Morgan Brennan for Forbes:

The Savant Experience Center, which took eight months to craft and opened in July, was designed by Thom Filicia of TV show “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” fame. It hosts a master bedroom with a walk-in closet, a loft-like living room, a Theo Kalomirakis-designed home theater, even a sports bar. But the real draw isn’t the lavish layout (which also has a hotel room, an office and a classroom); it’s the technology that covertly operates the space. Every “room” in the center is automated by Savant Systems and easily controlled with Apple products like iPads, iPhones and iPod Touch-embedded remote controls.

Savant makes really cool home automation systems and features Apple technology front and center. Apple stuff isn’t added on as an afterthought, like it is for some home automation companies. At Savant, Apple hardware and software is truly a centerpiece of how it works. I have a special affinity for them not only because of the Apple angle, but because they’re not too far away from where I live.