Beautiful design deserves technology that enhances it, never distracts from it.

We design, install, and care for Intelligent Home systems across Houston: lighting, shades, music, home theater, networking, and security, planned around your home from the first drawing to years after move-in.

For Builders & Architects →

Living room with integrated lighting and technology in a Tanglewood home by Media Systems

Your home should never need a manual.

Too often, home technology gets planned after the walls close. It clutters rooms that were designed with care and leaves you with a phone full of apps and a closet of blinking boxes nobody understands.

We plan your smart home alongside the architecture, so it looks like it belongs and works the same way on day one and year ten.

Jaclyn and Donnie Boutwell, owners of Media Systems, a family-owned Houston home technology company since 1980

Family-owned since 1980.

HTA Estate-Certified
CEDIA Member
ASID Industry Partner

HTA Estate-Certified is the top tier of HTA's certification program, held by only 88 firms nationwide and just 2 in the Houston market.

We specialize in Crestron and Lutron systems engineered for reliability, simplicity, and architectural integration.

Everything your home needs, designed to work together.

Intuitive control from a custom app and a few beautiful keypads, so the whole house feels considered, not complicated.

Custom home theater with integrated seating and lighting by Media Systems

Entertainment

Movie night that feels like opening night, and music in every room you want it.

World-Class Home Theaters
Dolby Atmos, projection, and acoustic design

House Music
Music in every room, from the streaming services you already use

Motorized shades in a West University home by Media Systems

Light & Comfort

Light, shade, and temperature that follow your day without anyone touching a switch.

Lighting
Whole-home control, tunable and color options, LED design

Automated Window Treatments
Motorized shades and draperies with hidden hardware

Climate Controls
Automated thermostats with app and voice control

River Oaks estate with integrated security and access control by Media Systems

Security & Access

See who is at the gate, and know the doors are locked, from anywhere.

Surveillance & Video Doorbells
Cameras, motion alerts, and doorbells you can answer anywhere

Access Controls
Gates, smart locks, and garage doors

Wall-mounted touch panel for whole-home control by Media Systems

Control & Connectivity

Intuitive keypads, a custom app, and a network built to stay strong in every room. The foundation everything else runs on.

Easy Controls
Custom keypads, touch panels, and app control

Voice Controls
Privacy-focused voice automation

WiFi & Networking
Whole-home coverage with built-in security

Three steps to a home that simply works.

01. Start with a conversation

Tell us how you want to live in the home. Meet us at our showroom in the Houston Design Center or on site, whether the project is one room or the whole house.

02. We walk it and design it

We study how you live and walk every room in person, so nothing is guessed from a floor plan. Then we build an interactive digital proposal around our expert recommendation for your home. Review it at your pace, and adjust options if you would like.

03. We build, install, and hand it over

Every system is assembled, programmed, and tested in our shop before it reaches your home, so installation is fast and clean. Then we walk you through it, though you will find it is simple enough that you barely need us to.

West University Modern home designed with integrated technology alongside the architect and builder

Plan technology in from the first drawings, not the punch list.

For architects, builders & designers. We speak designer, builder, and architect.

We are not here to step on anyone’s toes. We are here to elevate the work you already do. Bring us in early and we will take the technology off your plate, placing every piece where it serves the client and respects the design.

Ceiling pockets that hide motorized shade hardware
Keypad and speaker placement that works with the finishes
WiFi access points that cover the home without being seen
Work alongside us as a partner, or hire us as your vendor directly

See how we work with the trade →

Building, remodeling, or already moved in.

New Construction

Planned with your architect and builder from the start, so the technology is built in, not bolted on.

Remodeled living room with upgraded home technology by Media Systems

Remodeling

Modern systems fitted around the home you already love, with clean wiring and no guesswork.

Finished home supported by Media Systems service and maintenance

Service & Support

Dedicated technicians, maintenance plans, and after-hours help, long after installation is complete.

You also get an app that gives you visibility into your system and simple resets for your core devices. Prefer we handle it? We always will.

Open living space in the West University Modern with integrated Intelligent Home technology

Simple. Beautiful. Reliable. Intelligent Home.

We believe the technology in your home should be easy to use, beautifully designed, and unbelievably reliable.

Tell us about your home. We respond within one business day.

The brands behind our work

We are certified on every brand below, a short list of manufacturers known for craftsmanship, performance, and long-term reliability.

Whole-home control

Lighting and shades

Ketra

Natural, tunable light

DMF

Architectural recessed lighting

WAC Lighting

Decorative and architectural lighting

Proluxe

Color-changing accent lighting

Cinema-quality movie server

Reference projection screens

Handcrafted amplification

Italian loudspeakers

Studio-grade speakers

Architectural speakers

Coastal Source

Outdoor speakers and lighting

Precision subwoofers

Hartmann & Forbes

Handwoven window coverings

Forbes & Lomax

Invisible light switches

Basalte

Designer keypads

Leon

Made-to-order speakers

Private voice control

Mirror and outdoor displays

Surveillance cameras

Marantz

Premium home theater amplification

Home theater receivers

4K projection and displays

The Frame and premium displays

These are the brands we rely on most, not the full list. We carry and support many more, so if you have something specific in mind, just ask.

Frequently Asked Questions

What areas does Media Systems serve?

Media Systems serves homeowners within Houston's River Oaks, Tanglewood, West University Place and Memorial neighborhoods.

How long has Media Systems been in business?

Media Systems was founded in 1980 and has been serving Houston's luxury homeowners, architects, designers, and builders.

Does Media Systems only work on new construction and remodels?

No. Most of what we do is upgrading and simplifying the technology already in a home. The systems work, but the homeowner wants them easier to use or wants to modernize what's there, with no construction required. We also partner with architects, builders, and interior designers on new construction and remodeling projects, which are typically just larger-scope versions of the same work.

What happens after I submit a project inquiry?

Media Systems responds to project inquiries within one business day to schedule a conversation.

Do you take on projects outside the Houston area?

Mostly we focus on the Houston area, but we occasionally take on second-home projects for existing clients, including in Galveston and Chappell Hill, as well as out of state in Jackson Hole and Aspen.

Are motorized shades the same as electric blinds?

Mostly, yes. People search for electric blinds, automatic blinds, smart blinds or power shades, and they usually mean the same thing: window treatments raised and lowered by a quiet motor. In luxury homes they're typically fabric shades or draperies, not blinds, controlled from a keypad, a touch panel, your phone, or a schedule.

Can you add motorized shades to a home that's already built?

Yes. We can pull new wire after the fact, use battery-powered (wire-free) shades that need no new wiring, or recommend manual shades where they make more sense. In new construction or a remodel, we prefer wired shades and plan the pockets and power before the walls close. Either way, call us and we'll engineer the right design and product for the space.

Are you a Crestron dealer in Houston?

Yes. Media Systems is a certified Crestron integrator in Houston at the Crestron Elite Pro level, with a Gold Certified Programmer on staff. We're also HTA Estate-Certified. We design, program and service Crestron systems for homes across River Oaks, Memorial, Tanglewood and West University.

Do you install Lutron lighting and shades?

Yes. We're certified on Lutron and Ketra, and we design lighting control and motorized shades as one system, so a single keypad or scene sets the lights and the shades together.

Do you install Kaleidescape home theaters?

Yes. We're certified on Kaleidescape and design dedicated theaters and media rooms with partners like Stewart Filmscreen, McIntosh and Sony, among many others.

Is home automation the same as a smart home?

People use the terms interchangeably. We think of it as one thoughtfully designed system for lighting, shades, music, climate, security and Wi-Fi that works simply every day, rather than a pile of separate apps.