If there’s one thing that rubs Harry Blanchard of Creative Systems USA the wrong way, it’s technology that looks as if it was “slapped” onto expensive wall materials. “It pains me to see homeowners spend a fortune on marble backsplashes or rare hardwood finishes only to the surfaces marred by white electrical outlets and surface-mounted screens,” Blanchard says.

Specialty mounting hardware that enables these and other home tech products to be recessed flush with wall and ceiling surfaces certainly helps create a more pleasing aesthetic, but according to Blanchard, WALL-SMART’s solutions take this effective strategy a step further. “WALL-SMART’s attention to detail in the design, engineering, and fabrication of its mounts make touchscreens appear to be a natural part of the wall, not an accessory that was added later,” he offers as an example. “They become not just a technological addition, but a design element that complements or enhances the fine finishes of a home.” 

Camouflaging Cavities in Retrofit Projects

TVs aren’t the only technology that has shape-shifted from a squarish 4:3 aspect ratio to a 16:9 widescreen format. Touchscreens have, too. For many of Blanchard’s retrofit projects, this technological evolution has required yanking out old 4:3 touchscreens and fitting new 16:9 versions in their place. Blanchard facilitates the swap by widening the wall cavity, “not a problem,” he says, “but the open space that remains above or below the new touchscreen also needs to be contended with.” Here’s where WALL-SMART’s retrofit-friendly mounts “save the day.” The paintable bezel that applies easily around the perimeter of the WALL-SMART touchscreen mount completely covers the cavity, saving Creative Systems USA from needing to repair and/or color match older wall materials.

Minimizing Large Touchscreen Footprints

As touchscreens have grown rectangular in shape, they’ve also sized up significantly. And for good reason. These command centers of the smart home juggle many responsibilities, many of which users need to visually monitor and manage. It’s simply easier, more efficient, and intuitive to initiate lighting scenes, review and monitor the status of devices, and choose music from a large library of playlists when you can use a 22 -inch screen instead of a 10-inch screen. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to minimize the visual impact of the bigger option, “unless it can be recessed flush with the wall surface,” Blanchard says. “I wouldn’t dream of surface-mounting a 2-inch-thick touchscreen in a luxury home.” Needless to say, WALL-SMART has become his go-to mount provider for Crestron’s 22-inch panels. 

Saving Space and Shoulders

Touchscreens are slim by design; still, even the slightest protrusion from the wall can make a big difference in small spaces. Take the Lady Rebecca, a luxury yacht Blanchard outfitted with a Crestron control system some years ago. No conventional surface-mount installation would suffice, here, as even a minor lip of touchscreen could have been easily clipped by the shoulders of passerby strolling the vessel’s narrow hallways. Nor would it be acceptable for touchscreens to blemish walls made of black walnut harvested from the owner’s farm. Blanchard mitigated both concerns by using WALL-SMART’s solid-surface mount for Crestron touchscreens to recess the technology flush with the wall surface.  

Securing Control Assets in Commercial Projects

iPads are one of the most familiar and pervasive of technologies, so it’s no wonder the administrators of an MDU development company wanted to use the device to control audio and video in its leasing offices and amenity areas. There was just one hitch in this plan—people could easily leave the iPad in a hard-to-find place or worse yet, walk off with the device. WALL-SMARTS’s flush mounts for iPads reduced the likelihood by providing a single stationary location to sequester the iPad. 

Customizing with Care

Luxury homes require a highly customized approach to the integration of technology—including the way in which the devices are installed. Creativity, craftsmanship, and an eye for design must be applied. It’s a philosophy that Creative Systems USA stands by and has built a successful business around. “WALL-SMART’s flush mounts for touchscreens help me convey to my customers that I care about the final product—not just how it operates but how it looks. We’ve been able to go the extra mile in terms of design for our customers by using WALL-SMART’ solution, and the stellar fit and finish that WALL-SMART mounts provide is the icing on the cake.”