Set the atmosphere
Light & shade
Scenes for each room and hour, and shading that handles desert sun and heat, with the hardware hidden in the ceiling detail.
- Lighting control and design
- Motorized shading
Scottsdale, ArizonaDesigned with the house since 2016
Home technology integrator
Light, sound and control, designed with the house.
We plan, install and look after the systems in new homes and major remodels across Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, working with your architect, builder and designer from the first drawings.
Invisible, by design
Our approach
Most of what we do is invisible when it is done right.
No banks of switches by the door, no speakers you notice, no remote to learn. What you notice is how the house behaves, and that it keeps behaving that way for years.
See an evening at home01 / At home
One evening in a house we look after
Light & shade
The sun reaches the west glass.
West-facing glass is beautiful until late afternoon in July. Shades lower on their own before the heat gets in, and the lights rise to meet what is left of the day.
- Motorized shadingFollows the sun
- Lighting controlRises with dusk
Sound outdoors
Friends arrive on the terrace.
Path lights are already on. Music plays among the agave at a level you can talk over, and the pool glows.
- Outdoor entertainmentLandscape audio
- Lighting controlPaths and pool
Sound & cinema
Someone presses Movie.
The room dims in stages, the screen comes up and the rest of the house quietens so nobody is disturbed.
- Private cinemaPicture and sound
- ControlOne button
Connection & control
One button marked Good Night.
Doors lock, the gate closes, cameras arm and a low path of light stays on to the kitchen.
- Security and camerasArmed
- AutomationEvery room
Four buttons on a wall. Behind them, months of planning with the people designing the house.
Talk to us about your home02 / Services
What we design, install and look after
We start with how you want the house to feel, then choose the equipment. One team designs it, installs and programs it, and answers when you call.
Make room for living
Sound & cinema
Music in one room or all of them, a calibrated cinema, and outdoor audio and screens specified for Arizona summers.
- Whole-home audio
- Private cinema and media rooms
- Outdoor entertainment
Bring it together
Connection & control
Wi-Fi that reaches the casita and the pool, one consistent way to run the house, and security you can check from anywhere.
- Networks
- Control and automation
- Security and cameras
Authorized dealer
- Lutron HomeWorks
- Crestron Home
- Josh.ai
- Ubiquiti
- Sonance
- Kaleidescape
We choose the platform for the house, not the house for the platform.
03 / Selected projects
Two houses and a club
Four in five of our projects are homes, usually new builds and major remodels we join at the drawing stage.
9,000 sq ft, with walls of glass facing the valley. Lighting and shading were planned together as one system from the architect's first sections, with a private cinema and whole-home audio.
Every system replaced while the family went on living in the house, room by room, so it never went dark.
Audio, video and lighting scenes across four rooms and a terrace, taking the club from lunch to late evening.
Commercial work is about one project in five: private offices, boardrooms, a members' club and two medical practices.
Images are illustrative, not photographs of these projects.
04 / For architects, builders and designers
A technology partner who reads the drawings
The best time to plan the technology is while the house is still on paper. The Design Partner Program makes that easy for your practice.
Drawings
System, lighting and keypad layouts for your set.
Specification text
Written to sit in your documents.
Site coordination
With your builder and trades, pre-wire to trim.
One named contact
The same person from first call to handover.
9 in 10
of our projects come through architects, builders, interior designers and past clients.
We are the people the architect calls when the house has to work as beautifully as it looks.
05 / How a project runs
From the first drawings to years after handover
Consultation
At our Old Town studio or on site, ideally with your architect. We ask how you live, then read the drawings.
Co-founders
Design
Lighting, keypad and speaker layouts, a system design and a written proposal, coordinated with the architect's and designer's plans.
Client design · System designer
Installation
A named project manager runs site. Technicians pre-wire at framing and install at trim, and every scene is programmed before you move in.
Project managers · Technicians · Programmer
Care
After handover, our service coordinator is your contact for as long as you own the house.
Service coordinator
Care plans
Still here after the last scene is set.
Care plans add remote monitoring, routine maintenance and same-day response. Most problems are spotted from our end before you notice them, and there is always one person to call.
Ask about care plans06 / The studio
An engineer and a designer, working as one
Sam Alder
Co-founder · Engineering
A systems engineer with twenty years in audio-visual work. Sam makes sure everything we install is designed, built and kept running properly.
Ruth Vane
Co-founder · Client design
Trained in interior architecture, Ruth runs client design, so keypads, speakers and screens are placed with the room and its architect in mind.
2016Founded in Scottsdale
14People on the team
7Communities we cover
AZLicensed contractor
Two project managers, a system designer, six technicians, a programmer, a service coordinator and an office manager. We work across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, North Scottsdale, Carefree, Cave Creek and Fountain Hills, from an Old Town studio that is open by appointment.
When should we bring in a home technology integrator?
While the architect is still drawing, if you can. Lighting layouts, shade pockets, speaker positions and equipment space all shape the design. Framing is workable. After drywall, choices narrow and costs rise.
Which areas do you cover?
Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, North Scottsdale, Carefree, Cave Creek and Fountain Hills. Our Old Town Scottsdale studio is open by appointment.
Can you replace the systems in a house we're living in?
Yes. On a Desert Mountain estate we replaced every system while the family stayed in the house, working through it in phases.
Which systems and brands do you install?
Lighting control and design, motorized shading, whole-home audio, private cinemas and media rooms, networks, control and automation, security and cameras, and outdoor entertainment. We are authorized dealers for Lutron HomeWorks, Crestron Home, Josh.ai, Ubiquiti, Sonance and Kaleidescape.
What happens after the house is finished?
Our service coordinator becomes your contact. Care plans add remote monitoring and same-day response, so most issues are spotted and fixed before you notice them.
How does the Design Partner Program work?
Architects, builders and interior designers get system drawings, specification text for their documents, site coordination with the trades and one named contact at Alder & Vane from first call to handover.
Do you take on commercial projects?
About one project in five is commercial, including private offices, boardrooms, a members' club and two medical practices.
Is Alder & Vane a licensed contractor?
Yes. Alder & Vane is a licensed Arizona contractor, and we share license details with any client or partner on request.
Book a design consultation
How should the house feel?
Tell us a little about the project and where it is in the design. Bring your architect if you like, or send us the drawings.
Phone(480) 555-0142
Studio
Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona. Open by appointment.