IMAGINE ARRIVING HOME AFTER A LONG DAY TO FIND YOUR FAVORITE PLAYLIST already filling the house. Throughout the afternoon, the window shades have quietly adjusted themselves to block the harsh western sun before opening again as the evening approaches. The lighting has naturally transitioned to a warmer glow. Your home quietly watched over itself while you were away, so when you returned, all that remained was peace of mind. That’s exactly how technology should feel.
Creating homes that are more comfortable, more beautiful and easier to live in has become the mission of Kenny Ellis, president of GHT Group.
Previously known as Georgia Home Theater, GHT earned its early reputation designing exceptional home theaters for discerning homeowners. Today, the company has evolved into one of the Southeast’s premier luxury technology design and integration firms, partnering with architects, builders, interior designers and homeowners to thoughtfully plan and integrate lighting, entertainment, networking, security and motorized window shades into some of the region’s finest homes.
For Ellis, the company’s philosophy can be summed up in three words: designed to disappear. “Every luxury home today is a home of technology, whether people realize it or not,” Ellis says. “The key is making sure that technology supports the architecture instead of competing with it. We don’t want to see technology covering the walls or ceilings or distracting from great design. When we’re involved early, technology becomes part of the home’s design instead of an afterthought.”
Ellis believes today’s luxury homes are simply too sophisticated for each trade to work independently. Instead, he advocates for what he calls the modern design team—bringing together the architect, interior designer, builder and technology integrator from the earliest stages of every project.
“When those four disciplines collaborate from the beginning, everyone benefits,” Ellis explains. “The architect preserves the vision, the builder avoids unnecessary changes, the interior designer has complete creative freedom and technology quietly supports the entire experience.” That philosophy fundamentally changed what GHT does.
While the company built its reputation around home theaters, today’s projects focus on three essential aspects of modern luxury living, what Ellis thinks of as “protect, live, enjoy.”
From sophisticated security systems and surveillance to beautifully integrated landscape lighting, GHT creates environments that provide confidence, comfort and peace of mind—whether homeowners are relaxing at home or traveling across the globe.
Reliable networking, intelligent lighting and automated window shades quietly simplify everyday living, making homes more comfortable, efficient and responsive to the way families live. Whether it’s music throughout the home, a private cinema, outdoor entertainment spaces or immersive media rooms, GHT creates experiences that bring family and friends together.
Perhaps no area better illustrates how dramatically residential technology has evolved than lighting. “Architects, interior designers and builders already have enough to master,” Ellis says. “They shouldn’t also have to become experts in lighting technology. That’s where we come in.”
Today, one of GHT’s fastest-growing specialties is its comprehensive lighting design services. As a member of the modern design team, GHT develops lighting plans that begin long before construction starts. From fixture selection and lighting layouts to photometric calculations, detailed specifications and coordination with the construction team, every aspect is carefully considered. Each design is tailored to the home’s architecture, furnishings, artwork, natural daylight and the way homeowners will actually live in the space. Decorative fixtures remain the jewelry of the room, selected by the interior designer, while GHT focuses on creating the architectural lighting that quietly makes every home feel warm, inviting, comfortable and beautifully illuminated.
Lighting isn’t the only technology that’s becoming less visible. Today’s recessed fixtures can measure only 2 inches—or even less—in diameter. In-ceiling speakers have become equally discreet, often matching the size of nearby lighting or disappearing almost entirely into the ceiling. Likewise, today’s architectural shading systems integrate seamlessly into the home’s design, delivering comfort and performance without drawing attention to themselves. The result is technology that enhances a home without ever becoming the focal point.
To help homeowners and members of the modern design team experience these possibilities firsthand, GHT created its 21,000-square-foot Experience Center at its Atlanta headquarters.
More than a showroom, it’s a collaborative workspace where architects, interior designers, builders, homeowners and GHT’s design professionals gather around plans, compare materials, evaluate ideas and make informed decisions before construction even begins.
Designers regularly bring fabrics, wood flooring, tile, cabinetry, wallpaper, stone and paint samples to evaluate under different lighting conditions. With tunable white lighting and millions of available color possibilities, clients can see exactly how finishes will appear throughout the day before making permanent selections.
The Experience Center also helps dispel common misconceptions that can quietly derail projects. Window shading is a perfect example. Many homeowners assume lighter fabrics preserve views better than darker ones. In reality, darker shade fabrics with the appropriate openness factor often provide dramatically clearer views while still managing glare and reducing heat gain.
Rather than simply explaining the difference, GHT demonstrates it. A wall of windows featuring multiple shade fabrics allows visitors to compare them side by side. Whether overlooking a lake, a city skyline or the 18th fairway, homeowners can experience the difference for themselves before making an investment.
GHT serves clients from offices in Atlanta, Florida’s Scenic Highway 30A near Santa Rosa Beach, and the Birmingham, Alabama, area, with projects extending throughout the Southeast and across the country.
Many clients are building their forever homes, and Ellis believes those homes should evolve with the families who live in them. Whether planning for young children, entertaining teenagers, welcoming future grandchildren or incorporating age-in-place solutions, thoughtful planning today creates homes that remain comfortable, functional and beautiful for decades.
Through its membership in HTSA, one of North America’s leading organizations of residential technology professionals, GHT continually evaluates emerging products and innovations before recommending them to clients. But Ellis is quick to point out that his team isn’t interested in chasing trends. “People don’t want more gadgets,” he says. “They want homes that are easier to live in. They want comfort. They want convenience. They want peace of mind. If we’ve done our job well, they don’t think about the technology at all—they simply enjoy living in their home.”
That commitment doesn’t end once construction is complete. GHT has built one of the Southeast’s largest service teams dedicated to supporting homeowners long after move-in day. By working alongside architects, builders, interior designers and homeowners from the earliest planning stages through years of ownership, GHT helps solve challenges before they ever reach the jobsite while providing responsive support whenever it’s needed.
“Our goal isn’t to be the star of the project,” Ellis says. “The architect’s design should shine. The interior designer’s vision should shine. The builder’s craftsmanship should shine. If we’ve done our job right, the technology quietly supports all of it.”
In the end, he believes the highest compliment GHT can receive isn’t that homeowners notice the technology. It’s that it was truly designed to disappear. *
Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.
