What elliston systems & design does

Elliston Systems & Design is a Dallas-based custom integration firm founded in 2001 by Steve Elliston that designs, installs, and services residential and commercial technology systems for luxury properties. Its service portfolio spans Lighting & Electrical, Shading Solutions, Private Cinema, Home Automation (covering AV distribution, surveillance, climate, and pool control), Outdoor Entertainment Systems, and IT Services including networking and system monitoring. The firm's technical differentiation rests on integrating professional-grade third-party platforms — most notably its exclusive Meyer Sound partnership for private screening rooms in Dallas, plus Lutron lighting, 4K projection, and multi-image motorized masking systems — and on a meticulous pre-wire/build/test process conducted at its own facility prior to on-site installation.

The firm operates as a consultative field-sales business targeting high-net-worth homeowners, custom home builders, architects, and interior designers, with no retail or self-serve channels. Pricing is quote-based per project, augmented by ongoing service and maintenance contracts. Project scale is large — featured installations include a 22,000 SF Texas estate housing a 24-foot film screen (third largest residential screen globally), a 25,000 SF Austin residence, a 17,000 SF Gunter ranch, and projects featuring 70+ automated roller shades — implying individual project values in the multi-hundred-thousand to seven-figure range. The firm holds Texas Electrical Contractor License #34024 and Private Security License B28354801, enabling in-house execution of pre-construction electrical and security scope.

Elliston is privately held, founder-owned, and bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors. Revenue is generated through one-time custom installation projects plus recurring service contracts, with no publicly disclosed figures. Distribution is anchored by referral partnerships with 30+ architecture firms and 20+ interior design firms across Texas, supplemented by a website-based portfolio, an online System Design Configurator tool, and Facebook/Instagram brand presence. Customer testimonials indicate engagement durations of 15-19+ years, consistent with a stable, relationship-driven business model rather than a venture-scale growth trajectory.

Name

elliston systems & design

Legal name

Elliston Systems & Design

Website

https://ellistonsystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Elliston Systems & Design is a Dallas-based custom integrator founded in 2001 that designs and installs home automation, private cinemas, lighting, shading, outdoor AV, and IT systems for luxury residential and select commercial clients in Texas, leveraging an exclusive Meyer Sound partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart Home Integration Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Motorized Shades, Blinds & Curtain Automation (HSAHADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Smart Lighting Control (Switches, Dimmers, Scenes) Integration (HSAOANAF), Curtains, Blinds & Window Treatment Installation (HSAGAHAC), Smart Home & Assistive Technology Integration (Voice, Sensors, Alerts) (HSAPANAI)

Keywords

• Home automation systems
• Private cinema installation
• Smart home integration
• Lighting control systems
• Motorized shading solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Custom Installation Services: Revenue is generated through custom design, installation, and maintenance of home automation, audio/video, lighting, and shading systems for residential and commercial clients. Projects are typically custom engagements with pricing based on scope and complexity.
2. Service and Maintenance: Ongoing service, maintenance, and support contracts for installed systems. The company handles service requests promptly and can act as intermediary with third-party providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Elliston Systems & Design is a custom integration firm that designs, sells, and installs residential and commercial smart-technology systems, including home automation, private cinemas, lighting and shading controls, outdoor audio/video, and IT/networking. Projects are delivered through a consultative discover-design-create-enjoy process with on-site design, pre-wire, build, and ongoing service for luxury properties.

Product overview

Elliston Systems & Design is a custom smart home automation and installation company founded in 2001, offering integrated technology solutions for luxury residential and commercial properties. The company operates as a single unified service offering rather than a modular software platform, providing Lighting & Electrical, Shading Solutions, Private Cinema (home theater), Home Automation (including 4K video distribution, discrete audio distribution, system integration, and surveillance), Outdoor Entertainment Systems, and IT Services (including system monitoring and wireless networking). These services are delivered through a design-build process that includes discovery, system blueprint design, pre-wire installation, and configuration, with individual projects showcased through an online configurator tool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 24-foot wide film screen installed - largest of its type in Texas, 2nd largest in US, 3rd largest in World
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature16 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Meyer SoundcoreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive Meyer Sound provider in Dallas for private screening rooms. Meyer Sound is the professional audio company whose systems are used to mix Academy Award winning films and world famous music venues. Elliston Systems & Design installs these same professional-grade audio systems in residential home theaters.
• Lutron ElectronicscoreTechnology or IntegrationInstallation partner for Lutron lighting control systems. Multiple testimonials reference Lutron lighting systems that have performed reliably for 15+ years.
• Architecture Firms NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished partnerships with over 30 architecture firms including Frank Welch, Stocker Hoesterey Montenegro, Shiflet Group, SHM Architects, Zero 3, and others who recommend Elliston Systems for technology integration on their custom home projects.
• Interior Design Firms NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with over 20 interior design firms including Abode, Dallas Design Group, Mary Anne Smiley, Cadwallader Design, Studio Thomas James, and others who collaborate on luxury residential projects.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• D-Tools: Provider of System Integrator (SI) software for proposal generation, system design, BOM and project documentation used across the custom AV and smart home channel. Functions as enabling infrastructure for integrators like Elliston rather than a direct competitor, but is highly relevant to Elliston's design-build process blueprinting workflow and competitive productivity.

Broad incumbents

• Best Buy / Magnolia Home Theater: Mass-market retailer with a dedicated Magnolia division performing premium home theater and smart home installations nationwide. While positioned below Elliston's ultra-high-end niche, Magnolia represents the most capital-backed direct-to-consumer integrator brand competing for adjacent luxury residential work and architect/builder relationships in the same Texas metro markets.
• Crestron Electronics: U.S. manufacturer of commercial- and residential-grade control and AV distribution platforms (touch panels, control processors, DM video). Crestron's residential automation platform is one of the core systems Elliston integrates, making it a platform incumbent with overlapping end-customer reach and significant channel power over regional integrators.
• Savant Systems: Premium whole-home control, lighting and AV platform targeting the same luxury custom-installer channel as Crestron and Control4. Elliston-style integrators frequently win business against or alongside Savant, and any shift in Savant's dealer economics directly affects Elliston's competitive positioning on luxury projects.
• Lutron Electronics: Market-leading manufacturer of residential lighting control, motorized shades and whole-home systems (including HomeWorks and RadioRA). Elliston is a disclosed Lutron installation partner with customers running Lutron systems for 15+ years, so Lutron sits both upstream (technology supplier) and downstream (end-customer brand) of Elliston's value proposition.
• Sonos: Consumer-grade whole-home audio ecosystem and increasingly architectural/professional lineup used in custom installations. Represents both a complement (audio distribution as part of Elliston's scope) and a competitive substitute at the lower end of custom audio integration where DIY or single-brand solutions are displacing bespoke audio design.
• Control4 (Snap One / ADI): Dealer-channel smart home automation platform acquired by Snap One (now part of ADI Global Distribution). Competes head-to-head with Crestron for the same luxury whole-home automation projects Elliston delivers, and shapes dealer economics, certification requirements and recurring service tools across the industry.
• Nice Group (Nice/North America): Strategic parent of multiple residential control and automation brands including ELAN, SpeakerCraft, 2GIG, Linear and Panamax. Competes in the same channel as Crestron, Control4 and Savant for Elliston's luxury projects, particularly around multi-room audio and integrated security subsystems.
• Snap One: Distributor, manufacturer and software provider (Control4, Episode, Wattbox, Wirepath, OvrC) serving the residential and light-commercial custom integration channel. Now part of ADI, Snap One shapes which products, training, and recurring-monitoring tools are available to integrators like Elliston across the vendor stack.

Direct peers

• Audio Advice: Dallas/Plano-based specialty retailer and custom integrator of high-end home theater, smart home, and whole-home audio systems. Operates the same luxury residential custom integration model as Elliston in the same North Texas geography, sharing the same Lutron / Meyer Sound / Crestron vendor ecosystem and architect-builder referral motion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EllistonSystems
• Instagraminstagram.com/ellistonsystems

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about elliston systems & design