Do you find there are other companies that are basically on your wavelength that you can collaborate with?

We work with a lot of bespoke manufacturers that get it. Séura is a great example. I work very closely with the people on their team, like Gretchen Gilbertson. She has a very similar design belief to mine about how to bring technology into the house in a way that’s multifunctional. Number one, it has to be built properly so it can meet the technical specifications, but it also has to have the right style and quality to fit in a luxury home. She creates a tremendous palette of products. 

Lutron is an amazing company that does a great job of not only creating perfect integration with things like with its Radio RA and Homeworks control systems but also has an immense portfolio of fixturing. It’s amazing how well they train people. They show integrators how to make the lighting and shades work perfectly but they also train their designers to be able to choose perfectly. So, for us, Lutron is always a design leader. They have an amazing asset catalog, they’re always up to date and modern, and they’re always making changes. You see Savant starting to make moves toward this, more on the lighting side, bringing in other disciplines to try to add shades or add lights. I see a lot of others working on this as well, so I would say it’s a trend for most. 

But the hardest thing for a tech company is letting go. For me, I had to completely let go and say, “I want an actual architect to design the products. I want real interior designers to choose the fabrics.” So I brought them in and said, “What do you need us to do to make this conversation work for you?” They’re definitely not talking about frequency response—that’s my job. It’s like, I’m the plumber. They don’t care about what the cone material is on the woofer, but they absolutely care whether the cabinet is made of sustainably sourced black walnut.