Outdoor Lifestyles

Posted by Shane Wamboldt on 4 June 2012 | 1 Comments

Tags: Lifestyle, Design, Outdoor, Lighting, Entertainment, Summer, Technology

With the warm weather upon us, our attention naturally turns to the outdoors. Our months of winter hibernation give way to getting into our yards to prepare for summer. Increasingly, we see clients using more of their property for relaxing and entertaining, as opposed to simply using the back deck for an occasional BBQ or cold drink.

Whether a new home or landscape project, or with an existing property, there are a number of ways to bring amenities such as music, lighting control, high-speed wireless internet, and irrigation control to all corners of your property.

Landscape audio, often considered to be only rock-like speaker enclosures with questionable sound quality, now give way to covert and very capable audio systems. Partially-buried subwoofer enclosures, ‘camouflaged’ speakers, and completely weatherproof speakers allow you to enjoy high quality sound throughout your property. Smartphone and tablet control mean you can set the lights and bring up the music with the touch of a single button, and let you get on with enjoying our beautiful (and short!) Nova Scotia summers.

Questions you might consider for your outdoor projects:

• How much time do I spend outdoors on my property?
• Do I want to enjoy music, or just listen to the sounds of nature when I am out?
• What area(s) of the property do I want music and lighting (i.e. pool, BBQ area, etc)
• Do I want access to lighting control without having to go back inside and adjust dimmers
• Can I tolerate seeing speakers?
• What is my budget for the project?