Media Contact

Megan Benedict

MAKE Digital Group

920-410-9474

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Integration Controls First to Bring Bang & Olufsen Products to St. Louis
Ultra-premium AV products allow consumers to elevate their acoustic and visual environments 

ST. LOUIS (May 23, 2023) – Integration Controls, an industry leader in “invisible” technology that simplifies and enriches life through curated technologies connected by design, announced today that it is the first supplier of Bang & Olufsen’s ultra-premium products in the St. Louis metro area. Bang & Olufsen is known as a legacy brand committed to boundary-pushing technology in the audio and home entertainment space and dedicated to the highest standards of sound, craftsmanship, and design; this is what has set the brand apart from competitors for the last century. This aligns with Integration Controls’ mission to enrich client experiences at home through smart, integrated technologies that work well together, reliably, all while looking beautiful. 

Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen founded the company in 1925 with a redesign of the radio. Nearly a century later, Bang & Olufsen is synonymous with luxury audio technology that continues to place the company at the forefront of audio innovation.  

“We strive to deliver technology and integrations that improve the experience our clients have in their homes,” said Jamie Briesemeister, co-founder and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Integration Controls. “Bang & Olufsen products allow us to offer clients something more unique and much higher performing than what is commonly seen in big box retail environments. With a unique combination of design aesthetics, finish options, and impeccable sound, our clients can now elevate their acoustic and visual environments beyond what we previously offered. The simplicity of both Bang & Olufsen’s craftsmanship, beauty, and technology set the products apart and we are thrilled to be the first to bring their craftsmanship, legacy, and excellence to the St. Louis area.” 

Integration Controls provides home automation and home control solutions, enabling consumers to customize and control lighting, entertainment, motorized window treatments, security, and overall environment in their homes easily and simply. Through products and processes that enhance the livability, practicality, and usability of the home, Integration Controls makes the experience of living in a space both functional and fabulous. Bang & Olufsen will be one of several exclusive brands featured when Integration Controls opens their showroom for clients, architects, designers, and builders in summer 2024. 

“As Bang & Olufsen continues to grow brand recognition in North America and excel in the custom installation market, Integration Controls is a great partner to bring our product to customers in the St. Louis metro area,” noted Aaron McCarty, Head of CI Sales for Bang & Olufsen Americas.

This special partnership is many years in the making. “I’m thrilled to finally bring Bang & Olufsen products to St. Louis and to our client base. B&O shares in our commitment to quality and their products help us facilitate what we do every day—creating entertainment, ambiance, comfort, and peace of mind clients want when living in their spaces,” continued Briesemeister.  

To learn more, visit integrationcontrols.com. 

ABOUT INTEGRATION CONTROLS
Integration Controls provides tailored technological solutions for homeowners that simplify and enrich life at home. Clients benefit from our design-oriented approach to system engineering, dedication to excellent customer experience, and award-winning service after the project is complete. Since 2004, Integration Controls has delivered home automation and home control solutions that allow clients to customize lighting, shading, entertainment, security, and their overall environment easily and simply. The company’s discovery, collaboration, and ongoing support improves the experience of living in any space. For further information, visit integrationcontrols.com. 

ABOUT BANG & OLUFSEN
Bang & Olufsen is a global luxury lifestyle brand founded in 1925 in Struer, Denmark, by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen whose devotion and vision remain the foundation for the company. The rich heritage built around the relentless determination to create products that push the boundaries of audio technology continues to place the company at the forefront of audio innovation. Today, every Bang & Olufsen product is still characterized by the unique combination of beautiful sound, timeless design, and unrivalled craftsmanship. The company's innovative and progressive audio products are sold worldwide in Bang & Olufsen monobrand stores, online, and in multibrand stores. The company employs over 1,000 people and operates in more than 70 markets. Bang & Olufsen's shares are listed on NAS DAQ Copenhagen A/S.

 ###

One of the barriers for many people when it comes to smart homes, or home integration, is the fear of cost.  “How much does a smart home automation system cost?” and “How much does it cost to build a smart home?” are also some  of the most challenging questions to answer!   

The size, age, style, and materials used in the home all weigh in on what is possible with an existing home. In new construction, the same is true AND you have so many more choices to make that impact the long-term value you get from your home, not only in resale—but in lifestyle. Some equipment is more value-driven and some, more design-centric. Oftentimes, a ‘simple’ experience requires a level of sophistication on the back end. Sometimes that’s not the case, depending on what you deem as ‘simple’.  

At Integration Controls, it’s our mission to understand what you mean by wanting to ‘make technology more simple’ and yet, it all comes at a cost. That’s why we’re putting down on paper (ok, in this digital blog)—for the first time ever—how much to budget when planning for a smart home automation system. We’ve broken it down into systems and concepts, including the home network, indoor/outdoor motorized shades, smart lighting, home entertainment, and home automation. You’ll also find a few tips to help you scale over time.

These tips and budgeting guidelines will help you understand more about the smart home, design options, quality considerations, and more.  When the time is right to discuss your needs, please reach out!  

Planning Your Home Networking Budget
Let’s start with home networking as it is the most crucial part of your home automation system because it’s the highway that keeps everything moving. If that highway is in gridlock, your experience will be subpar.  

Many people consider adding wireless mesh extenders to act as a single network, with many points of connectivity around the home instead of just a single location. Because mesh networks broadcast from each point around your house rather than from a single location, they provide good coverage for simple networks in our local St. Louis homes around 2,500 square feet. For something like this, you should expect to pay $3,000 to $7,000, installed and configured for basic home needs. *Something to note: mesh extenders can only boost or extend the quality of the signal they receive. Receive three bars / extend three bars. 

Say it’s summer and you work from home. Your kids are downstairs gaming heavily and your house guests are streaming Netflix. You may have more bandwidth needs than the average Joe.  Likewise, if your home is simply larger, or adorned with higher-end interior finishes like metal and stone, you will need additional wiring for better network support. Sound like you?  If so, budget for a more extensive network including a wired backbone from $10,000 to $20,000. 

Budgeting for House-Wide Indoor and Outdoor Motorized Shades
Motorized shades and window treatments (sometimes called smart blinds) are one of the most requested features in today’s smart home, after a home network update.  Shades and drapes that are intelligently connected and motorized will control glare, protect your art and furniture from sun damage, offer ambiance, privacy, and more!

Shades can also extend outdoors to make spaces more comfortable as a natural extension of your home. “Wall-to-wall” outdoor shades can create a “room” outside, keeping harsh glare and insects at bay—perfect for surrounding an outdoor kitchen, enclosing a patio, or creating a cozy, glare-free outdoor media space. (Read our blog on how to Extend Your Missouri Summer with Patio Shades to learn more.)

So, how much do smart motorized shades cost? The simple answer is $1,500–$5,000 per installed shade. This sounds like a wide range until you consider all of the factors that weigh in: the size of the window, the fabric chosen for the shade, whether it’s a single or dual shade, wireless or battery operated, and whether it has particular design details.

As a certified design partner of the Home Technology Association, we’d like to share this great article, “The Top 9 Ways Motorized Shades Can Make Your Home Better,” which has some nice insights when it comes to your shade options and schedule a shade consultation today!

How to Budget for Smart Lighting
Lighting is one of the most important home features to get right in a home for optimal comfort, ambiance, and wellness—especially if in the middle of a redesign, remodel, or designing a new home. With LED lighting as the forerunner for architectural recessed lighting, options like color temperature, shape, aperture, finish types, and more are design options to consider.

Integration Controls is now the exclusive supplier of Bang & Olufsen (also known as B&O) ultra-premium AV products in the St. Louis metro area. B&O is legendary for design-forward speaker craftsmanship, which aligns with our goals to enrich your life at home through smart, integrated beauty.

Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen started in 1925 with a redesign of the radio and were half a century before other companies that claimed to “think differently.” A tagline B&O used way before Apple.

Now almost a century old with countless patents and firsts, B&O is synonymous with luxury AV design for those that want the best performance and quality from an innovative, conscientious company that cares about AV excellence and the future of the planet (through its cradle-to-cradle program).

Here’s a sneak peek at some of our favorite products in the B&O lineup. Supplies are limited because these products move fast, so reach out to experience B&O in person at Integration Controls.

The Round Sound: B&O Beosound A9 Design Speaker

The Beosound A9 speaker not only turns heads with its visually stunning form factor but with the incredible sound that emanates from this unique speaker. Its sculptural sound beckons you to listen.Whether you mount it on the wall or use the floor stand, you can customize it with your preferred leg and speaker cover material to suit your taste and aesthetics. The Beosound A9 automatically adjusts to any room with deep, round, articulated sound via B&O’s Active Room Compensation. Connect over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to your favorite streaming service and use B&O’s app for full control. There’s no getting around it. The Beosound A9 is one-of-a-kind. From $3,699 MSRP