Home Automation Company in Chapel Hill, NC

Intelligent Electronics designs and installs home automation, home theater, and lighting control systems for homes in Chapel Hill. Our family-owned team has served the Triangle, including Raleigh, since 1994.

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Moved Into a Chapel Hill Home Where the Technology Doesn't Work?

Chapel Hill draws newcomers through UNC, UNC Health, and Research Triangle Park, and many of them buy a house where the previous owner's technology came along with the keys. Maybe the whole house audio plays in only half the rooms, the cameras ask for a password that the previous owner did not pass along, or the network behind everything was not documented. At Intelligent Electronics, we help you sort what you inherited and what you want it to do now.

From there, our team walks the house with you and sorts what should stay from what has aged out. A refresh often begins with whole house audio and entertainment systems in the rooms you use most, since those are the first things new owners tend to notice and use. If a component still does its job, we tell you to keep it, so your budget goes to the parts of the house that need attention.

How Does Home Automation Work?

Home automation puts your lights, shades, climate, audio, video, and security under one system, so you run the house from a single app, wall keypad, or touchscreen. Our home automation designers build that system on Control4 and program it around how you move through your day, so the settings you reach for most are one-touch away. Your smart home installation can start with a single room or cover the whole house.

Engraved home automation keypad mounted on a gray wall

Lighting and Shades

Engraved wall keypads replace banks of switches and recall scenes for dinner, movie night, or bedtime. Schedules handle the routine changes, so the house adjusts while you are busy with something else.

Hand adjusting a smart thermostat on a white wall

Climate

Cool the house before you pull into the driveway or set a comfortable overnight temperature from your phone. Automatic programming preps for the season and time of day to save energy without sacrificing comfort.

Cameras and Door Locks

Live camera views, real-time alerts, and remote locks let you check on the house from anywhere. Give a dog walker or house cleaner temporary access without handing out a key. Our cameras and door locks work is usually part of a larger project, which keeps the whole house on one platform.

Blue network cables connected to a home network switch

The Network Behind It All

Cameras, streaming, shades, and remote work all depend on the network, so we plan it as part of the system and not as an afterthought. A well-built network provides each device with a reliable connection, which keeps the automation responsive when the whole household is online.

Want the full picture of what home automation includes? Our home automation systems page walks through each area.

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Lighting Control and Shades for Wooded Chapel Hill Lots

Many Chapel Hill homes sit on wooded lots. The same tree canopy that makes a neighborhood cozy leaves a kitchen or family room dim by mid-afternoon. Home lighting control lets you set a daytime scene that brightens those rooms with one touch or on a schedule, so a gray day does not send you hunting for switches. In the evening, the same keypad dims the lights to a warmer level for dinner or reading.

Shades pick up where the lighting leaves off. Motorized shades on windows that catch low sun can be lowered on a schedule to cut glare and protect floors and furniture from fading, then raised again to bring daylight back in when you want it.

Home Theater and Media Rooms for Game Day and Movie Night

When a Tar Heels basketball game is on, the room where you watch it becomes the center of the house for a few hours. A room that handles game night well usually gets there by design. Our home theater designers start with where you sit, how much daylight the room gets, and how loud the game and the crowd get. Those answers decide whether your home theater installation in Chapel Hill becomes a dedicated theater or a media room.

Dedicated home theater with a large projection screen above custom cabinetry

Green media room with a large flat-screen TV and speakers

	Dedicated Home Theater	Media Room
Best for	Movie nights and big games with no distractions	Family movies and gaming in a room that does other jobs
Room	A space built for the purpose, often with new walls and sound treatment	A family room or bonus room, with moderate changes
Seating	Tiered theater recliners	Recliners or a theater sectional
Picture and sound	A projector and screen with a full surround system	A large display or projector with a surround system sized to the room

We are a Sony Diamond Dealer, and our systems draw on Sony displays and projectors, Paradigm speakers, Anthem amplification, and Sonos for streaming music. We match each to the size and use of your room. Read more about home theater design, see how media rooms fit into everyday living spaces, or look at our theater seating options.

How a Project Works With Us

When you hire a home automation company, you are also choosing who answers the phone in year three. Our process keeps the same team involved from the first call through training. We install the equipment we sell, which is why we do not take on labor-only projects: it lets us stand behind the whole system and support it after installation.

A phone call.

We talk through your house, what you want it to do, and your timeline, so the first meeting starts with real information.

A walkthrough.

Our team visits your home to look at the existing wiring, network, and equipment, and tells you plainly what you do and do not need.

Design and quote.

You receive a single proposal covering equipment, design, programming, and installation.

Installation and programming.

We handle the work and coordinate with your electrician or remodeling contractor so the schedule keeps moving.

Training and support.

We walk you through the system room by room, and offer ongoing support after you start living with it.

Our getting started page is a great resource if you want to learn more about our process.

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Intelligent Electronics Raleigh showroom theater with blue ceiling lighting and recliners

Showroom home theater with black leather recliners facing a projection screen

Showroom lounge and theater space with wood-paneled walls

See and Hear It at Our Raleigh Showroom

Choosing between speakers, screens, and control systems is easier once you have heard and interacted with them. Our Raleigh showroom lets you try the equipment before you commit. You can book a private showroom tour with our design staff, who will have the rooms set up for what you want to see.

Walk-ins are also welcome Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM. In the audiophile theater, a Sony 4K laser projector pairs with Paradigm Persona speakers and Anthem amplification, and a second theater is built for rooms with moderate light, which is useful if your space gets daylight.

Beyond the theaters, you can sit in theater seating and pick your fabric, compare ten speakers side by side in the speaker studio, and test control systems to see which one feels right in your hand. If you would like to arrive with ideas, browse our gallery of our own projects first.

For Builders and Interior Designers Working in Chapel Hill

We work with the professionals who shape Chapel Hill homes, and the earlier we join a project, the more of the technology disappears into the finished house.

Wood framing of a new home under construction

Builders and Remodelers

Bring us in before pre-wire, while framing is still open. We review your plans with you, mark speaker, screen, and keypad locations, and set wiring and mounting boxes during rough-in, so nothing needs to be opened up later. One project contact keeps you informed and coordinates with your trades on site.

Interior design finish samples, paint swatches and stone textures

Interior Designers

You have spent months on the finishes, so we go out of our way to protect them. Speakers can sit flush in a ceiling or behind fabric, and equipment can live in a closet instead of the living room. You approve the look, we handle the engineering behind it, and then we train your client on the system at handoff.

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Home Automation Questions From Chapel Hill Homeowners

My house was pre-wired by the previous owner. Can you use what is already there?

In many cases, yes. We check what is in the walls and test what still works, then tell you which pieces are worth keeping. Wire run for an older system can sometimes serve a new one, which saves you from opening walls that do not need to be opened.

What happens to my automation system when a storm knocks out power in Chapel Hill?

Any system that runs on electricity stops when the power does, so we plan for outages. We can place the controller and network equipment on battery backup so they keep running during short interruptions, and we program the system to return to a standard state when power comes back. Storms that bring down limbs are part of life around Chapel Hill, so this is worth discussing during the design.

Do Chapel Hill HOAs or gated communities limit visible equipment like cameras and outdoor speakers?

Many do. Neighborhoods with covenants, including gated communities such as Governors Club, often have guidelines for exterior equipment, so check your rules early in planning. We can place cameras and speakers where they meet your community's requirements and blend into the house.

Can I control my whole house from one app?

Yes. Control4 manages lights, shades, audio equipment, and door locks from a single interface, and wall keypads give everyone in the house the same control without needing a phone. We also program scenes, so one touch sets the lighting, shades, and music for the evening.

Can lighting control work in an older Chapel Hill home without opening walls?

Often, yes. We start with a walkthrough to see what wiring is behind your existing switches, then recommend the approach that fits your house. Retrofit fixtures that drop into existing ceiling cans are one way to upgrade older lighting without reopening ceilings.

Do I need a dedicated theater room, or can you do it in my living room?

You do not need a dedicated room. A dedicated theater gives you the fullest cinema experience, while a Media Room or a living room system trades some of that for everyday use. We help you choose based on how you watch, how much daylight the room gets, and where the equipment can be hidden.

Do you install equipment I bought somewhere else?

No. We install the equipment we sell, which lets us stand behind the entire system and support it after the project is finished. If you have a project in mind, we can quote the equipment you want with design, installation, and support included.

What should I think about before starting a home automation project in Chapel Hill?

Start with how you use each room, what wiring and network you already have, and who else is working on the house, such as an electrician or remodeler. It also helps to see the equipment in person, so a showroom visit early in the process can save you from rethinking choices later.

Plan Your Project With Us

Intelligent Electronics is a family-owned home technology company in Raleigh, and we have served Chapel Hill and the surrounding Triangle since 1994. The quickest way to start is a phone call at (919) 481-4224, where we talk through your house and what you want it to do.

You can also submit the form below and someone on our team will follow up about your project and next steps.