ANN ARBOR, Mich. – He may be best known for his leading role as Vincent Chase in HBO’s highly acclaimed series, “Entourage,” but Adrian Grenier could be described as the modern-day poster child for sustainable and smart home living. He meticulously melded the two seemingly dichotomous disciplines recently during an impressive remodel of a five-story brownstone in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood, topping it off with a series of thoughtfully curated and handcrafted speakers from Leon Speakers.
A self-professed audiophile, Grenier wanted every area of the renovated brownstone filled with premium sound but with no sacrifice of style or sustainability from an audio package that was both stylish and kind to the environment. For a request of this nature, Leon was the “obvious choice,” given its reputation for designing highly customized, high-quality home audio solutions, says Jason Powers, Founder and CEO of Powers IoT, the systems integration firm responsible for the project.
After gathering information from Grenier and Powers to understand the scope and vision of the project, Leon’s design team devised a unique speaker style, sourcing local reclaimed Walnut wood and butcher block to construct many of the home’s freestanding speaker cabinets.
“Sustainability is important to me as a business owner and that’s why our philosophy at Leon is to build products that last; products that aren’t meant to be discarded when a new model comes out,” says Leon Speakers Founder and President Noah Kaplan. Sustainable speaker design is only part of Leon’s environmentally-friendly formula, however. The company takes it several steps further by using recyclable packaging and following Lean Manufacturing principles.
The ingenuity of the custom Leon speakers in Grenier’s brownstone will not only stand the test of time, but align perfectly with Grenier’s vision for a smart, stylish, comfortable, and efficient home environment. That was all the inspiration Grenier needed to know he’d made the right decision to go with Leon speakers throughout the residence, for both surround-sound and two-channel stereo listening. In the main living room a pair of Leon Profile Ultima tower speakers wrapped in reclaimed Walnut flank an ornate fireplace. The duo is complemented by a 3-channel Horizon Ultima soundbar that matches the width of the TV and a pair of 6-inch Axis in-ceiling speakers.
Leon speakers also play a leading role in Grenier’s private screening room downstairs. Customized to match the warm tones of the space, a Walnut Edge Media Frame houses both a TV and Horizon Ultima 3-channel subwoofer. A matching pair of 10-inch Aaros ultra-thin subwoofers mounted below the lip of the TV deliver bass; two Timbre SEVEN Tower floorstanding speakers finished in butcher block cabinets and two Axis in-ceiling speakers round out the front surround-sound effect.
The nod to stylish sustainability continues throughout the residence, with bedrooms featuring Leon Axis in-ceiling and Vault in-wall speakers, the kitchen with Axis in-ceiling speakers and Walnut-wrapped ultra-thin subwoofers, and across the backyard and deck with six Leon Terra FIVE outdoor speakers.
Through its thoughtful speaker design and innovative spirit, Leon captured the true essence of the residence with a fusion of exceptional audio, artistry, and eco-friendliness. Whether they’re delivering effects of a movie soundtrack or lyrics from a music playlist, the Leon speakers set a new standard for home audio, and with complete deference to Grenier’s eco-inspired design objectives.
