Thanks to leading systems integrator, Creative Home Cinema, high profile couple Grant Bovey and Anthea Turner now have a state-of-the-art and award-winning Crestron control solution for their London penthouse apartment. The impressive system, which offers them the ultimate lifestyle of comfort and convenience, won the Best Hi-Rise category at the recent Crestron Integration Awards.
Commanding panoramic views across the River Thames, this Chelsea apartment is a showcase of innovative home technology. At its heart, is a Total Home Technology package from Crestron designed to centrally manage, integrate and control all the systems in situ; eliminating the need to walk from room to room to adjust any of the lighting, temperature, security or audio visual components. Whether from the STX-1700CXP wi-fi touchpanel in the lounge area or the MT-1000C hand held remotes located in the kitchen and each of the three bedrooms - total control of the apartment’s home automation elements is at their fingertips, wherever they are.
And, there is a vast array of technology to control in this impressive property, all of which has been cleverly concealed and seamlessly integrated within the fabric of the building. From the main 50” Vidikron plasma which swings out on a remote-controlled bracket; the four Speakercraft in-ceiling speakers which reveal themselves with a touch of the Crestron touchpanel and swivel effortlessly into a surround sound formation; to the 42 inch plasma screen which drops down from above and comes to rest perfectly in line with the seat at the head of the table - the apartment’s technology remains discreetly out of sight until required. Even the main rack which contains the brains behind the system has been concealed in the lounge area. Housed within a cupboard just deep enough to store the required kit, an impressive amount of heavy duty hardware is screened from view with a pair of doors finished with luxurious leather cladding so not to compromise the sleek, contemporary interior. Almost 2 miles of cabling underpins the system, transmitting signals throughout the residence from this central location, yet its extraordinarily quiet operating levels and seamless integration mean that the occupants barely even notice that it is there.
The story continues throughout the apartment. The master bedroom boasts a wall-mounted plasma and innovative surround sound system complete with a non-directional Artcoustic subwoofer which has been incorporated with considerable ingenuity into the venting that runs along the base of one of the walls. Even the ensuite boasts its own share of custom-electrickery in the form of an Aquavision TV. Control of the automation elements in the master bedroom is achieved via Crestron’s MT-1000C compact wireless touchpanel which combines an eye-catching colour touchscreen with a streamlined array of backlit hard buttons in one sleek, stylish handheld package. Whilst in the second, Vivienne Westwood-inspired bedroom, there is the same drop down ceiling -mounted plasma TV arrangement as the dining room.
The hub of the apartment’s home entertainment set up is the impressive Kaleidescape system which allows Grant and Anthea to collect, manage and enjoy their entire digital movie collection with breathtaking ease and speed for maximum viewing enjoyment. The Kaleidescape server stores the collection of DVDs and then provides multiple, simultaneous video playback throughout the property and it is all easily accessible and operational with one touch of the Crestron touchscreen.
Powered by a core AV2 Processor, the 2-Series Crestron Control System enables every audio, video, and environmental element of the apartment to be integrated and accessible. Unmatched for power, performance and scalability, the AV2 boasts six built-in COM ports, eight IR/Serial ports, eight I/O Versiports and eight isolated relays. A C2ENET-1 Ethernet card provides Ethernet connectivity to enable the control system's built-in Web server and e-Control®2 capabilities and also allows Creative Home Cinema to undertake remote diagnostics and programming on Grant and Anthea’s behalf. A CNRFGWA Gateway located in the master bedroom allows the Crestron wireless touchpanels and handheld remotes to communicate with the control system via the Cresnet network.
A C2N-DPA8RC 7.1 Surround Sound Audio Processor delivers high-end audio processing, AV signal routing, and device control as part of the AV distribution system, allowing the apartment to be equipped with just the right balance of automation and adjustability to suit Grant and Anthea’s needs. A CNX-PAD8A high performance 8 x 8 stereo audio switcher and preamplifier provides distribution of 8 stereo audio sources to 8 room outputs and a CNAMPX-16X60 and CNAMPX-7X200 provide 16 and 7 channels respectively of world-class audio amplification for the distribution of the apartment’s speaker-level audio. The apartment also boasts a Crestron CNX-PVID8x4 professional video distribution system.