Landscape lighting and outdoor audio is often an afterthought for homeowners, but for one owner in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, it was always top of mind.
According to Justin Braley, owner of Sycamore Landscape Design Build this project dubbed “The Octagon House” was driven by the client’s enthusiasm and excitement to reinvigorate his outdoor spaces with high performance, professionally-designed Coastal Source lighting and audio zones that provide precisely adjustable environments from an intimate dinner setting to a party atmosphere.
“As a landscape designer and installer, I know that, because Coastal Source is focused on perfecting the outdoor environment, their lights and speakers will not only defy the elements, but also exceed my clients’ highest expectations for high-quality outdoor audio and aesthetics that can withstand everything Mother Nature throws at them,” Justin said. “Product quality and pristine craftsmanship were top priorities for the Octagon House owner, who was on board with using the best, most reliable and trusted outdoor components to ensure long-lasting performance, including four zones of audio that can play independent sources simultaneously or play a single source for a yard-wide solution. These requirements meant Coastal Source was a natural fit.”
Using a variety of products, the multi-phase project added attractive, intimate lighting to accentuate the property’s unique zones including the driveway, outdoor kitchen, outdoor stone fireplace, stone walkways, wooded areas, and layered gardens, as well as seating areas. The combination of Coastal Source’s path lights, well lights, wash lights, lip lights, bullet lights, nose lights, FLEX Niche lights and LED tiki torches provides a resort-style feel where every step is a little more dramatic and exciting.
The lighting and audio project took place in three phases in coordination with the expansion of the home’s outdoor spaces, and involved coordination with masonry contractors and other trades. Still, the most significant outside influence was actually Coastal Source itself, with Justin tapping the manufacturer’s professional design team for help creating desirable spaces that are optimized for lighting and audio performance.
“When this project started, I was an outdoor lighting expert, but I didn’t have a lot of experience with designing outdoor audio solutions,” Justin explained. “Luckily Coastal Source had my back not only with product recommendations and promo materials to show the client, but also through their design team that helped me select and position the speakers for maximum coverage and quality. Most impressive, however, was the personal service they provided when they sent a demo van outfitted with all sorts of lights and speakers to show my client the real-world appearance, feel and output of the products without requiring a visit to a completed project.”
Like many custom installations, while the Octagon House project is technically complete, it may not necessarily be finished. Through Coastal Source’s patented innovations including single-wire connections with foolproof, weatherproof connectors, expanding both the lighting and audio systems is easy and fast, as well as relocating existing items due to landscape changes, growing bushes, or updated client desires.
The four audio zones for the Back Patio, Courtyard, Outdoor Fireplace and Firepit grace the yard with audiophile-quality sound using Coastal Source’s 3-Way and 2-Way speakers, bollard subwoofers, CAS & SAS outdoor amplifiers and Sonos® Ports. This system design enables the owners to control the audio from their mobile devices through the familiar Sonos app, which they commonly use inside the home. Sonos compatibility was a key selling point for the owners who above all else wanted everything to be super easy to use.
“As one of my first audio projects, the design and setup assistance I received from Coastal Source was critical to achieving full area coverage and integration with Sonos,” Justin added. “Combine all of these benefits with Coastal Source’s warranties and all of a sudden any prior sticker shock evaporates. I always liked the concept of painting with light to breathe new life into outdoor spaces, and working with sound adds another element to the experiences I can provide.”
Many of the home’s outdoor lights are controlled by ambient light sensors that keep them off during the day and on at night, while some in the backyard can be controlled via a Lutron RadioRA whole house integration system through a mobile app or wall-mounted Lutron light switches.
“By creating a high-performance system that’s easy to install, easy to use, super reliable and compatible with leading third-party wireless solutions, Coastal Source has made it easy for me to expand from lighting into audio and grow my business and capabilities,” Justin said. “Where other brands might seem like a jumble of transformers and wires, this is a coordinated, fully fleshed-out system that ensures there are no weak links to interrupt the enjoyment my clients experience every day and for years to come.