Intercom systems have morphed into sleek, well-designed “wall art” with numerous features.
Home Technology
The ‘Over and Out’ Is In
Modern intercom systems offer both security and convenience — and they look better than ever.
BY
Kimberly Stern
PHOTOGRAPHY
Courtesy of Home Waves

Today’s well-heeled homeowner has an increasingly complex portfolio of devices to enhance the comfort and convenience of modern life. Home theaters, automation systems and “smart” climate control are included in the dizzying number of choices designed to dovetail with demanding lifestyles.

Some homeowners concerned with communication are choosing the updated version of that phenomenon of the 1970s and ’80s: the intercom system. Michael Menghini, general manager of construction for H&S Covenant Homes,  says one of the most important reasons his clients opt for an intercom system is safety.

“Stay-at-home moms like the intercom’s function that allows a camera and intercom combination at the home’s main door,” Michael comments. “New parents also like to blend a baby monitor with their intercom configuration.”

He also notes that the retro design of the original intercom boxes has morphed into sleek and aesthetically pleasing high-end units. He describes keypads almost flush with the wall that blend in with existing switch plates and other elements of a homeowner’s entertainment and communications menu.

“Many people associate intercoms with the oversized, gaudy units installed years ago,” he says. “Now they can be integrated into the home’s functions.”

Keith Axe, owner of Integrated Electronics, says when he started his    business 25 years ago, he was wiring houses for phones and cable jacks with an occasional pair of speakers in the master bedroom or on the deck. Decades later, his company performs sophisticated integrated installations for a variety of home-based audio, video and lighting solutions. 

“Today, we do an average of 10 fully integrated, whole-house systems annually that are in the six-figure range,” he says. “That usually includes features with whole-house paging, room-to-room paging, and communication with the front and side doors of a home, with the ability to have an external amplifier to page around the pool.”

Touch-of-a-button paging eases parental concerns when faced with the sometimes frustrating task of keeping tabs on kids’ activities. And while he acknowledges that the standard, traditional intercom of yesterday has changed immensely, it is still straightforward in its operation. 

A basic intercom system can include a front-door station, 10 indoor stations and two outdoor, with an average installed cost of $3,000.

One over-the-top product that Keith’s company sells and installs is an ultra-modern system with color touch panels that act as intercom stations with one-touch access.

“There can be panels with speakers in each room through automation,” he says. “The homeowners can talk back and forth from each room with a speaker via the home’s phone system. They can also communicate with the front door or, if their home is gated, the drive-up entrance.”

The phone system with paging and room-to-room capabilities runs about $6,000 with installation or $5,000 to establish the intercom system in an already-existing format.
Ryan Anderson, owner of Elevated Electronics, also likes the seamless operation of an intercom system that’s incorporated through phones. Today’s technology offers a communication module that can be added to a whole-house audio system so it works in sync with the whole-home experience.

“Basically it turns the already-existing audio system into an intercom,” Ryan says. “The homeowner can pick up any phone in the home and hit ‘page,’ and the voice is transmitted through the speakers. If music is playing, it stops, and once the voice communication is complete, it resumes where it left off.”

Ryan also sells the ELAN Home System, a top-of-the-line, one-touch system using corded or cordless phones that includes an intercom feature. “It’s perfect for homeowners who require instant communication throughout the house with other family members, the ability to prescreen visitors at the front door, or monitor activities in the backyard around the pool or patio. It’s also beneficial for people who work from their home,” he says.

Homeowners must decide what specific needs they have before purchasing an intercom system or adding to an existing whole-house system, but at any level, a well-chosen intercom can enhance the security, convenience and enjoyment of the home.