Inside Julie Jacobson's Install: The Retrofit from Hell
The CE Pro editor shares her recent retrofit install.
For her recent home installation, CE Pro editor-at-large Julie Jacobson enlisted Robert Christensen of Magic Homes and Andrew Wiatrak of Sensation Design Group. Here, she shares the story.
I hear dealers and other so-called industry pundits say it all the time: Pick an integrator who has an impressive showroom, and never a solo "trunkslammer" who works out of his house.
I ignored such edicts when I selected the custom installers for my home installation project, going with a two-fer: a one-man programmer, Andrew (Drew) Wiatrak of Minnetrista-based Sensation Design Group, who worked nicely with a two-man installation and integration team led by Robert Christensen of Magic Homes in Oakdale.
There are a wealth of integration companies in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, where I live, including lots of big ones and lots of good ones. Ones with showrooms. Ones with long histories of service and fancy trucks. Ones with litanies of certifications.
Indeed, I interviewed several of them, and liked them all, especially the excellent installer from my old production homeDon Haines and his team at SureLock Homeswhom I regrettably had to nix because they didn't do Crestron.
Neither did Magic Homes (at the time), but the up-and-coming company had a close relationship with Drew, a Crestron programmer. I was most impressed with the team because of the thoughtfulness they put into the original interview, during which they did a thorough walk-through of the property.
Ours was the retrofit from hella one-story 1950 mid-century modern abode with slab concrete flooring, a flat roof, and an exterior that is practically all glass on one side, and brick on the other.
Click here to continue.
The CE Pro editor shares her recent retrofit install.
For her recent home installation, CE Pro editor-at-large Julie Jacobson enlisted Robert Christensen of Magic Homes and Andrew Wiatrak of Sensation Design Group. Here, she shares the story.
I hear dealers and other so-called industry pundits say it all the time: Pick an integrator who has an impressive showroom, and never a solo "trunkslammer" who works out of his house.
I ignored such edicts when I selected the custom installers for my home installation project, going with a two-fer: a one-man programmer, Andrew (Drew) Wiatrak of Minnetrista-based Sensation Design Group, who worked nicely with a two-man installation and integration team led by Robert Christensen of Magic Homes in Oakdale.
There are a wealth of integration companies in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, where I live, including lots of big ones and lots of good ones. Ones with showrooms. Ones with long histories of service and fancy trucks. Ones with litanies of certifications.
Indeed, I interviewed several of them, and liked them all, especially the excellent installer from my old production homeDon Haines and his team at SureLock Homeswhom I regrettably had to nix because they didn't do Crestron.
Neither did Magic Homes (at the time), but the up-and-coming company had a close relationship with Drew, a Crestron programmer. I was most impressed with the team because of the thoughtfulness they put into the original interview, during which they did a thorough walk-through of the property.
Ours was the retrofit from hella one-story 1950 mid-century modern abode with slab concrete flooring, a flat roof, and an exterior that is practically all glass on one side, and brick on the other.
Click here to continue.
