One accountable contact
I lead every project personally. Your team has one number to call, from the first plan review to the final walkthrough and beyond.
For Designers, Architects & Builders
The finest homes are wired on paper first
In an automated residence, the low-voltage design shapes the electrical plan, the ceilings, the millwork and every window. Bring me in before an electrician is selected, and those decisions are coordinated once, on the drawings, rather than resolved later in finished rooms.
Plan it once. Wire it right. Keep finished walls closed.
- Sheet
- SMD-LV-00
- Discipline
- Low-voltage & automation
- Issued to
- Designer · Architect · GC
- Phase
- Before the electrical plan
Sheet SMD-LV-01
Everything behind the finishes
A single residence, drawn the way I see it. Every symbol is a decision that touches the electrician, the designer, the architect or the builder. The numbered callouts are explained below.
The Intricacies
What gets decided before drywall
Each of these crosses more than one trade. Settled on the drawings, they are simple. Discovered in the field, they become change orders.
01LTG Centralized lighting control
With a panelized system, each lighting load runs as a homerun to a central lighting panel rather than to a dimmer in the wall. That changes the electrician's entire wiring plan, which is why it must be decided before the work is bid. The reward is quieter walls, fewer devices and scenes that span the whole home.
Coordinates with Electrician · Architect · Lighting designer
02KPD Keypad locations & engraving
One refined low-voltage keypad replaces a bank of dimmers. Locations follow how people actually move through each room, at a consistent height, aligned with casings and trim, in a finish chosen with the designer. Every button is engraved for exactly what it does.
Coordinates with Designer · Electrician
03SHD Shade pockets & window treatments
Motorized shades need a recessed pocket sized to the fabric roll and hardware, solid blocking, and power or low-voltage wiring at every window. Set with the designer and drapery workroom while ceilings are being framed, shades and drapery disappear when open.
Coordinates with Designer · Drapery · Framer
04AUD Speakers & subwoofers
In-ceiling and in-wall speakers are placed for even coverage, then aligned with the lighting layout and ceiling details so each ceiling reads as one composition. Backboxes and subwoofer locations are planned at framing, where they cost the least and perform the best.
Coordinates with Architect · Lighting designer
05DSP Televisions & concealment
Every display location needs blocking, power, signal and a decision: flush, recessed, framed as art or concealed in a lift. Recesses and lift cabinetry depend on exact equipment dimensions, so they belong in the drawings, not on the punch list.
Coordinates with Designer · Millwork · GC
06EQP The equipment room
The rack and lighting panel need a dedicated, accessible room with ventilation or cooling, dedicated circuits, surge protection and battery backup. Placed with intent, it shortens every cable run. Left to chance, it ends up in a closet that overheats.
Coordinates with Architect · Mechanical · Electrician
07NET Network backbone
Every connected system depends on the network. Structured cabling, access points positioned for the home's construction and materials, and spare conduit to key areas keep the house reliable today and ready for what comes next.
Coordinates with Architect · GC
08THR The home theater
Room proportions, seating and risers, sightlines, screen and projector geometry, acoustic treatment, sound isolation and quiet HVAC are architectural decisions. Made together at the outset, they produce a room that looks and sounds the way it should.
Coordinates with Architect · Mechanical · Designer
09SEC Security, cameras & access
Cameras, intercoms, door stations, gate operators and alarm sensors each need wiring, power and mounting details in the right places, and they work best when integrated with lighting and automation from the start.
Coordinates with GC · Electrician · Gate & alarm vendors
10EXT Exterior & landscape
Landscape audio, weather-rated televisions for the pool and patio, outdoor Wi-Fi and exterior lighting control extend the experience outside. Conduit beneath the hardscape must be in place before the pavers go down.
Coordinates with Landscape architect · Pool contractor
Working Together
How I work with your team
My work runs alongside yours from the first set of plans to long after move-in, with one schedule, one set of drawings and one person accountable for the result.
Phase
P1
Design & consultation
I review the architectural, lighting and interior plans, design the systems with you and your client, and issue low-voltage drawings and specifications the electrician and builder can price and build from.
P2
Pre-wire
Cabling, backboxes, conduit, blocking and shade pockets are roughed in alongside framing, plumbing, mechanical and electrical, then walked with the builder before insulation and drywall.
◆
Hold point: walls close
Everything behind the finishes is verified against the drawings, so nothing needs to be opened later.
P3
Trim & finish
Keypads, speakers, displays, shades and equipment are installed as finishes go in, with care for the work of every trade around us.
P4
Programming & commissioning
Lighting scenes, shade schedules, audio, video and automation are programmed, tested and refined, then I walk the client through everything personally.
P5
Ongoing support
I remain the call after move-in, for refinements, updates and service, so the home stays as effortless as the day it was finished.
Technology that disappears
The design leads. Devices are kept to a minimum, aligned with the architecture and finished to suit the room, so the experience is felt rather than seen.
Budget & schedule, protected
Decisions made on the drawings prevent the change orders, rework and opened walls that cost time, money and goodwill.
From the Field
Questions I'm asked to solve
They arrive at every stage of a build. Asked early, they're easy to answer.
- RFI‑01Where does the lighting panel go, and how much wall space, access and ventilation does it need?
- RFI‑02Will this wall support a large television, and where exactly should the blocking go?
- RFI‑03How deep must the ceiling pocket be for this shade fabric and the drapery the designer selected?
- RFI‑04How do we keep speaker grilles aligned with the recessed lighting and the ceiling details?
- RFI‑05Will the keypads fit beside this door casing, and which finish matches the hardware?
- RFI‑06Which systems need dedicated circuits, and are they on the electrical panel schedule?
- RFI‑07Why is the Wi-Fi weak in one wing of the house, and how do we cover it without visible equipment?
- RFI‑08How do we hide the equipment and still keep it cool and serviceable?
- RFI‑09Can the theater stay quiet with the air conditioning running?
- RFI‑10How do the gate, intercom and cameras tie into the rest of the home?
- RFI‑11Where should conduit run so the system can be upgraded later without opening walls?
- RFI‑12What has to be in place before the drywall goes up?
Who It's For
A partner to every discipline
Interior Designers
Your vision stays intact. Keypads, grilles, shades and screens are placed and finished to suit the design, and window treatments are coordinated from the first sketch.
Architects
A low-voltage partner at the drawing stage, with plans and specifications that integrate cleanly with your ceilings, millwork, mechanical design and documents.
General Contractors & Builders
Clear drawings for the electrician, a pre-wire coordinated with your schedule and one accountable contact on site, so there are no surprises at drywall.
Plan Review
Send me the plans early
The ideal moment is before the electrical plan is drawn. Send the architectural or interior drawings, and I'll review them with your team and outline exactly what needs to be coordinated, and when.
SethSunshine Media Design