50%
Of our work is design
No. 01
Design Decisions
Where technology meets design.
And the decisions we make together.
The finishes, trims, placement, and fabrics we choose alongside you are what let the technology vanish into your vision. Consider this the field guide to those choices — written for the designers we're lucky to work with.
Invisible in-ceiling audio
Coastal Residence · Living Room
Photography — Boston Automations
3mm
Over an invisible speaker
2
National awards, 2024
B&O
Largest showroom in MA
—A note to the designer
The design is the technology.
Half of everything we do isn't wiring or speakers — it's the finish of a grille, the color of a keypad, the depth of a wall, the way a television disappears behind canvas. Those are design decisions, and they're yours.
Our role is to bring those choices to you early, with options in hand, so the technology serves your vision instead of interrupting it. We want exactly what you want — a result the client loves — and the best compliment we get is that no one can tell we were there at all.
No. 02Audio, unseen
Speakers that disappear into the room.
Invisible speakers install behind the surface itself — plaster, paint, a thin veneer, wallpaper, or Venetian plaster — with as little as 3mm of covering. Where you want true high-fidelity, small-aperture speakers (James Loudspeaker's 3″ aperture, square or round) deliver reference sound through an opening barely larger than a coin, with grilles fabricated to read as part of the ceiling. Drag the image to watch one vanish.
Decisions you own
- Trim style & color — square or round; white, black, bronze, or a custom finish
- Surface finish — so an invisible speaker sits flush in plaster or Venetian plaster
- Placement — we lay out coverage; you keep the ceiling symmetrical and beautiful
↔
← Drag to reveal →
No. 03The vanishing soundbar
Cinema sound, hidden in the wall.
Our in-wall soundbars install flush into the wall, then the grille is finished to match it exactly — laser-printed to your wallpaper pattern or wall color, or wrapped in the actual wallpaper and perforated so sound passes through. The homeowner gets uncompromised audio; you get a clean wall instead of a black bar beneath the television. It has become one of the most requested details in the high-end homes we work in.
Decisions you own
- Grille finish — printed to match paint or pattern, or wrapped in your wallcovering
- Reveal & dimensions — we size the opening to your millwork for consistent margins
- Paint-ready grilles — primed on-site so your painter carries the wall straight across
Wall-matched in-wall soundbar
Media Room
Photography — Boston Automations
No. 04Television, concealed
A television only when you want one.
A screen doesn't have to be a black rectangle on your feature wall. We frame TVs with Leon's handcrafted Edge MediaFrame — solid hardwood in walnut, oak, grain black or any custom finish — pairing a Sony Bravia 9 for a picture and frame that outclass the old Samsung Frame. Or make it vanish entirely: rolling-art canvases that drop in front of the screen, mirror televisions that hide behind glass, and mirror-lift TVs where artwork rises to reveal the display.
Decisions you own
- Frame material & finish — Leon hardwoods, metals, and custom paint to suit the room
- Concealment — rolling art, mirror TV, or mirror-lift, where the architecture allows
- Art & mirror selection — the canvas or mirror face the room actually sees
Hardwood-framed display
Great Room
Photography — Boston Automations
No. 05Lighting & keypads
The jewelry on the wall.
Keypads and touchscreens are the one piece of technology a guest actually touches — so they should be beautiful. We specify Lutron Palladiom keypads and wallplates in metal, glass, and luxury matte finishes, engraved to the room, alongside Savant touchscreens recessed into the wall or mounted on it. This residence will carry Savant screens throughout, and every faceplate color and engraving is yours to set against the wall behind it.
Decisions you own
- Faceplate material — Lutron Palladiom metal, glass, or luxury matte
- Finish & color — matched or contrasted to the wall; screwless plates for a clean face
- Engraving & placement — button text and locations coordinated with your elevations
Palladiom keypad & Savant screen
Entry Hall
Photography — Boston Automations
No. 06Bang & Olufsen
When the speaker is the object.
Sometimes the audio shouldn't hide — it should be sculpture. As one of the few Bang & Olufsen dealers in New England, with the largest showroom in Massachusetts, we can weave B&O's iconic speakers and televisions into a room as design objects in their own right, in finishes and fabrics chosen to belong. Disappear it or display it — your call, and we're equipped for either.
Decisions you own
- Statement vs. seamless — sculptural B&O pieces or fully concealed audio
- Finish & fabric — cover colors and materials selected to the palette
- Showroom auditions — bring clients to hear and see options in person
Bang & Olufsen, as sculpture
Primary Suite
Photography — Boston Automations
No. 07Shades & window treatments
Every treatment, on one quiet system.
Our team handles the full window — motorized roller and Roman shades, drapery, shutters, woven naturals and decorative treatments from Hunter Douglas and beyond — all running silently on Lutron. Whatever fabric house you specify, we'll make it move on the same system as the lighting, so the whole room responds together.
Decisions you own
- Fabric, color & weave — your selections, including woven naturals (Hartmann, Horizons)
- Treatment type — roller, Roman, drapery, shutter, or decorative
- Hardware & pockets — fascia, reveals, and pocket details to match the architecture
Motorized shades on Lutron
Sunroom
Photography — Boston Automations
No. 08Theater, acoustics & mirrors
Rooms tuned to look and sound right.
For dedicated theaters and media rooms we design the seating, the acoustic treatment, and the hidden subwoofers — pieces like James Loudspeaker PowerPipe subs tucked into a credenza under a video wall — so a room performs without looking like an arena. We bring the same acoustic eye to any space that needs it, and add Seura lighted mirrors, handcrafted in Madison, Wisconsin, that integrate cleanly into baths and dressing rooms.
Decisions you own
- Seating & layout — rows, materials, and sightlines for the room
- Acoustic treatment — finishes that perform and still read as design
- Mirror style — Seura lighted and mirror-TV options for baths and dressing areas
Custom theater & acoustics
Lower Level
Photography — Boston Automations
No. 09The first conversation
What to ask us about — and when.
A short field checklist. The earlier these come up in your process, the more invisible the result. Bring any of them to us and we'll bring the options to you.
i.
Walls & ceilings
- Plaster vs. drywall for invisible speakers
- Wall depth for in-wall soundbars
- Ceiling material for small-aperture trims
- Venetian plaster & veneer coordination
ii.
Finishes & trim
- Speaker trim: round or square; color
- Soundbar grille: printed, wrapped, painted
- Keypad faceplates & engraving
- TV frame wood, metal, or paint
iii.
Layout & millwork
- Keypad & touchscreen locations
- Subwoofer hiding spots (credenzas, toe-kicks)
- Shade pockets, fascia & reveals
- TV concealment clearances
iv.
Window treatments
- Fabric, color & weave selections
- Roller, Roman, drapery, or shutter
- Woven natural options
- Motorization on Lutron
v.
Television & art
- Frame TV vs. rolling art vs. mirror
- Mirror-lift ceiling clearance
- Sony Bravia + Leon pairing
- Art & canvas selection
vi.
Timing
- Bring us in at space planning
- Finishes before millwork is set
- Custom frames: allow 4–6 weeks
- One point of contact, start to finish
The houses we build with
Lutronlogo placeholder
Savantlogo placeholder
Bang & Olufsenlogo placeholder
Leonlogo placeholder
Sonance · Jameslogo placeholder
Seuralogo placeholder
Salamanderlogo placeholder
Sonylogo placeholder
Hunter Douglaslogo placeholder
Sonoslogo placeholder
2024
Lutron Excellence Award
Recognized for lighting and shading integration executed to the highest standard.
2024
Project of the Year
Sonance + James Loudspeaker's "Designed to Disappear" award for seamless, invisible audio.
New England
Bang & Olufsen Dealer
One of the region's few B&O dealers, with the largest showroom in Massachusetts.
No. 10Let's collaborate
Let's make the technology disappear together.
However you like to work, there's a simple next step — and the designer always leads.
New to Boston Automations
Book a 30-minute consult
A short, no-pressure conversation about a current project or how we collaborate with your studio. We'll come prepared with ideas, not a sales pitch.
Book a consult →Already working with us
Request finishes & samples
On a project together already? Request finish and spec samples for your selections, or schedule a showroom visit to audition options with your client.
Request samples →