In a region of the country popularized
by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Hank
Williams and Patsy Cline, builders
in Nashville are adding whole-house
sound, distributed video and the latest
lighting technology to homes. Like
Americans everywhere, 
homeowners in
and around Nashville want the world
brought to their door via fast Internet connections,
studio-quality sound, satellite
and cable TV. They wish to outfit their
homes with dimmers and electrical devices
that not only perform beautifully
but save energy, too. These desires are
being fulfilled by structured wiring and
advanced lighting controls in homes of
all sizes. At the upper end of the luxury
home construction market is the 12,500
sq. ft. spectacular residence built for the
Sheats family in Brentwood, Tenn. Inside
it is wired for lighting control, high-speed
Internet, and multi-room audio and video.
Similarly wired, but on a more modest
scale are 1,900 to 2,400 sq. ft. homes
built by Hite Construction LLC in
Clarksville, about 40 miles from
Nashville. In the birthplace of country
music, structured wiring is fast becoming
a standard in contemporary housing, as
necessary to daily living as plain old telephone
wire was in the 20th century.
The Sheats home, built by Bill Chapman
of Bill Chapman Construction, reflects convenience, comfort and style. Its
grand scale creates the perfect setting for
state-of-the-art lighting technology. Chapman
envisioned a home with adaptable
wiring to support the multiple computer,
audio and video applications the homeowner
desired. Midway through construction,
he contacted Tyler Hooks of NAV
Computers, a company that installs lighting
and computer systems. Hooks, a longtime
customer of Leviton Manufacturing,
recommended installing Leviton Integrated
Networks and Decora® products.“I’ve been doing business with Leviton
for years.
The products are reliable and dependable.
Leviton stands behind them, and I don’t
have to worry about repairs, bad parts or
call-backs.”
The depth and quality of the Leviton
product offering also influenced Hooks.
Celebrating 100 years in the electrical industry
in 2006, Leviton had recently introduced
two striking new lines: Vizia™
lighting controls and the Acenti® Collection,
a full portfolio of technically and
aesthetically superior devices for residential
applications. In August 2006, Electronic
House magazine cited the Vizia
Collection as one of the top products of
the year. Acenti has also won restigious
design awards, including a 2005 Silver
Level Industrial Design Excellence Award
(IDEA) and a 2005 Good Design™
award. Hooks thought Vizia dimmers,
which coordinate with Leviton’s popular
Decora® line, and Acenti devices would
be perfect in the impressive Sheats home.
He also installed the company’s structured
wiring enclosures to deliver the seamless
plug-and-play components the builder
wanted throughout the home.
Hooks recommended Acenti for the
main kitchen. Approximately 450 sq. ft.,
the kitchen features the latest stainless steel
appliances and state-of-the-art conveniences.
Acenti, a bold, sweeping design
with a larger form factor, was made for
just such a room. The collection imparts a
feeling of substance that matches the grand
scale of the space, with its 6-foot-long
winding sink. Out-of-the-box thinking by Leviton engineers created the unique
Acenti Triplex receptacle, an innovative
configuration with two vertical and one
horizontal outlet that fits into a standard
wall box and allows the use of three
grounding plugs. It was ideal in the Sheats
kitchen in onyx with stainless steel wall
plates to set off the gleaming appliances.
Since the line’s inception, Leviton has
added a Sixplex surge protective receptacle
that provides six outlets and protects
sensitive electronics and communication
devices from power surges.
Decorating with light is an important element
in good design and includes the liberal
use of dimmers to create ambiance.
The Sheats home, an elegant backdrop for
distinctive artwork and beautiful furnishings,
was a prime setting for the flattering
effects of dimmers, which offer a range of
lighting levels for any mood or task.
Hooks installed incandescent Vizia dimmers
in the home’s master bedroom, study,
dining room, living room and foyer. The
simplicity of the Vizia form factor, the elegant
curve of its switch and subtle, easy-to-use dim/bright bar complements any
decorating style, from traditional to contemporary.
To give the spacious home the infrastructure
necessary to support multiple
computers and multimedia capability from
any room, Hooks selected Leviton’s structured
wiring system and combined it with
wireless components for maximum functionality.
The result was a system that
could easily be modified and upgraded as
the homeowner’s needs changed and technology
advanced. New construction is an
ideal time to take advantage of structured security camera, coaxial cable and satellite
video distribution panels. For Hooks, the
integration of all the low-voltage modules
and connections was streamlined because
he had a single source of supply with a
broad selection of products.
Hooks installed Leviton’s 28” Structured
Media Enclosure in the Sheats
home to centralize the connections. Leviton
QuickPort® inserts and modules such
as Cat 5e, F-connectors, and various
jacks were placed in the 12-seat home
theater that serves as the multimedia
heart of the home. These were also installed
in major bedrooms, the great
room, sitting room and kitchen. The inserts
and modules are available in every
configuration and fit standard NEMA openings for easy installation in new or existing wall boxes.
The company’s robust selection of
QuickPort® modules offered flexibility
in configurations and a wide color
choice. Modules were available to coordinate
with the décor throughout the
home and matching wall plates gave a
finishing touch. The modules harmonized
with the Vizia, Acenti and Decora
devices chosen, imparting a unified look.
On a smaller scale, structured wiring
is appearing in new 1,900 to 2,400 sq.
ft. homes in Clarksville, Tenn., about 11
miles from Fort Campbell, KY.
Clarksville is home to military personnel
who are sophisticated when it comes
to digital technology. Builder Bryan Hite
of Hite Construction LLC offers Leviton
structured wiring in his $190,000 to
$250,000 homes. The installations provide
homeowners with the ability to
have TV, satellite, cable and phone access
in selected rooms. All the wires are
run from enclosures or media closets. “They’re tucked away nice and neat. Not
sitting out where everyone can look at
it.” The trend is catching on in the
Clarksville-Montgomery county area.
Hite believes he is the first builder in the
region to install structured wiring.
According to Hite, the profusion of
military personnel in his area influenced
his decision to offer structured wiring in
new construction. “Our guys are dealing
with digital-type products all the time on
their job … even when they are overseas
at war. They’re around all kinds of computerized
components. They like to
come home and have their house set up
in the same convenient way. Most of
them are pretty knowledgeable on how
to use the stuff.” After Hite’s original
electrician moved to Florida, Hite contacted
Tyler Hooks of NAV Computers
to install the products.
Hite uses only Leviton products in the
Clarksville homes. The devices include
Decora switches and dimmers, a Leviton
scene controller for home theaters, as well
as occupancy sensors and GFCIs. Homeowners
choose the rooms they would like
for multimedia applications. The builder
provides a basic system that can be upgraded
as needed.
As times change, the line and low-voltage
requirements for the average home
expand to encompass new technologies.
Builders and installers in Nashville and
throughout the country continue to ensure
that contemporary homes are wired for the
21st Century. It’s a great foundation for a
new era of good connections.
