We recently sat down with Jamie Briesemeister, the CEO and Co-Founder of Integration Controls, a 20-year-old home automation and technology company. Jamie shared more about Integration Controls, and the ins and outs of helping people live smarter at home. Our conversation illustrated why Dana King considers them a preferred partner.

“Our goal is to simplify and enrich life through curated technologies that we connect by design.”

Jamie, CEO and CO-Founder of Integration Controls

4 Key Experiences

When Integration Controls talks to clients about simplifying and enriching life, it’s typically along 4 key experiences:

Entertainment

• Entertainment includes things like movies, steaming programs or shows, and music.

Ambiance

• Ambiance includes lighting, shade (through automated window covering), and ensuring wires are managed and aren’t all over the place.

Comfort

• Comfort includes how you feel in a space, utilizing things like acoustic paneling, heating and cooling, and controlling glare.

Peace of Mind

• What brings you peace of mind? A lot of times that’s being able to see your kids outside playing or knowing if they got home from school. It’s also ensuring your lights are set a certain way when you leave the house or when you go to bed.

A lot of times people think that technology might make their life more complicated or they don’t want a ‘smart home’ because it makes them feel dumb or frustrated. How does Integration Controls respond to that?

‘A Smart Home Makes Me Feel Dumb’

Jamie empathizes, “I also don’t want to provide a home that makes you feel dumb. That is definitely not the goal. The goal is to create a space that works for you, not against you. So what does that mean?”

“Because simple means different things to different people, we talk through how someone lives, understanding what their version of simple is. Whether that means only having one button to do all the things they want, or simple might mean controlling lighting or music, each with their separate app. We want there to be a lot of dialogue to understand what is important to you.”

A Plan That is Integrated Early in the Planning Phase

We love working with Integration Controls because they are seamless to work with. By bringing them in the conversation about smart home and technology early, we are able to sync together design features, product selection, installation, and programming (with technology from companies like josh.ai).

As an integrator, they can touch a lot of different trades like heating and cooling, electrical, and even custom carpenters or cabinet-makers. Then there are always miscellaneous questions that arise like, “Who does the doorbell, or the garage door control? Who sells the thermostat?”

Jamie clarifies that they don’t have to sell everything, but they want to be involved in the discussions to help architect what products are going in so they can help the end result to align what ‘simple’ means to the homeowner.

‘What is a New or Innovative Technology that You are Excited About?’

Jamie shares that she is excited about different lighting products that are coming out that go beyond a single color temperature and have tune-ability or adjustability.

Additionally there is a product line that can swap out 6″ can lights to a 2″ can light without changing any wiring and it uses the existing housing. So, the ability to adapt older homes and give them a modern look and feel without necessarily having to redo a lot of infrastructure, is exciting.

Wrap-Around Customer Service For Years to Come

One of the things we most appreciate about Integration Controls is the after-care: They are there for the long haul here in St. Louis. Some people might assume that technology is obsolete as soon as it gets installed, but Jamie counters that notion. “Technology doesn’t lose half of its value like a car does when you drive off the lot. It still retains value today, 5 years from now, and even 10 years from now.”

“We want to be there from the time we design and install, to support until and including your next upgrade or life change. We have a 24/7 dedicated service team.”

-Jamie, CEO & Co-Founder of Integration Controls

Integration Controls serves not only residential clients in St Louis, but designers and architects in the area with training courses in Smart Home Integration that satisfy CEUs (Continuing Education Units).

To read more about the accreditations, certifications and awards that Jamie and her company have earned, check out their website.

Check out our other home remodeling projects that frequently feature smart home features, and contact us for a complimentary consultation to get started on your next home project. 

At Dana King, living better at home also means living smarter at home!