How to Make Your Outdoor Spaces a Natural Extension of Your Home
Create Immersive Entertainment Spaces with Layered Lighting, Hidden Audio, and Ultra-Bright Displays
Are you wasting your backyard’s potential? Did you know that with the right technology, it’s easy to convert it into a fully functional, high-end outdoor living space? We see many of our clients invest in beautiful landscaping and patio furniture, but then do little to make the space usable during the day or after the sun sets.
At Maddox AV, we specialize in technology solutions that bridge the gap between your interiors and your patio or deck, while accounting for the unique Chesapeake climate featuring humid Maryland summers and chilly bayfront winters.
Begin With a Layered Lighting Approach
Even the most beautifully designed patios go to waste with single-source lighting. Ambient lighting is great for safety and security, but it can cast unappealing shadows and look clinical when you rely on it entirely. In high-end lighting design, you should always have ambient, task, and accent lighting. And outdoor spaces give you even more potential for how to approach each type.
For example, wall grazing is a great way to highlight the texture of stone walls or fireplaces. Meanwhile, moonlighting is the technique of mounting fixtures high in trees to create soft shadows on the patio and create an artificial ceiling of light outdoors.
As with your indoor spaces, it all comes together through dedicated scenes you pull up through your Lutron or Control4 app. A “Welcome Scene” activates ambient and path lights to guide you or your guests to the front door. A “Party” scene activates lights in your deck and backyard, as well as task lighting over the grill and outdoor kitchen.
Get High-Quality Audio Without the Clutter
There is no way to get great outdoor audio with just a couple of wall-mounted speakers. You need more to create distinct zones (to listen to chill music by the fire pit and a party playlist by the pool) while maintaining a uniform feel as guests move between areas. More speakers at a lower volume create a blanket of sound so people can hear clearly without cranking up the volume.
The challenge is how to add all these extra speakers without cluttering up your home. We recommend using landscape and rock speakers that disappear into the foliage. In the deck and patio, in-wall and in-ceiling speakers also blend with the surroundings.
Optimize Your Viewing With Outdoor Displays & Shades
Enjoy your favorite sports team or movies under the stars or direct sunlight with 4K weatherproof TVs like the Samsung Terrace. They include anti-glare technology and are three times brighter than indoor models to deal with direct sunlight. Their sturdy, airtight enclosures protect against humidity and debris.
For a true outdoor room experience, add motorized retractable screens. These screens lower to block bugs, wind, and sunlight, turning your porch or patio into a four-season room. Add fire pits and fans for even more climate control, so you stay comfortable year-round.
Ready to extend your home's warmth into the great outdoors? Contact our team of experts today to schedule your personalized consultation. We look forward to speaking with you.
