Behind the Design: Smart Home Integration at Westwood Drive
At Stockwell Homes, we believe smart home technology should never feel like an add-on. When done well, it becomes invisible—supporting how a home looks, feels, and functions without calling attention to itself. Our Westwood Drive project is a perfect example of how intentional design and carefully integrated technology can elevate a whole-home remodel into something truly special.
From the outset, this project was rooted in collaboration. As our home audio and technology partners at Lelch Audio Visual shared:
“Collaborating with Jen and the Stockwell Homes team on this residence was exceptional. Their design leadership and attention to detail created the perfect canvas for us to integrate advanced lighting and audio solutions seamlessly. Stockwell’s craftsmanship and vision pushed the project to new heights, resulting in a home that is not only warm and inviting but also truly innovative.”
The Client’s Vision: Warm, Modern, and Uncomplicated
The homeowners’ primary goal was to create a space that felt warm, inviting, and effortlessly functional—without visual clutter. They were especially drawn to the idea of a “quiet ceiling,” favoring minimal recessed lighting and clean architectural lines over a grid of fixtures. The home needed to feel serene during everyday living, yet flexible enough to adapt for entertaining, family gatherings, and evenings spent unwinding.
That philosophy guided every design and technical decision we made.
A Structural Challenge Becomes a Design Opportunity
When we decided to relocate the kitchen into the former living room, we encountered an unexpected constraint. The vaulted ceiling had been framed as a hot roof in the 1950s, filled with rigid foam board and buffalo board—leaving no room for traditional recessed lighting.
Rather than compromise the ceiling or the design intent, we leaned into the clients’ preference for restraint. The solution became a defining architectural feature: custom-fabricated white oak box beams engineered to house more than 250 feet of linear LED tape lighting.
These beams provide even, ambient illumination across the kitchen and main living spaces, preserving the ceiling’s clean lines while delivering the performance required for a hardworking family home.
Engineering Light That Feels Effortless
To ensure the lighting felt as refined as the rest of the home, we fabricated a prototype box beam before milling the final pieces. This allowed us to test LED channel placement and light diffusion, ensuring a smooth, indirect wash with no harsh shadows or visible diodes.
In a particularly delicate move, we removed the manufacturer-provided lens covers and installed the LED tape directly into the channels. This minimized visual bulk and ensured the narrow, elegant profile we were after—an approach that required absolute precision. With 250 feet of lighting involved, even the smallest misalignment could have compromised the entire ceiling.
Intelligent Control, Seamlessly Integrated
With so many walls removed and multiple lighting layers introduced, intuitive control was essential. In partnership with Lelch Audio Visual, we implemented a Lutron smart lighting system that allows the homeowners to shift effortlessly between preconfigured scenes—whether they’re cooking, entertaining, or winding down for the night.
Strategically placed Lutron Palladiom switch banks are located in four key areas:
The entry and foyer
Adjacent to the kitchen cabinetry
At the dining room and hallway junction
Just outside the primary bedroom
In addition, the clients use an iPad housed discreetly in the kitchen, along with their phones, to fine-tune lighting and audio without ever needing to search for a switch. The result is a system that feels intuitive and natural—supporting the design rather than competing with it.
As Lelch Audio Visual noted:
“From warm-dim linear lighting and beautifully quiet downlights to sleek Lutron Palladiom controls, every detail was elevated. Custom James Audio speakers, whole-home audio, and a discreet Samsung Frame TV blended seamlessly into the design, making the home as functional as it is stunning.”
Enhancing Everyday Living
In the kitchen, layered lighting was key. Sculptural island pendants provide balanced illumination across the generous work surfaces, while undercabinet lighting and the integrated beam lighting ensure task areas are bright and functional. In the evening, those same layers can be softened to create a more atmospheric, intimate glow.
From the front of the house, expansive panoramic windows reveal the space beyond—showcasing the depth and warmth of the lighting without overpowering the architecture. The technology enhances how the home feels, day and night, without ever announcing itself.
A Home That Works Beautifully
The Westwood Drive project exemplifies our approach to smart home integration: thoughtful, collaborative, and deeply tied to the architecture and lifestyle of the people who live there. By addressing technical challenges with creative solutions—and by working closely with trusted partners—we were able to deliver a home that feels calm, intentional, and quietly innovative.
A space where design and technology don’t compete, but work together seamlessly in our never ending quest to make home beautiful.