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Val de Vie lounge with Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 5 speakers and integrated television -
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THE BRIEF
A fully integrated Val de Vie home where reliable connectivity, music, television and outdoor entertainment were planned as one coordinated system from the beginning.
Completed on 28 July 2023, this whole-home installation combines a robust network and Wi-Fi foundation with Sonos multiroom audio, UHD video distribution, Control4 operation, a concealed bedroom television and a dedicated outdoor audio system. Mirror Edge Networks joined the project during the planning phase, allowing the infrastructure and equipment locations to be resolved before the finished surfaces were complete.
The objective was to make entertainment available throughout the property without filling each room with separate source equipment or complicated controls. The family needed dependable connectivity, access to DStv and Apple TV in multiple rooms, independently controlled music zones and an outdoor system suited to both relaxed listening and entertaining.
Just as importantly, the technology needed to respect the architecture. Equipment was centralised wherever possible, cabling was concealed and the main-bedroom television was designed to disappear completely when not in use.
Planned from the Beginning
Our involvement during the planning phase allowed the network, audiovisual cabling, television positions, speaker locations and equipment rack to be coordinated with the build. This early collaboration reduced compromises later and ensured that the completed system could be maintained and upgraded without disturbing the interior.
Every visible outcome is supported by infrastructure that was considered well before installation: correctly routed cables, planned access points, dedicated equipment space and signal paths between the central rack and the rooms they serve.
Whole-House Network and Wi-Fi
A dependable home network and Wi-Fi system provides the foundation for the entire installation. Coverage was designed for the interior and outdoor living areas, supporting everyday connectivity as well as the streaming, control and multiroom-audio services used across the property.
The network equipment is centralised in the garage rack, where structured cabling and clearly colour-coordinated patch leads make the installation easier to understand, diagnose and maintain.
Television and Video Distribution
UHD video distribution makes DStv and Apple TV available throughout the home without requiring a collection of visible decoders and streaming boxes in every room. Sources are housed centrally and delivered to the relevant displays, creating cleaner rooms while giving the family a consistent entertainment experience.
Control4 brings the distributed sources, televisions and audio together behind a straightforward interface, removing the need to juggle several remotes for everyday viewing.
Sonos Throughout the Home
Sonos provides flexible multiroom audio across the property. Different rooms can play independently or be grouped when music should follow the family through the house. The system was designed as part of the wider network rather than as a collection of isolated products, improving both reliability and ease of use.
A Television That Disappears
The main bedroom presented an ideal opportunity for a discreet hidden AV solution. Working with Definition Automation, a bespoke motorised mechanism was integrated into the ceiling so that the television remains completely concealed when the room is not being used for viewing.
When television is selected, the screen lowers from the ceiling and rotates into the correct viewing position. When switched off, it retracts neatly into the custom aperture, returning the bedroom to an uncluttered, calm space. The sequence is controlled through Control4, making sophisticated mechanical integration feel effortless.
Bang & Olufsen in the Lounge
The main lounge is anchored by a pair of Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 5 loudspeakers. Their sculptural form complements the custom timber feature wall while delivering the scale and authority required for both music and television.
The loudspeakers sit within purpose-designed recesses on either side of the display, allowing the room to celebrate the technology as part of the interior rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Outdoor Audio, Independently Controlled
The landscaped garden includes four satellite speakers and a dedicated outdoor subwoofer, creating even sound coverage without relying on a pair of speakers playing too loudly from one location. A further two speakers serve the braai pergola.
The garden and pergola operate as independent volume zones, so each area can be adjusted to suit the way the family is using the property. The discreet satellite and landscape-subwoofer arrangement delivers fuller sound while remaining sympathetic to the surroundings.
The Central Equipment Rack
The garage rack forms the technical centre of the home. Network hardware, Control4, DStv sources, video distribution and audio equipment are brought together in one accessible location.
Colour-coordinated cabling identifies different services at a glance, while labelled connections and organised power distribution support reliable operation and efficient future servicing. It is the less visible part of the project, but one of the most important to its long-term success.
The Result
The completed Val de Vie installation demonstrates what becomes possible when audiovisual and network planning begins early. Entertainment is available throughout the house and garden, the system remains simple for the family to operate, and the technology either complements the interior or disappears entirely.
From the concealed bedroom television to the BeoLab 5 lounge and carefully zoned outdoor audio, each element was designed around how the home would actually be lived in.
Planning a whole-home system?
Mirror Edge Networks can coordinate networking, distributed television, multiroom audio, hidden technology and control from the planning stage onward. Discuss your project with us.
