Project · West Lake Hills
A West Lake Hills Home Rebuilt Around Lutron and Ketra
Five years, two houses and one family. What started as Wi-Fi and cameras became a full Lutron HomeWorks takeover, Ketra light inside and out, a rebuilt theater and a 10 Gig network.
Book a Showroom Visit Call 512-775-6101
At a glance
- Area: West Lake Hills, on the Tarrytown line
- The home: four stories, modern, with a view of downtown
- Lighting: Lutron HomeWorks with Palladiom keypads on every floor, Ketra downlights indoors, and Ketra full-color light in the game room and outdoors
- Entertainment: a rebuilt theater with Dolby Atmos, plus audio and video throughout
- Network: fiber in, 10 Gig switches and access points, with satellite backup internet
- Security: UniFi cameras, a video doorbell and a monitored security system
- Since: 2021, across two homes for the same family
It started with Wi-Fi and cameras
The owner found Smarter Homes on Google about five years ago. The first job was small: Wi-Fi and security cameras for a traditional home in a dense neighborhood where security mattered. We mounted the equipment rack high on the wall so he got his closet back. Over the next few years that home grew to include all of its audio and video.
When the family bought a new home, the first request was simple: "Do exactly what you did before."
Taking over the new house
The new home came with someone else's systems. We documented and relabeled the existing network and cameras so every cable could be traced. It also came with a whole-home control system from another brand that already represented a large investment, so at first we pointed the owners to a specialist for that platform rather than replace it.
About nine months later they came back and asked us to take it over. We replaced the lighting control panels on all four floors with Lutron HomeWorks and Palladiom keypads, then redeployed the audio and video: video sources now sit at each TV, and audio runs back to one organized rack.
The linear lighting needed attention too. The existing tape lights didn't match in color temperature, and none of them had channels or diffusers, so you could see every LED dot. We replaced all of it with properly mounted, diffused linear lighting on the new controls. See lighting control.
Ketra, one room at a time
Ketra started in the game room. The rope LEDs and hexagon light panels were already there; Ketra full-color light was added to complement them, and it was the family's first taste of truly high-quality light.
Next came the outdoor spaces, and then the whole interior. The reason inside was practical. Dark window tint and low-output wafer downlights left the rooms short on usable light, and the houseplants were suffering. After a side-by-side comparison of Lutron's Ketra and Rania lines, the owners chose Ketra. The new 45-degree Ketra downlights put out about 1,100 lumens each, enough light for the plants and the people.
The family's art collection rotates between rooms, so we didn't aim fixed art lights. Better light everywhere still made a visible difference: the colors in the art look truer. See Ketra lighting.
A theater that finally looks right
The theater runs on a Kaleidescape Strato E. The old amplifier couldn't work with the home's Josh.ai voice control, so we installed a new 15.4-channel Dolby Atmos preamp. We also replaced the video path with 8K fiber HDMI rated at 48 Gbps from end to end, which fixed the picture. See home theater and media rooms.
The waterfall button
The owners wanted one engraved "Waterfall" button on the patio keypad. Lutron couldn't natively control the pool equipment without breaking the pool's own app, so our team built a new control method that keeps both working: the keypad and the pool app. As far as we know, no one had done it before. Watch the waterfall on Instagram. See pool and spa control.
A network built for all of it
Fiber comes in to the gateway, then to 10 Gig switches and high-speed access points. We extended 10 Gig to the gym and pool area too. A satellite connection is the backup if the fiber goes down, and the home has solar battery backup. See whole-home Wi-Fi.
Doors and cameras
UniFi cameras cover the outside, a video doorbell answers the door, and a touchscreen shows the security system at a glance. See security systems and security cameras.
What's next
Coastal Source landscape lighting with Ketra lamps is being finished now. A primary bath remodel with more lighting is planned. The owners communicate mostly by email and keep adding to the house, which is the best review we could ask for.
Questions
Can you take over a system another company installed?
Yes. We document what's there first, then replace or redeploy it in phases. In this home we replaced the lighting panels on all four floors with Lutron HomeWorks and moved the audio and video to a new layout without starting over.
Why Ketra instead of standard LED downlights?
Ketra adds full color and a wide range of white light, and it stays matched from fixture to fixture. Here it also solved a real problem: dark window tint and low-output fixtures had left the rooms too dim for the houseplants.
Do you work in West Lake Hills?
Yes. Our office is on Bee Caves Road in West Lake Hills. See our Westlake and West Lake Hills page.
Can we see Ketra in person?
Yes. Showroom visits are by appointment at 5524 Bee Caves Rd, Unit J8, West Lake Hills. Book a time or call 512-775-6101.
Living with a system that isn't working?
Smarter Homes is Lutron and Ketra Qualified. We can document what you have and plan a takeover in phases.
Photo: FOGO Content. Shared with the homeowners' permission. Client names withheld for privacy.