The St. Jude Showcase Home in Southlake, Texas, pairs a full-house Control4 automation backbone with custom LED lighting and invisible audio to create a visually restrained technology package for charity. Integrator Elite AV and Lighting (Elite AVL) led the design and installation, coordinating product donations and discounts so the project could include more capability while keeping costs with St. Jude to a minimum.
Project scope and partners
The project was awarded Home of the Year 2026, Best Combo Tech + Design, Gold. Elite AVL treated the architectural and interior design set by Atwood Custom Homes and designers Maria Mock and Julie Parrent as the system specification, building technology to remain visually unobtrusive while delivering distributed audio, oversized video and layered lighting.
Key vendor participation helped expand the package without shifting expense onto St. Jude. Control4 donated lighting products; Sonance and Rio Grande provided discounts on an invisible-audio package; and Elite AVL donated the custom LED lighting system the integrator designed and installed. Those arrangements enabled additional system elements beyond the original scope.
System components and layout
Video in the home centers on a large-format display strategy: a 115-inch Samsung Micro RGB display in the media room, an 85-inch Samsung Pro display in the living room and a 65-inch display in the primary suite. Distributed sound uses Sonance invisible speakers and an in-wall subwoofer to preserve the interior finishes.
- Control and automation: Control4 lighting products as the primary lighting control layer
- Audio: Sonance invisible speakers and an in-wall subwoofer for distributed sound
- Video: Samsung Micro RGB and Pro displays for primary viewing spaces
- Custom lighting: Elite AVL’s donated LED installations to accent architecture and circulation
| Manufacturer | Item | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Control4 | Lighting products (donated) | Whole-home lighting control layer |
| Sonance | Invisible speakers, in-wall subwoofer (discounted) | Distributed audio with minimal visual impact |
| Samsung | 115", 85", 65" displays | Primary video displays in media, living and primary suite |
| Elite AV and Lighting | Custom LED system (donated) | Architectural accent and layered lighting |
Design emphasis and control
Elite AVL implemented a single Control4 control layer for the residence, aiming to make the system both comprehensive and intuitive. The integrator’s custom LED work traces stair treads, washes kitchen and bar areas, accents architectural coves and layers illumination across baths, laundry and other spaces so the lighting becomes a visible expression of technology after dark while most technical complexity remains concealed behind walls.
The project documentation emphasizes manufacturer and integrator collaboration: donated and discounted hardware reduced cost to St. Jude and allowed the integrator to extend the system’s scope. The result listed in the project profile is a high-capability installation that keeps visual clutter to a minimum through invisible loudspeakers and discreet lighting design.
