment, security, and more automatically or with one touch. 

Let’s explore the world of smart home living and what it offers homeowners and their families in Portland, OR.

A fully automated, integrated audio-visual (AV) system is the cornerstone of any modern smart home. After all, what’s there not to love about streamlining and simplifying the way we enjoy and manage media content? 

At Eighteen Group, AV systems are one of the most popular installations for our clients across Lake Oswego, OR. This extensive industry experience has made us the leading technology installers and integrators in town, and our team knows what it takes to create an unforgettable audio-visual experience at home. 

Here are the advantages of an automated, integrated AV system and why the team of technology integrators at Eighteen Group is your best bet at achieving the setup of your dreams! 

There are many benefits to having natural light in your home, such as a boost to your energy levels, a source of light to reduce energy bills, and sunshine that can improve your mood. Homes in the Portland, OR, area have such beautiful views; it’s no wonder people want to let the natural light in more. 

Many motorized shading options available today provide limited possibilities for allowing natural light while protecting your privacy. But the Hunter Douglas DuoLite roller shade system is here to change all that! Using two fabrics, the DuoLite enables you to manage both light and privacy at the same time. 

We are excited to now offer Hunter Douglas motorized blinds to our customers in Portland! Continue reading to learn more about the DuoLite motorized shading features from Hunter Douglas.

Home entertainment features make your home more engaging and immersive. While there are many ways to boost the fun at home, audio-video integration remains a core entertainment element. 

The simple addition of an AV system can breathe life into your home. The video components allow you to stream movies and TV shows while the audio system fills your home with captivating sound in the form of music, podcasts, audiobooks, and more. 

But there’s more than one way to make use of audio-video integration. Read on to discover the top three ways AV integration can make your Portland, OR, home more entertaining.