TV mounting, smart home and Wi-Fi in Red Bank, NJ

Red Bank sits on the south bank of the Navesink River, with a lively downtown along Broad Street and Monmouth Street, the Count Basie Center for the Arts and a train station that connects commuters to New York. The housing reflects that history: Victorian and colonial homes on the West Side and East Side streets, newer condos and townhomes close to downtown, and riverfront homes with long views up and down the Navesink.

A Victorian with high ceilings, original trim and plaster walls rewards a light touch. We use attic space, basement ceilings and closets to move cable between floors, and we place TVs where they work with the room rather than against it, such as inside a built-in or on a wall that does not interrupt original moldings. Tall ceilings and pocket doors make some rooms acoustically lively, so small in-ceiling speakers with good placement often sound better than a large soundbar. Wide front porches are also a natural place for weather-rated ceiling speakers and a discreet video doorbell that suits the original door.

If you are on the river, the view is usually the reason you bought the house, and the same western light that makes sunsets great will wash out a TV. Motorized shades that lower automatically late in the day help, and they can be grouped so one button handles a whole wall of windows. For decks and docks, we choose outdoor-rated speakers and cameras built for wind and moisture, and we can cover a boat at its slip with a camera you can check from your phone.

Downtown, many buildings are shared between shops, restaurants, offices and apartments above. Businesses there often need background music, a dependable network with guest Wi-Fi, a few cameras covering the register and back door, and access control for staff. Condo owners near the train face building rules about contractors and exterior changes, and we plan installs to fit within them. In older mixed-use buildings, running cable between floors can be tricky, so we survey first and choose a route that works for each tenant.