A Home So Smart It Talks
By Lisa Montgomery
Audible reminders like "Take a pill" help homeowners in their 70s, with assists from Control4 and SpeakerCraft.

Not everyone who puts sophisticated electronics into a home is a fan of high-tech. In fact, some are vehemently opposed to it. The owners of this 3,400-square-foot home in a suburb of Chicago were thinking only of new countertops, flooring and fixtures during a massive renovation that started three years ago.

Now they are on the cutting edge, enjoying a home control system that provides them with audible and visual reminders of family birthdays and to take medications. Their smarter and improved home can even remind them to take out the trash.



It was only per the suggestion of their architect and interior designer, John Regas of J.P. Regas and Associates in Chicago, that Paul and Senya Kalpake contacted a custom electronics design and installation firm to learn about their high-tech options.

The architect felt that technology would help the owners, who are both in their 70s, better manage and enjoy their home, says Jacek Zaworski, president of Procom Enterprises in Elk Grove Village, Ill. Respectful of the owners’ doubts, Zaworski suggested that they incorporate technology into their home by bits and pieces.

As the home was being remodeled, Procom pulled the appropriate cabling, plus a little extra on the chance that the Kalpakes would add more amenities as the project progressed. To the GE NX8E security panel Procom wired a variety of different sensors, including contacts on every door and window, glass-break detectors, smoke and heat detectors and a sump pump sensor.

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