Théo Castellane
Smart-home systems integrator (CEDIA-certified)
Théo designs the wine rooms, cinemas and control systems he writes about. He covers the rare amenities pillar and reviews the technology that runs the modern estate.
- Wine cellar design and conditioning
- Home cinema and acoustics
- Smart-home control systems
- Wellness and spa amenities
By Théo
Winter Humidity in Luxury Homes: Protecting Wood Floors, Pianos, and Art
Once the heat comes on, indoor air dries out fast, and the wide-plank oak, the grand piano, and the antique sideboard all feel it. Here's the range to aim for, how to humidify a big house without fogging the windows, and what to check this week.
Standby Generators for Luxury Homes: Backup Power Before Winter
Mid-October is the window to size, site, and service whole-home standby power before winter storms. Here's how luxury homes should think about load studies, hybrid backup, and carbon monoxide clearances.
Smart Home Features Luxury Home Buyers Expect in 2026
Buyers touring luxury homes no longer look for gadgets. They look for a house that runs quietly: reliable Wi-Fi, lighting scenes, motorized shades, easy entry, and sound, all working as one calm system.
Pre-Winter Systems Check for Luxury Homes
Before the first hard freeze, a luxury home needs a proper systems check: heating, filtration, moisture, leak detection and backup power, so it performs in winter as well as it looks in fall.
Private Recovery Circuit: What Buyers Tour for in Sauna, Plunge, and Rest Rooms
Buyers touring luxury homes want more than a spa tub now. They're checking whether the sauna, the cold plunge and the room you rest in afterward actually work as one routine.
Security as a Luxury Home Amenity: Privacy, Cameras and Backup Power
Buyers now treat privacy and protection as part of how a luxury home works, starting with screening and a discreet arrival and running through cameras, access control and backup power.
Beyond the Patio: Designing an Outdoor Living Space for the Fall Season
The best outdoor rooms aren't built for summer only. With the right structure, heat, lighting and weather-ready materials, a terrace can stay one of the most-used rooms in the house well into fall.
The Private Wellness Retreat: Transforming an Underused Room Before Winter
A well-designed wellness room turns a good intention into a daily habit. Here's how to convert an underused room into a private retreat for movement, recovery and rest.
9 Wine Cellar Design Ideas Only Found in Serious Homes
From glass-walled cabinets in the living room to underground tasting vaults, these are the cellar ideas our features editor is specifying this year.
Théo reports under our editorial standards: sourced figures, named credits and published corrections. Meet the rest of the desk on the masthead.