Smart Home Experts Help You Decide What Tech You Need, and What's Just Bells and Whistles

By Dwell @dwell

OneButton specifed Lutron’s RadioRA 2 system to control lighting and motorized shades in a loft renovation by Architecture Outfit. “We use mostly Lutron because the products are incredibly reliable,” says Michael Izatt, a cofounder of OneButton.

Image courtesy of Brian Schulman.

No two clients of OneButton, a Brooklyn-based technology integrator, walk in the door with the same request, but the firm usually focuses on three key areas. “Music throughout your home, a home-theater system, and lighting and shade automation bring the most value,” says Michael Izatt, one of OneButton’s cofounders, along with Matt Emmi. Izatt, Emmi, and their team liken their process to counseling  as they coax out how their clients use technology, what gets them excited, and what frustrates them. Then, “you’re kind of bound by two or three core values: price, performance, and aesthetics,” Emmi says. “You get to pick two, and once you determine which are most important to you, that drives the decisions you make throughout the entire process.”