One of the more interesting things we’ve noticed over the past three years isn’t just the sharp uptick in smart home interest. That’s been brewing for a while. It’s how suddenly and wholeheartedly Colorado’s luxury second-homeowners have embraced full-service AV integration—especially in our mountain communities.
For a long time, these homes were designed as seasonal refuges. Tucked into groves of Aspen and lodgepole pine or perched over expansive views at elevation. But now, they’re nothing short of primary residences in terms of comfort and technology expectations. More than that, they’ve become personalized sanctuaries. Folks are no longer saying, “How do I get Netflix up here?” They’re asking how to tie in wellness lighting, studio-grade listening rooms, and intelligent security without disturbing the home’s architectural rhythms—or the snowmelt roof sensor array.
Let’s step into this boom and break down what’s really driving it—from the data to the field notes.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: AV is Prioritized in Luxury Builds & Renovations
According to CE Pro’s 2024 State of the Industry report, a full 62% of integrators saw an increase in multi-room audio systems, 48% noted increased demand for outdoor AV, and 39% saw growth in home theaters compared to the prior year. What used to be extras are now expectations.
And HTSA (Home Technology Specialists of America) data backs this up further: 68% of new high-end builds over $5M now include custom AV scope, smart climate integration, and dedicated support plans. The rise of AV in secondary homes is particularly sharp, with 72% of luxury homeowners now saying they want the same (or better) AV experience in their mountain home as they have in their main residence.
This shift is even more pronounced in Colorado’s high country, where those second homes are often the only places big enough, quiet enough and view-adjacent enough to enjoy audiophile-grade listening rooms or state-of-the-art family theaters.
But it’s not just about having “a smart home.” It’s about curated experiences designed from the ground up, with integration woven into the bones of the house.
The Shift in Second-Home Lifestyle: Not Just a Weekend Away
We’ve heard versions of this conversation repeatedly from designers and builders in Aspen and Vail:
“They’re staying longer during off-season, and when they’re in town, the AV better work flawlessly. No more ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ maintenance.”
It’s true. What used to be one-season homes are now four-season estates with full-time caretakers, wellness routines, and hybrid work setups. That’s made uninterrupted media, communications, and home automation not just nice to have—but essential.
Our tech designers are now mapping full AV systems into wellness suites, cross-property networks for dual-structure retreats, and low-voltage infrastructure into rammed-earth foundations. The homes are still peaceful… but they’re fully wired.
That means more early-stage work with architects and builders, more design-respecting infrastructure, and a massive wave of AV retrofits to meet modern expectations.
Voice from the Field: Builders Are Embedding AV Earlier Than Ever
Here’s something that’s changed: five years ago, we were often called in during trim-out or after drywall. Today, we’re getting looped in somewhere in between conceptual design and structural engineering.
One local luxury builder who works on properties near ski areas put it like this to us recently:
“It’s no longer optional to wait. We run all rough-in alongside the electrician. Our clients expect whole-house audio, automated shades, backup power, and a clean aesthetic—especially no visible wiring. I’d rather loop you in at concept than compromise later.”
And that speaks to a broader dynamic: as AV systems become architectural expectations—not bolt-on features—our collaboration model has changed. We are often working directly with lighting designers, millworkers, and even stone fabricators to pre-plan recessed panels, TV lifts, and hidden speaker placements within natural materials.
Whether it’s chipping out a niche from Colorado stone veneer for a flush-mount speaker or coordinating shade pockets before wood beams are set, it doesn’t work unless you’ve got early integration.
Colorado-Only Challenges: Altitude, Freeze/Thaw, Energy Efficiency Demands
Working in Colorado comes with a set of completely unique environmental constraints that are vastly under-discussed in national AV coverage.
We’ve had to make product and engineering decisions adjusted specifically for:
Extreme freeze-thaw cycles that wreak havoc on outdoor cabling unless it’s sleeved, shielded, and grounded properly
High-altitude performance issues for network equipment and power supplies
Steel and log construction that requires a completely different approach to wireless performance and in-wall prewire
Expected energy efficiency (HERS ratings, blower door targets) that limit wall penetrations and require strategically planned conduit pathways
Dramatic seasonal swings in use—actively used in winter, dormant in summer, or vice versa—demanding systems that self-diagnose and remotely reset
All of these factors have influenced our approach to integration. Certain gear just doesn’t make the cut. After installing nearly 50 set-top boxes in high-elevation homes that couldn’t handle the thermal cycling, we narrowed our primary gear down to a few reliable performers that thrive at 8,500 feet and don’t induce call-backs. That means we’re not loyal to brand names—we’re loyal to results over two Colorado winters.
Why AV Is a Must-Have, Not a Bonus, for Architecture
Smart AV infrastructure is now critically tied to home design—from air quality sensors that inform fan speed to motorized shades that prevent furniture fade on heated floors. This has turned client conversations from “Do I want AV here?” into “How do I hide this without compromising performance?”
Architects and interior designers are recognizing that AV isn’t a stylistic intrusion—it’s now the partner, not the rival, to their aesthetic language.
Here’s a collaboration moment that underscores that point:
A designer we often work with called mid-construction, battling over a mirror placement in the primary suite. Once we walked the space with her, we coordinated an in-mirror TV design with Future Automation and revised the control workflow to trigger ambient lighting scenes when the TV was off but music played.
Her feedback? “That wasn’t technology compromise—it was lighting choreography.”
When AV becomes part of the sensory planning, not just screen placement, you get harmony instead of tension. That’s when it integrates beautifully—and doesn’t get VE’d out.
Industry Trends with Real-World Impact
As Residential Systems recently reported, there’s a growing demand for “invisible tech” in high-performance homes. But invisible doesn’t mean simple. The more tech you can’t see, the more design-intent has to go into the infrastructure behind it.
We see that tension up close: ultrathin glass walls need Lutron shades with near-silent motors and custom housings; large-format art that becomes a TV needs pre-verified load-bearing supports and custom venting; a floating steel staircase means your network signal needs intelligent re-routing through access points designed for metal-dense builds.
All of this falls into the category of “infrastructure AV”—and luxury homeowners are beginning to see its value. When they realize it’s the invisible stuff that governs interface simplicity and system uptime, they get on board. And when we’re aligned early with the design team? That’s when we all win.
The Most Popular Requests, and What They Reveal
From hundreds of client consultations over the past 24 months, here’s what’s at the top of the list across Colorado mountain homes:
High-Performance Media Rooms: Not just theaters. We’re talking hybrid-use spaces with invisible speakers, retractable projection, and dual-purpose furniture that make movie night feel like you’re back in Los Angeles while still being wrapped in stone and wool throws.
Network Resilience: With remote work now permanent for many clients, we’ve seen upgraded backbones with OvrC Pro become part of nearly every specification. We also run multiple cellular failovers in remote builds, often using gear from Snap One’s Access Networks to provide seamless fallback in snow-prone properties.
Energy Automation: More homeowners are asking, “Does my automation platform connect to my solar and battery systems?” (Yes, if designed properly.) Load shedding, off-grid backup, and smart grid scheduling are all rising in priority—especially in newer construction targeting passive house standards.
Intelligent Lighting: Between circadian rhythm setups and art accenting, nearly 70% of lighting installations we now do are fully integrated into the AV stack. That’s not just for programming—many clients intentionally trigger lighting scenes from audio presets or even occupancy sensors tied to their control system.
Pro Advice to Designers and Builders Starting New Projects
If there’s one thing we share in joint planning meetings over and over again, it’s this: Talk to your integration partner no later than schematic design phase.
Leaving tech planning too late creates costly misalignments. We’ve had to re-cut steel posts to accommodate shade tracks and develop workarounds for stone niches because AV speakers weren’t accounted for in mill delay timelines. These are all avoidable costs.
But when our teams plan together from the start? We’re able to:
Prebuild AV risers and preserve structural continuity
Avoid late-stage concealment headaches
Integrate controls and climate in clean, designer-friendly interfaces
Reduce site visits and communication loops (especially helpful when most homeowners aren’t local)
The more collaborative the planning, the more compelling the outcome.
Final Thoughts: This Isn’t a Trend, It’s a Shift
This isn’t just tech for tech’s sake, or a fad driven by post-pandemic boredom. We’re dealing with a fundamental redefinition of what a second home means—and what it should do for its owners.
The mountain home of today is no longer a rustic escape from technology. It’s an immersive extension of lifestyle: acoustically tuned, security connected, wellness responsive, and design-integrated.
We’re here to make all of that feel natural.
And while the big brands and feature lists will always evolve, the core is the same: trust-based partnerships with trade professionals who value collaboration, discretion, and intentional design.
So whether you’re sketching out framing plans, laying out material boards, or troubleshooting conduit routes—we’re ready to walk the property with you.
You bring the vision. We’ll help embed it in the walls.
