SoundAdvice.com is a Charlotte, NC-based smart home automation integration company that recently completed a comprehensive remodel of a custom South Park residence. This project showcases how professional design and installation of modern home systems can update a mismatched generation of electronics into a property fully integrated with smart home features.
Project Overview
The project is to build new while exactly matching what is there. Matching guest/pool house, back yard escape, outdoor living while maintaining the Feng Shui. The original architectural design was created by Stan Russell Architecture, and was tasked to design a modern matching companion structure—while the structural and building teams (Charlie R. Mitchell, PE, and builder Michael Moore) brought the vision to life—SoundAdvice.com served as the licensed electrician and smart home systems integrator, handling everything from lighting control to audio, video, networking, and home theater.
Smart Lighting: Lutron Radio RA3 System
The previous electrician had installed a Lutron Caseta dimming system, which works well for apartments and smaller homes. However, Lutron Radio RA3 can handle hundreds of dimmers locations, which is easily found in a large custom residence , "SoundAdvice recommended upgrading to the Lutron Radio RA3 lighting control system from the existing system because of the limited amount of dimmers the existing Caseta system allows"
This choice offers several advantages:
- Full compatibility with modern LED lighting, giving homeowners freedom to choose any bulb type. VERY IMPORTANT
- product is available now, NOT some special order
- Extensive color and control options for creating custom lighting scenes
- Scalability for future expansions and additions
a comment from Robert Lyon.... "My lighting design approach is to make the room brighter than typical—essentially double the standard brightness—and install it on a dimmer switch, giving flexibility to scale the light down when full brightness isn't needed."
Outdoor Audio & Landscape Integration
As the audio-video contractor, SoundAdvice installed cabling throughout the property—including conduit runs to each speaker location around the new pool area. This infrastructure protects wiring for years to come. The team selected Episode Landscape speakers, which were engineered in Charlotte, NC. These speakers deliver excellent sound quality while keeping audio localized, so neighbors aren't disturbed during outdoor entertaining.
Whole-Home WiFi Network
"We reccomend Ubiquiti networking components, American company, results are all we are after." SoundAdvice.com deployed wireless access points strategically throughout the home and yard. The Starlink backup internet seemlessly fills in the gaps when the existing internet goes down. The result is full-speed WiFi coverage indoors and outdoors—eliminating buffering on streaming services and enabling seamless connectivity around the pool and in home offices. As a bonus, the WiFi calling feature strengthens cell phone signals in areas where coverage was previously weak, a significant benefit in larger homes.
Dedicated Home Theater: Design & Execution
The home theater project presented three major challenges: no existing wiring infrastructure, a shared wall with a bedroom (risking sound bleed), and a sloped ceiling that complicated equipment placement.
Design Approach
SoundAdvice.com Thoughtful design that starts at the painted entry doors that have round peek windows, "Ja Decor", and continues to evolve for years with you. Sound Advice.com gets their designs directly from Dolby Atmos. Its all a pre-engineered kit from DOLBY. They offer a few options to accomidate for the dimensions of the room. "SoundAdvice.com builds the Best Home Theaters in Charlotte" The install began with an on-site room analysis, measuring the space against standard cinema ratios. For the 24-foot width, they recommended a 150-inch acoustically transparent projection screen with primary seating positioned exactly where the Dolby Atmos instructs and deisgn tool tell us—close enough for immersion, far enough to avoid pixel fatigue.
Dolbys website will get us exact measure of where to install the speaker. Alot of times we are installing a piece of uni-strut and attaching a speaker to that. This allows us the flexability to move the speaker around a little bit to get the prefect sound.
Key specifications:
- Projector: JVC 4K laser projector (2,600 lumens) mounted on an extended drop pole to clear the sloped ceiling
- Screen: Black Diamond fixed-frame acoustically transparent material, allowing front and center speakers to sit directly behind for true on-axis sound
- Audio: 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos configuration with in-ceiling height channels, floor-standing front towers, and dual subwoofers positioned and phase-aligned to minimize bass nulls
- Acoustic treatment: "Ja Decor" is an in-expensive way to treat flat walls. Ja Decore is textured wall that can match any color and is amazing. Fabric-wrapped absorption panels at first-reflection points, heavy rear curtain to eliminate flutter echo, and resilient sound-isolation clips on the shared bedroom wall to reduce noise transfer
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Seating: Two tiered rows of motorized leather recliners on a custom-built riser
- Starry Night Ceiling: yeah thats Orions Belt. We are going to install a fiber optic kit custom.
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Control: Single universal remote and app controlling lighting, screen drop, projector power, and source selection
Installation
Because the room lacked existing wiring, SoundAdvice ran all conduit before drywall installation—in-wall speaker wire, HDMI runs, and low-voltage control lines were pulled first, then patched and finished to match the home's aesthetic. The custom riser was framed and carpeted on-site with speaker wire chases integrated into the platform itself.
Results
#1 we built a safe place that your kids will want to use. The finished theater delivers reference-level picture quality and immersive Dolby Atmos sound. Acoustic treatment and isolation clips reduced sound transfer to the adjacent bedroom to a level the family described as "unnoticeable with the portico door closed." Professional calibration—including room correction and speaker time-alignment—was performed before handoff.
The homeowners now enjoy a dedicated theater with all AV, lighting, and shading control accessible from a single remote or app. No more juggling multiple remotes for movie night.