We are so pleased that we've been given the opportunity to host a number of very successful Lunch and Learn sessions within the last few months. We are proud to offer a number of educational and certification credits for architects, builders, designers, and the like who are looking to keep up with current trends of the business. Our very own Vice President George Ide is a Registered Outreach Instructor for the Custom Design and Installation Association (CEDIA). An extremely valuable member of the team, George is often the front-runner of our Lunch and Learns, sharing new information about Atlanta home automation and design. Recently, the BRAVAS Atlanta team gave a "Trends Affecting Commercial Spaces" presentation to 18 of Rosser's most eager employees. Attendees from Rosser, an architectural, engineering, and program/construction management firm here in Atlanta, were a wonderful audience, all excited to participate in the session where they soaked some great tips on Atlanta home automation. We were also happy to provide Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits for the American Institute of Architects. If your business is interested in benefitting from one of our Lunch and Learn programs, please contact Chuck Schlick at 770-844-5800.

It's been a busy few weeks and Vice President George Ide, along with the rest of the BRAVAS Atlanta team, has been up to our necks in Lunch & Learns. We wanted to give some shout-outs to the companies that allowed us to come and teach "The Art of Hiding Technology" classes to architects and builders in and around the Atlanta area. It is a CEDIA course that presents CEU (continuing education credits) to attendees.

• AVI Martin Windows welcomed us to present to a group of about 18 architects and designers.
• Friday we had a fantastic Lunch and Learn session in Blue Ridge, Ga with Cindy Trimble Kelly Studios and her staff.  Blue Ridge, Ga is fast becoming a hot spot retirement community for people from all over the Eastern United States.  Many Florida retirees are leaving and north!  Cindy is the only ASID certified interior designer in that area. It was an intimate and well-received class and were so thankful for the opportunity to meet with Cindy and hear team.
• We also presented at Curtain Call on Tuesday. Curtain Call is an annual event that provides architects and designers in Atlanta with an opportunity to earn multiple CEU credits in one day.
• HKS, Inc. Architects also featured the class on the 50th floor of their building. It was quite the experience presenting with such an amazing view, to about 20 eager architects.

If you're company is interested in one of our Lunch and Learn programs, contact Chuck Schlick at 770-844-5800.

As you already know, BRAVAS Atlanta was proud to host the 4th Annual Atlanta Housing Summit this October at 5 Seasons Brewing. It was a huge success and we are going to share some of our favorite snapshots from the night (taken by local photographer, John Seibel) but first a little background on the history of the Atlanta Housing Summit. The first Atlanta Housing Summit was held 4 years ago during what most people in our business would consider a black period. The economy was at a low point and architects, interior designers, builders and the like were all struggling to make ends meet. But not everyone was losing out and a number of great companies were still keeping their heads above water.  BRAVAS Atlanta' very own Chuck Schlick set up the Atlanta Housing Summit as a chance for those that were still in business, despite the economic slump, to get together and celebrate. Business men and women gathered to share success stories, ideas for the future, and overall have a nice relaxing evening with colleagues who were going through the same struggles. Thankfully the economy in our field has improved and you could certainly tell by the mood at this years event! The positivity radiated as over 80 professionals kicked back and enjoyed an evening of delicious food and brews, great presentations, awesome prizes, and fantastic conversation. It was our biggest and best event yet and we are looking forward to year number 5! But enough about history... onto the main event. John Seibel did a great job capturing some key moments throughout the night and we wanted to share them with you all.

Georgie Ide (VP) teaching a Pre-Summit class on "The Art of Hiding Technology". This was offered as a free class to builders and architects who arrived early at the Housing Summit. It also earned them CEU credits.

We've retired our old "fleet" and couldn't be more proud to show off the new vans! A big thank you to 5 Seasons Brewing for being such great hosts and letting us 'show off' a little in the parking lot!

Our fantastic group of auction items included a weekend stay at Tybee Island, a Dick Vitale autographed basketball, a set of outdoor speakers, custom artwork, and an autographed photo of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. All the items were donated and 100% of the proceeds when to the Children's Health Network of Atlanta. A big Thank you to everyone who donated these items and those who donated to such a great cause.

Ron Rimawi, President of BRAVAS Atlanta, talks with architect Adam Williamson

Some of our amazing sponsors from SpeakerCraft and Crestron Electronics HQ. Without our amazing sponsors this event would not be possible. We thank you!

Chuck Schlick of BRAVAS Atlanta shows off one of the great auction items with John Reynolds of Marmi Natural Stone. Chuck has organized and hosted the Atlanta Housing Summit every year, and judging by the turnout and feedback from this last event, he's doing a great job! Thanks Chuck!

A great turn out!

Guest Speaker AJ Robinson of Central Atlanta Progress.

Be sure you head over to our Facebook page, like us, and check out the full album of photos (more to come) from the evening. We'll be sharing more inside scoops in the evening but couldn't resist giving you a little glimpse. Thank you to everyone who made this such a fantastic event.

Last week we talked about one of our most popular custom experiences, Coming Home. It's a fan favorite and we think you can guess why. This week we're going to tell you all about another great custom home automation experience. But this one doesn't welcome you home, this one helps tuck you in at night: the Goodnight. How many times have you and your spouse settled into bed at the end of a long and stressful night, and just when you've gotten your pillow to the exact shape you love, it hits you. You left the kitchen light on. You also left the living room light on. And you can see the TV remote smirking at you from across the room. Way. To. Go. Now you decide to strike up a rousing game of "Not It" with your spouse as you both make a case for why the other should be the one to get up. It happens to all of us, some more often than others, but with the Goodnight custom experience from BRAVAS Atlanta, you can kiss the "Not It" game goodbye! The Goodnight experience allows you to tuck your whole house in at the end of the night, with the touch of a button. Simply press the bedside goodnight button and relax into your comfy pillow while your system turns off the house lights, slowly dims the bedroom lights, arms the security system, and sets the thermostat to your desired sleep temperature. Plus you can also set the bedroom TV to shut off after 30 minutes so you don't have to worry about the credits of your favorite flick waking you up in the middle of the night. Talk about a great way to drift off into dream land! Never again will you have to muster the courage to hop out from under the covers and race through the house hitting light switches. Feel comfortable, safe, and relaxed each and every night while you're home tucks itself in. Contact BRAVAS Atlanta in Atlanta today to learn more about the Goodnight custom home experience, and prepare yourself for a beauty sleep boost! Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the things we pride ourselves on here at BRAVAS Atlanta is offering far more than just your everyday run-of-the-mill list of services. You can come to us for a number of individual around-the-home needs but our favorite and most sought after offerings are our custom experiences. This is more than just installing a home security system, this is the full package. Since many people don't know about our custom experiences, we decided to take advantage of our fancy new blog to give a little more detail about each of them. Today, the 'Coming Home' experience. Picture this. You and the family are coming home from a wonderful weekend away. It's been what seems like the longest 3 days ever, the kids have been driving you nuts the whole ride back to Atlanta, and you have about fifty pounds of left-over pot luck food accompanying all of your luggage in the back of the car waiting to be unloaded. You are eager to get home but as soon as you pull in the driveway you remember the dreadful 'unpacking process' that awaits you. Then it happens. With a quick shift of your hand and a single push of a button your home welcomes you back. The front gate opens, the garage door opens, and your driveway lights turn on brightening the path up to your house. Your security system is disarmed so you don't have to worry about racing in the door to beat the alarm. Your thermostat also perks up setting your home to the perfect temperature AND as you walk in the back door you are greeted with the sweet tunes of your favorite artist. What a welcome. This is what we mean by custom experiences. The Coming Home experience allows you to program your entire home to give you the welcome you need and deserve, each and every time you pull in the driveway. What more could you ask for, right? Plenty more, but you'll just have to wait until we dive into another custom experience. Be sure to visit our offerings page for a run-down on what else you will get here at BRAVAS Atlanta. photo from flickr: Jeremy Levine Design

So you've decided to turn one of your spare rooms into the ultimate home theater. You're sick of waiting in uncomfortably long lines to pay for over-priced tickets that will grant you access to a crowded theater with soda-covered floors and popcorn-ridden cup holders, before you find yourself seated next to Joe Shmo who can't seem to remember proper arm-rest etiquette. How are you supposed to enjoy a movie in an environment like that? It's exhausting! Instead you've decided to bring the theater to you and create the perfect movie-oasis that you can enjoy whenever you please, sans sticky floors and Joe Shmo. Now what? When it comes to designing your ultimate home theater there are a few important factors you need to keep in mind, outside of replicating the decor to look like the Batcave of course. We call them the 4 S's.

1. Seats - What kind off seating do you want in your home theater? Comfort and style are obviously key but also keep in mind that the height and width of your seats will have an effect on how easily the sound is distributed throughout the room. Consider shorter chairs over taller ones and think about how many people you'd like to fit in your theater before picking your seating.

2. Sound - The most amazing film in the world can quickly become a dud with the wrong sound. Choosing the best of the best in home theater speakers could make or break your movie experience. Bring your favorite film with you when you browse different brands so you get an idea of what it will sound like once an entire system is set up. Speakercraft speakers are a personal favorite of ours guaranteed to FILL your theater with ultimate movie theater sound.
3. Space - You've got your speakers and seats picked out and now it's time to place them in the room. The general rule of thirds and fifths can be used to achieve optimal placement. Place the speakers one-third or one-fifth of the room's dimension away from the walls and be sure the screen can be seen from any seat in the room, at any angle. Also remember the different possibilities for projector placement like the ceiling, on the floor (between the front two chairs), or hidden in a cabinet or on a shelf in the back of the room.
4. Shine - One of the most underrated aspects of a home theater is the lighting. Proper lighting can set the mood in your theater so you and your guests will easily get lost in any film.

Consider using Stewart Film Screens and Universal Remote Control in your home theater. And to ensure it's done right, let BRAVAS Atlanta handle the installation! image from flickr: gsloan

BRAVAS Atlanta has always taken pride in being more than your average home design company. We don't just install home security systems, we bring you peace of mind. We don't just install home theaters, we give you the ultimate entertainment experience. We do everything we can to ensure that you receive the exact customized home technology experience you are looking for, with optimal customer service, and a final product you can't wait to show off. In case you've never worked with us before, here is a little insight into how we operate. Service: It's what truly separates a company from its competition. A product is just a product and maybe offered by any number of our competitors, which is why we provide service that exceeds our competition. Benchmark: BRAVAS Atlanta is the benchmark for new technology integration. We do our research, so you don't have to, making sure the technology we feature is useful, reliable, and easy to use. Industry Association: When you choose BRAVAS Atlanta you are also choosing some of the most recognized names in the industry. Whether they be companies, associations, other organizations or individuals each that are already well recognized in the industry, we proudly partner with the best of the best. Employee Involvement: We are firm believers in a team effort, therefore all of our employees are integral parts of the business. Whether it's through ownership or business operations, it's all about providing hard-working employees with endless possibilities. Fiscally Responsible: Especially in today's economy, we work our hardest to maximize profits and remain financially sound. That way we can provide long-term service to our faithful customers. Products: Products are products, and while many of our competition can supply a number of the same high-end items we excel at engineering them into a working, cohesive, seamless system. But don't forget, we also offer many fine product names that others cannot supply. So if you're looking for a the best of the best in Atlanta home integration systems, look no further than BRAVAS Atlanta. We love our company, we love our products, we love our customers, and we love leaving the home of completely satisfied customers.  

BRAVAS Atlanta is extremely excited to be hosting the 4th Annual Atlanta Housing Summit! One of our most successful events for the past 3 years, the Atlanta Housing Summit is an evening of great drinks, great food, and great networking with Atlanta's top homebuilders, remodelers, designers, and architects. It's an evening dedicated to celebrating bouncing back and growing strong in today's housing market. BRAVAS Atlanta, along with co-hosts Mydesign Partners, couldn't be more excited about the upcoming event. On October 25, 2012, the brightest and best of Atlanta's housing market will be gathering at the 5 Seasons Restaurant and Brewery's Buckhead location. Along with plenty of chatter surrounding the current state of the housing market and new advances in design, architecture, and digital integration, attendees will enjoy what is promising to be an informative and fulfilling discussion from guest speaker A.J. Robinson. Robinson is the President of Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID), in charge of managing the overall strategic functions of CAP and ADID, both of which are committed to making the Atlanta community more livable, vital, and diverse. Robinson's expertise in real estate development and property and asset management have given him plenty to discuss this year at the Summit. Along with A.J. The 4th Annual Housing Summit will feature a number of other noted sponsors: Mydesign Partners, Crestron, Lutron, and SpeakerCraft Speakers. We are extremely excited to see what this year's event brings! Stay tuned for more details and "Like" us on Facebook to stay in-the-know on everything DIGITAL!