Plan Ahead for Whole-Home Convenience & Control 

If you’re planning a new home build or a renovation, your technology systems should feel effortless. And the best systems aren’t bolted on after the drywall is finished; they should be thoughtfully designed into your home’s structure itself. That’s where Crestron stands apart.

Unlike many plug-and-play smart home solutions, Crestron becomes part of the fabric of the home. From lighting and shades to audio, video, and security, the system is designed alongside the architecture so every element works together seamlessly.

Here are five reasons discerning homeowners, builders, and design professionals across Dallas/Ft. Worth choose Crestron when building a new residence.

Faster, More Reliable Wi-Fi for the Modern Home 

Not too long ago, we were writing about the exciting new internet protocol, Wi-Fi 6. But as our homes become ever more connected—and Audio Video streaming quality improves—that puts even more demand on our Wi-Fi. 

Enter Wi-Fi 7, the newest iteration of Wi-Fi standards, now available on home networking devices from brands like WhyReboot and Ruckus. Wi-Fi 7 offers accelerated connectivity, solid reliability, and performance that only compares to wired networks. Streaming 8K, gaming online, and smart home devices are all improved with a Wi-Fi 7 network. 

Here’s what you can expect from a Wi-Fi 7 upgrade and why you’ll be thankful you switched. 

What Is Wi-Fi 7? How Is It Different? 

The new Wi-Fi 7 promises enhanced speeds and reliability. Intel describes Wi-Fi 7 as having “wired-like responsiveness.” It packs more data into each transmission with 320 MHz channels—double the size of Wi-Fi 6. 

Wi-Fi 7 arrives at a perfect time, as 4K and 8K streaming becomes even more prevalent. Wi-Fi 7 can easily handle high-quality 8K video streaming, so you can enjoy movie night without buffering and pixelation. 

For Smooth, Tunable White Light & Integrated Home Control 

Who doesn’t love a subtle, ambient glow under cabinets or bookshelves? Or gentle illumination behind a mirror and cove ceilings? In the past decade or so, tape lights have become a favorite of interior designers and design-minded homeowners. 

Yet people often purchase DIY tape lights that leave much to be desired. “Best Of” lists by Wirecutter and similar publications recommend cheap, low-end models that: 

• Offer very few color options 
• Leave visible ‘dots’ between lights 
• Are too dim to provide task lighting in kitchens and offices 
• Don’t include remote access and control 
• Don’t include sophisticated automation and scheduling 
• Lack true natural white, appearing either ultra-bright or nearly orange 

If you’re looking for a high-performance, luxury experience from your tape lights, let us point you towards Lutron and Ketra, the top names in smart lighting control today. Maybe you already have a Lutron lighting control system, or perhaps you’re new to the world of whole-home smart lighting. Here’s what makes their tape lights truly the best available today. 

Host In-Person and Hybrid Meetings with Ease 

Is your company building new conference rooms or renovating your existing ones?

What an exciting opportunity! You have the chance to create a dynamic, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing space that makes it easy to collaborate—even with remote team members. 

To prepare your business for a future of successful meetings, make sure the following features are on your conference room checklist. 

The Rise of Design-Integrated Lighting & Shading Systems

Did you know 52 percent of interior designers and architects believe proper lighting design can enhance even the most modest homes? Meanwhile, 47 percent believe the wrong lighting design hinders even the most luxurious spaces.  

We certainly agree. We’ve met homeowners who spent millions on their properties, only to leave rooms with “four cans and a fan” lighting that cast a dull light and harsh shadows. On the windows, people leave lopsided blinds with tangled cords, unintentionally hindering their home’s appearance. 

That’s why lighting design is gaining momentum in new builds and renovations. And thankfully, more high-end lighting and shading brands are offering design-centric options, making it easier to create a beautiful ambiance while reducing tech clutter. 

The Rise of “Quiet Ceilings” 

We’re all familiar with “popcorn” or “cottage cheese” ceilings, the lumpy design trend that’s now ubiquitous with the 1980s and ‘90s. Another trend that’s reached its expiration date? “Swiss cheese ceilings.” 

You’ve seen them: ceilings that look hole-punched with large recessed lights, some as large as 6 inches wide. These grids of circles cast an unflattering glare, often making rooms feel more like a dentist’s office than a luxury home. 

Update Your Downlights to LEDs & Reap the Benefits 

When most homeowners hear the phrase “lighting upgrade,” they assume it's as simple as swapping out an old bulb for a new one. However, switching from incandescent and CFL bulbs to LEDs can be a little more complicated for recessed/downlight fixtures. 

Downlights come in one of two forms: can or canless. Can lights feature a cylindrical housing behind the bulb, while canless lights are flush to the ceiling without any space around the light. No matter what you have, if your recessed lights still use older light bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LEDs. 

Our partner DMF Lighting offers a Retrofit Kit that makes it easy to upgrade recessed lighting systems to high-quality LEDs. Let’s walk through how it works—and why it’s always worth upgrading to LED lighting.

Conference Rooms & Collaboration Spaces: Two Distinct Concepts 

If your team is still trying to make hybrid work work, or if traditional conference rooms aren’t delivering the results you expect, it may be time to consider a shift.

Search interest in “collaboration space” has nearly quadrupled since 2014, peaking this past summer 2025. But what exactly are these spaces, and how do they differ from the conference rooms most offices already have?

Let’s unpack the meaning, benefits, and use cases of collaboration spaces—and why they’re quickly becoming essential across industries.

What Is a Collaboration Space?

A collaboration space is an environment purpose-built to support idea generation, creativity, and problem-solving with some hybrid communication. Unlike traditional conference rooms that often cater to static presentations, collaboration spaces are interactive and flexible.

These rooms should feature modular, easily-moved furniture, dynamic room layouts, and technology designed to enhance group productivity, whether the team is in-person, remote, or both. Think interactive whiteboards, integrated video conferencing, in-ceiling audio, and intuitive room controls, all working together in one seamless solution.

A Look at ViewSonic’s Massive New Display on Wheels

This may be a bold claim, but we think ViewSonic’s new video display, the LDS135-151, may forever change business presentations and trade events. 

It’s rare that a new piece of tech truly shakes up the industry, but what we have here is essentially a portable, foldable video wall. 

The LDS135-151 is a 135-inch Direct View LED screen. Typically, most Direct-View LEDs require assembling multiple panels together, taking as long as two hours to install. Now, setup is reduced to as little as five minutes, and the massive display can be wheeled around the room or building. 

Let’s take a closer look at ViewSonic’s latest innovation. 

When ‘Smart’ Starts to Feel Complicated

Today’s homes are filled with technology designed to make life easier: smart bulbs, dimmers, apps, remotes, and voice assistants. But for many homeowners, the reality feels very different.

Instead of simplicity, there’s confusion. Which app controls the kitchen lights? Why do the shades use a different remote? Why are there six switches on one wall?

What appeared ‘smart’ initially quickly becomes fragmented. And over time, that friction impacts how you experience your home, turning everyday moments into small, repeated inconveniences.

It’s not about creating identical rooms, but a consistent process as you scale and grow.  

If you’ve been in business for twenty, ten, or even five years, you know that the technology that served you yesterday may not suffice tomorrow. And as a company grows and scales, it often falls victim to technology sprawl—a fragmented collection of devices added piece-by-piece, location by location.

Managing randomly assorted hardware is a logistical headache for everyone. If one room offers wireless content sharing while another requires a tangled mess of adapters—or if one boardroom is locked into a legacy system while the others utilize Microsoft Teams—that’s hindering your growth. 

Fortunately, integrators like Texadia Systems are here to straighten out your AV and conferencing solutions. We’ve discussed how standardizing audiovisual systems turns chaos into a repeatable business platform. But the true advantage of standardization isn't just a smarter decision for today. It’s an investment in your business’s future and longevity.

Let’s Take a Closer Look. 

“Is Ketra really worth it?” 

It’s a common question searched online and asked by our showroom visitors. Because while Ketra is regarded as the gold standard of tunable lighting control, it does have a notably higher price tag than products like Philips Hue. So, is it really the best? 

To understand Ketra’s value, it’s best experienced in person. But until then, let’s explore what makes Ketra more than just another lighting product, and why it’s trusted by design professionals, homeowners, and architects alike.

Not Just Bulbs: A Complete Line of Architectural Lighting

While most smart lighting brands focus on retrofittable LED bulbs, Ketra offers an expansive architectural-grade line: recessed downlights, linear tape lights, and track lights, all fully color-tunable across 16 million colors. We can use Ketra alone to create complete lighting designs, from ambient and accent lighting to task-focused areas.

The technology is equally advanced: each Ketra fixture contains a 16-diode chip, giving it the precision to render the exact hues and dynamic white tuning you desire. 

Getting Started with Direct-View LED Walls 

From command centers to retail spaces, all types of businesses thrive with a video wall display. 

While the video wall has been around for quite some time (first introduced in the early 1980s), the latest, greatest version in 2025 is the Direct View LED Video Wall. Unlike previous iterations, DVLEDs don’t use a backlight to display an image. Instead, each individual LED diode is both a light source and a pixel. Each pixel emits its own light, creating richer colors and a smooth, grid-free image. 

Direct View LED walls are also completely modular and scalable to any size or aspect ratio—which is especially helpful for any business looking to get creative with their video wall display. You don’t have to stick to one image or video on the screen. Why not use your wall-sized screen to share all the content you desire? 

Whether you need game coverage in a sports bar or wayfinding content in an airport, a commercial integrator like Texadia Systems can help you customize the number of images/videos on display. Here’s how it works. 

Two Essential Components: the Processor & Controller 

To set up your video wall’s display, you’ll need a quality processor and controller, which serve two very distinct purposes:

Outdoor Audio That Actually Endures All Weather 

Are you someone who prefers to purchase high-quality, long-lasting items rather than quick and convenient products that quickly fall apart? 

If that sounds like you, we’re willing to bet you’re a little nervous about investing in new outdoor audio or lighting equipment. Speakers that stay outside permanently—how long can they really last? 

While it may sound hard to believe, Coastal Source’s outdoor hardware is the real deal. We’ve had a very long partnership with Coastal Source and trust that their outdoor audio and lighting can endure even the harshest Texas weather, year after year. 

Get the Benefits of Remote Work without the Downsides 

We love hybrid work. It’s incredibly convenient, widens talent pools, and helps people live their best lives without the stress of long commutes and finding local housing. 

But have we lost something without seeing each other in person? Face-to-face interactions lead to fewer misunderstandings, more effective communication, and stronger bonds. So, when your teams aren’t in person together, it’s critical to replicate the face-to-face experience the best way possible.

A well-designed video conferencing system not only ensures effective communication but also creates an inclusive environment where every team member feels equally valued. Let’s explore how advanced conferencing technology can improve hybrid communication and create a more welcoming company culture. 

Condense Your Apps Into One Smart System 

To any homeowner who’s interested in smart home living, we tell them the best decision they can make is having a professional install a home automation system. 

But this recommendation is often received with skepticism. “I don’t need a whole smart home system!” they say. “I just want some smart lights and a smart thermostat and a few other things.” 

Fine, fine, fair enough. But as you begin to collect more smart home devices over the years, you may find yourself in over your head with apps and remotes. Here’s where it can go wrong. 

Not with the Sony BRAVIA + Leon Studio Frame 

If you dislike seeing a clunky black rectangle in your living room, artwork TVs are a dream for design-oriented homeowners like you. When not in use, the artwork TV transforms into a realistic painting or paper photograph on the wall, appearing so lifelike that guests will never know it’s a television. 

Unfortunately, most artwork televisions are great at displaying a matte art canvas, but don’t offer the highest video quality. Many ‘art TVs’ use a commercial display panel that is excellent for static images or low motion, but not ideal for action movies, sports, and games. 

If you want a true home theater experience, a TV like Samsung’s The Frame won’t take you there. Thankfully, there’s an alternative route that provides the best of both worlds: pair a Sony BRAVIA TV with Leon’s Studio Frame. 

Glass-walled conference rooms are a hallmark of today’s modern, open-concept office. In urban Dallas offices—especially coworking spaces, design firms, and corporate headquarters—they offer sleek aesthetics, natural light, and a sense of transparency.

However, they come with two major acoustic challenges: echo and lack of privacy.

If your glass wall conference room in Dallas, TX, sounds more like a gymnasium than a meeting space, you’re not alone. Fortunately, solutions like acoustic treatments, sound masking, and AV integration can transform your space into a functional, private environment. Let’s explore how.

Get the Custom Width & Length to Match Your Frame TV  

You care about how your home looks, right? You aren’t a college kid with thumb-tacked posters and a hodgepodge of random furniture. No, you’re an adult with taste and a home you take pride in. 

So, if you’re reading this, you probably understand the clash between interior design and setting up an attractive entertainment system. You could have the most beautifully cultivated furniture, artwork, and lighting—and then a clunky TV setup disturbs the entire aesthetic.  

Thankfully, many technology manufacturers are catching on and offering solutions to make TVs appear more aesthetically pleasing. Samsung’s The Frame television resembles a real piece of art when powered off, and fits ultra-slim to your wall. 

And now, audio manufacturer Leon has released a soundbar to perfectly fit the width and dimensions of any Frame AV. Meet the Leon FrameBar, the soundbar built for audio and design enthusiasts alike. 

The Soundbar Made for The Frame 

Leon’s FrameBar is custom-built to match the precise dimensions and frame color of any Samsung Frame TV, creating a unified, polished look. With its ultra-thin cabinet (as slim as 2.375 inches), the FrameBar installs flush to the wall using Leon’s exclusive mounting brackets.

Protect What You’ve Built with Building-Wide Access Control 

What happens when your facility’s entry points aren’t as secure as you think?

In just the last year, several Texas-based businesses and organizations have suffered devastating breaches, each incident underscoring the need for proactive, intelligent access control.

• Austin Pets Alive!, an animal shelter, was broken into in August 2025. A keypad was forcibly damaged, dogs were released, and tragically, one died.
  
  
• Overhaul, a supply chain management company in Austin, reported a 49% increase in cargo theft in 2025, as part of a broader rise in theft across Texas.
  
  
• In Midland, businesses lost over $90,000 in property during a 2024 string of break-ins.
  
  
• In Houston, a local restaurant suffered two burglaries in a single week, one involving a power cut to disable the alarm system.

While motives vary, these incidents share one common thread: a lack of sufficient physical access control. A damaged keypad, an unmonitored entry point, or a power outage shouldn’t be a free pass for criminals.

Attract (and Keep!) Top Talent While Improving Productivity in Your Meeting Spaces 

How is your conference room’s lighting? 

While it may not seem like the most urgent concern, your office’s environment can have a direct impact on employee performance, productivity, and morale. If people dislike being in your office, even if only a few days a week, they’ll be more likely to look elsewhere for work. 

Texadia Systems works with businesses across Dallas-Fort Worth, and we’ve seen our fair share of poor meeting room lighting. After we come in and update the lighting design, people are amazed at how much more enjoyable it is to meet and collaborate in their meeting spaces. 

So, whether you’re moving into a new unit or upgrading your current workspace, consider the following updates to your conference room lighting.

First, Get As Much Natural Light as Possible 

We can’t stress this enough. While most of us know intuitively that natural light makes us happier, there’s science to back it up. A 2018 study by the World Green Building Council found that workers in offices with natural light reported up to 15 percent higher levels of well-being, productivity, and creativity. A study by Cornell University also found that workers in daylit offices experience 84 percent less eye strain, headaches, and blurred vision compared to artificially-lit spaces.