Anyone can install a basic security system. They could put pressure sensors on your doors and windows and have them wired to a wall panel which, in our opinion, is a false sense of security. Today's thieves are far savvier than 1980's technology and we feel that you have worked too hard to have your home compromised. You deserve better. At BRAVAS Atlanta, we don't install simplistic, out-dated security systems. What sets us apart from other security companies is that we install custom home experiences that involve the latest technology in home automation. We can orchestrate the perfect settings to help maximize your home enjoyment and safety while minimizing your energy costs which will save you money in the long run. Back in November, we discussed several custom home automation experiences, Coming Home, and Goodnight. This week we're going to talk about another very popular custom experience, 'Good Morning'. Imagine that it's early in the morning in chilly mid-February and everyone in the house is still asleep. Thirty minutes before you wake, the system sets the thermostat to your specified temperature and even turns on the floor heater in the bathroom. Just a few minutes before your morning alarm goes off, the lights in your bedroom slowly brighten. Your bathroom light turns on. The security alarm disarms just as you rise from your peaceful slumber. Your canine companion joyfully jumps on your bed to greet you and to let you know they are ready for their morning walk. A new day has begun with a new sense of security. This is one of many different custom home experiences we offer here at BRAVAS Atlanta. Visit our offerings page to learn more.

Home theater inspiration begins in the luxurious, fully automated, ultra-high-tech BRAVAS Atlanta Experience Center. As one of the largest in the Southeast, the Experience Center demonstrates the best of the best in home automation and custom home theaters. The BRAVAS Atlanta' Experience Center contains 3 different home theaters. We invite you to come and interact and enjoy state-of-the-art technology. Since there is so much to see in our Experience Center, today we will focus on one of our home theaters: the Diamond Theater. The Diamond Theater has top-of-the-line audio, visual, automation, and lighting equipment to give the ultimate home theater experience.

We would like to thank everyone for coming out and supporting us last Thursday at our 17th Annual Open House. The turn out was impressive! Along with meeting new and old clients, we debuted our new showroom called, "The Experience Center." Now one of the largest and most diverse in the Southeast, the Experience Center is officially open and ready for your viewing pleasure. At the open house, visitors had the chance to tour 3 different home theaters, a kitchen, an outdoor patio, a living area, and a foyer. All of these areas demonstrate the latest and greatest in home automation. Visitors enjoyed interacting with the best home automation technology on the market from Crestron, ReQuest, Speakercraft, Lutron, Control 4, Kaleidescape, and Image Improved. Call us to schedule a time to view our amazing Experience Center today!

WHAT: A hands-on Open House in Digital Interior´s New Showroom, one of the largest and most extensive in the Southeast! Join us as we celebrate more than 17 years of bringing the coolest technology and hottest home entertainment systems to Atlanta homes.

• Multiple Home Theaters
• Living Areas and Whole House Integration
• iPad and Smart Phone controls
• Conference Room featuring A/V, Lighting, Window and Shade controls

WHERE: BRAVAS Atlanta, 1825 Grassland Pkwy, Suite A | Alpharetta, GA WHEN: Thursday, January 31st anytime from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Door Prizes
• Food and Drink
• Happy Hour from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

For more information. Contact Chuck Schlick or call (770) 844-5800.

As you know, BRAVAS Atlanta is extremely proud of the highly esteemed list of products we offer, from companies that feature top-of-the-line technologies for your home. We've spent the last few weeks highlighting some of our favorites and we're not done yet. Time to shine the light on the power and ease of Kaleidescape servers. You'd be hard-pressed to find a home here in Atlanta that has only one television and it can be a royal pain keeping track of all of your media as you transition from one server to another. Especially if you have young children who love taking their favorite movies out of your home theater, so they can watch in their own rooms. Kaleidescape servers store digital copies of your favorite movies and music so you can stream whatever you want to ever server across the entire house. No more searching for DVDs that have gotten stuck in the couch cushions or left at a relative's house. Choose what you want, where you want, and access it with ease. What more could you ask for? Kaleidescape knows how important it is to have all of your media needs at your fingertips and that's exactly what you get with their 1U or 3U servers. 1U servers have space for 1,350 DVDs or 225 Blue-Ray discs while the 3U servers can hold 5,400 DVDs or up to 900 Blu-Rays! So whether you are a moderate movie fan or a true film aficionado, there's no better choice than a Kaleidescape server! Call BRAVAS Atlanta today to learn how you can add this great feature to your home! image from Kaleidescape.com

Regardless of whether your home has a more modern or classic style, there's one thing that almost every homeowner loves, lots of windows. Windows can be one of the most appealing features of a home, providing natural light, architectural detail, and beauty. What better way to boost the functionality of such a key piece of your home than to add motorized or automated shades to your windows? More than just offering privacy and black-out options for home theaters, window shades help improve your home's energy efficiency. Believe it or not, adding blinds and shades to your home is a quick way to 'go green' in your everyday living! Keeping windows covered during certain times of the day or year can significantly reduce energy costs. Blinds and shades help keep the heat inside your home during the chilly winter months and keep it from entering during steamy summer days. You can even cut back on summertime heat gain by up to 40%. Put that money saved toward improving your home decor or adding that new movie projector to the 'man cave'. Not only shades and blinds save on your energy bill but they also work to protect fabrics and artwork from damaging UV rays without preventing you from enjoying the outdoor views. And one of the most popular uses of automated shades is within home theaters. If you're completely in love with the idea of having your own personal theater, but don't want to limit what you can do with your space, adding automated blackout curtains can turn a heavily windowed room into the perfect home theater, without limiting the room's versatility. Atlanta's BRAVAS Atlanta offers a variety of shade controls from industry leaders like Lutron and Crestron and can program shade controls to adjust to the time of day, season, and even your own personal schedule. Call today to learn more about our automated shade options and start 'living green' and loving your home even more than you already do.

When it comes to finding state-of-the art products of which we can stand firmly behind, our friends at Crestron have given us more than enough to brag about. While BRAVAS Atlanta carries most Crestron products and have been installing them in homes in and around Atlanta for years, there is one that we find it hard not to shine a spotlight on. We have been using Crestron Touchscreen Control Panels for more than a decade and are quick to recommend them in any home.

With years of home design experience under our belts, we can say, without a doubt, that lighting is an essential part of any home design. That is why BRAVAS Atlanta is proud to feature Lutron Lighting systems to anyone interested in adding the perfect amount of lighting integration to their home. Lutron offers a wide variety of home automation services making it easy for homeowners to control every light in the house from a central location. Set timers so lights turn on and off while you're away, giving your home the appearance that it isn't temporarily vacant. Program the light outside the back door to turn on as you pull in the driveway, providing you a safer path inside. You can even change your lighting options online, without needing to be at your house! Now all of these options sound great, but such extensive programming must send your energy usage through the roof, right? Wrong! Lutron offers dimming options with your state-of-the-art lighting, allowing you to not only use up to 10% less energy but also double the life of your bulbs. And, some of their systems take it a step further, using whole-house control to monitor and reduce energy consumption. So your HOUSE will keep lights on only when they are needed. And you thought your phone was 'smart'. The possibilities are endless and it's no wonder they were awarded a number of distinguished honors including the 2012 EC&M Product of the Year: Energi TriPak in the lighting controls category. Call BRAVAS Atlanta today and ask about the wide variety of Lutron lighting systems we offer. There's no better choice in Atlanta home automation. image from flickr: Kendyl Young