How Strateres is using its experience center to connect industries
Integrating sophisticated technology tailored for a luxury home becomes significantly more challenging when budgets have already been finalized and construction is underway. When custom integrators are brought into a project too late, the result can be added costs for homeowners, project delays, and additional work for architects.
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) highlighted this problem in a September 2025 study. The study reported that 89 percent of integrator respondents said they were nearly always or often included in projects later than they should have been.
Luxury homeowners expect seamlessly integrated technology throughout their homes, which is why Strateres created an environment that allows design professionals and integrators to connect and explore new solutions before the project has even started.
“After several years of design and development, it’s incredibly rewarding to see our extended family of architects, designers, builders, integrators, manufacturers, and homeowners embrace the Strateres Design Studio as their own,” said Peter Dyroff, Founder of Strateres. He explained that the development of the experience center has transformed how the design and construction community throughout New England approaches residential technology by creating opportunities for industry professionals to exchange ideas, strengthen relationships, and connect.
Located about 35 minutes west of Boston, the Strateres Design Studio is a 5000-square-foot residential technology showroom featuring one of the largest Lutron lighting and shading displays in the Northeast, immersive audio distribution, a full home cinema, two striking micro-LED video walls, and more.
“This presents an exceptional opportunity for our clients to witness and experience the most recent advancements in lighting firsthand,” said Evelyn Audet of Evelyn Audet Lighting Design, LLC.
Showroom popularity
Even though Strateres is a manufacturer’s representative firm with more than 60 years of experience throughout New England, it could not have built its showroom without strong support from leading manufacturer partners such as Lutron, Sonance, Sony, Just Video Walls, and many others. For custom integration companies, building a showroom of any size can be a significant financial and logistical undertaking.
Many integrators have recognized the value of maintaining a showroom and have invested in creating spaces of their own. According to CEDIA’s website, which allows you to filter which integrators have showrooms, over 30 percent of the integrators listed do have such a space.
“We’re seeing a steady rise in luxury integrators investing in new or renovated showrooms, and the numbers reflect that momentum: 74.8 percent of HTA Certified Luxury and Estate-tier firms have a lifestyle showroom,” said Josh Christian, CEO of the Home Technology Association (HTA). “These interactive spaces bring sophisticated technology to life in environments that feel like beautifully designed homes.”
HTA certification is awarded through a rigorous evaluation process and is divided into three tiers: Foundation, Luxury, and Estate. Luxury and Estate certified integrators specialize in luxury residential projects with more advanced technology needs, often collaborating with high-end architects and builders.
Curated events
Rather than creating a product-focused showroom, Strateres developed an environment that demonstrates how sophisticated technology integrates naturally into modern living spaces. The Strateres Design Studio features a kitchen, living area, bar, and an expansive outdoor courtyard alongside other real-world spaces making it a premier location for curated events.
Sleeping Dog Properties, Inc. is a Boston-based design and build firm that specializes in luxury residential construction and custom home building. After visiting the showroom, Blake Clinton, Director of Marketing at Sleeping Dog Properties, explained, “it’s easy to forget you’re in a showroom at all. The space flows so naturally that it feels like walking through a home purpose-built for luxury audio, video, lighting, and control.”
Since holding its grand opening in September of last year, Strateres has hosted several successful events in the Strateres Design Studio. In an industry defined by constant innovation, these events give design, construction, and integration professionals the opportunity to experience emerging technology firsthand while exchanging ideas with peers and manufacturers.
In June, the Strateres Design Studio hosted Sony for a new product introduction featuring the newest line of BRAVIA TVs. In attendance was Tony Litto, Principal at Norfolk Home Systems, a custom integration company. “There is simply no substitute for getting manufacturers, designers, builders, and integrators in the same room to experience these technologies together,” he said.
To better understand the Sony event’s impact, Strateres distributed a post-event survey to attendees. An impressive 96.7 percent of respondents rated the event a perfect five out of five for its value to their business or projects.
At another event, held in partnership with Marvin and appropriately named ‘Partners in Possibility’, Strateres hosted a panel discussion featuring Boston-based designers and architects focused on the importance of ongoing communication among project partners. They provided all attendees with notebooks, encouraging them to capture key takeaways from the discussion.
Evelyn Audet, who was on the panel at this event, explained that the Strateres Design Studio “provides an unparalleled opportunity for lighting designers and all involved in the design and construction of high-end residential projects.”
The Strateres Design Studio hosts regular events and training sessions for industry professionals. It is also open for private appointments, giving local integrators the chance to showcase these solutions to clients in a secluded setting.
Creating collaboration
While collaboration remains essential on luxury residential projects, awareness of the integration profession remains surprisingly limited. Only 32 percent of design professionals surveyed in the study commissioned by NKBA and CEDIA had heard the term ‘integrator’, and only 14 percent reported having worked with one.
“Whether it’s during an industry event or a private appointment, our team has witnessed countless meaningful conversations between design professionals, integrators, and our manufacturer partners,” said Peter Dyroff. “We believe those interactions are helping bridge the communication and knowledge gap between designers and integrators.”
While digital content can introduce new technologies, the ability to see, hear, and experience state-of-the-art solutions in a thoughtfully designed environment offers something that cannot be replicated online. The Strateres Design Studio and other showrooms across the country are creating new opportunities for collaboration among the professionals shaping the future of luxury residential design.