Potes Smart Homes become a Loxone Gold Partner
We are very excited to announce that Potes Smart Homes is now a Loxone Gold Partner. We sent Founder & Director Christian Pote over a few questions to find out some more about their journey to gold. Here’s what he had to say:
Could you start by telling us about your background and what led you to become interested in home & building automation?
I started out working on live events as a freelance sound and lighting technician before moving into commercial AV installation. I enjoyed the variety and scale of projects I was involved with, from universities, theatres and music venues to luxury cruise liners but after a while I decided I wanted something more permanent and decided to qualify as an electrician. I started out on my own wanting to combine my AV and electrical knowledge; I knew I wanted to work in home automation and looked into a variety of solutions.
What made you decide to become a Loxone Partner?
When I purchased my first home I came across Loxone while researching what I could do to make my new place fully automated. I got in touch and within weeks was on a training course. Before I even had my training that this solution was going to be the solution that was to shape my business as well as my home. Loxone have a solution that covers heating, lighting, access, security, multiroom audio and shading all seamlessly together in a way that was so simple to use, and this has always been key to helping our clients really believe it’s for them.
The support I received from the start and throughout our journey to Gold has been fantastic, the Loxone team are lovely and our relationship with them has been vital for helping our business run smoothly.
Meet the team
Christian Pote
Founder & Director
Christian oversees the overall day to day running of operations as well as helping out on the installations themselves and dealing with our customers on creating their dreams. He follows our clients’ journey on a technical and design level. When he’s not talking automation, you can find him in the garden making the most of his pizza oven with a glass of red, or playing his beloved guitar at an open mic night in York.
Michael Akers
Sales Director
Michael looks after our sales leads, keeping in touch with prospective clients and making them understand what we can bring to their projects. He has gained experience over many years working on multimillion-pound construction projects. He’s also passionate about bringing our automated solutions to other markets such as AAL and the commercial sector. Mike is passionate about Krav Maga which he’s been practising for many years, and he’s a great singer, too.
Erika Pote
Administration & Technical Drawings
Erika looks after the day-to-day administration, products handling, and is our in house CAD designer; she creates drawings for our team to work from. She also takes care of the social side of the business as well as being Christian’s PA. She’s passionate about lighting design and plays the harp.
Karl Wilcox
Lead Engineer
Karl is our fully qualified electrician who has such a huge passion for automation and helping our clients on-site to keep projects on track. He is meticulous in his approach to installation and his cabling alone is a work of art! He’s a keen photographer with an eye for detail.
Kam Wolfenden
Apprentice
Kam is our electrical apprentice; He joined our team because he wanted to learn more skills than just what other electrical engineers will learn at college. He sees the value of up training himself into what will be the electrician of the future. In his spare time Kam is a keen DIY enthusiast which has led to him undertaking his own self-build house project.
Juniper Pote
Mascot
Juniper is in charge of making sure that whatever we do, we do it with a smile on our face. She’s also really good at helping build the Loxone panels. Juniper enjoys eating. Anything.
What has your dedicated journey to Gold involved?
Ever since I stepped foot in the Loxone office for the first time I knew I had to push for Gold. The journey has been somewhat of an adventure and not always easy, but we have consistently grown our business and adapted our branding to proudly achieve this goal and we will continue to push our boundaries. Over the years we have worked on a huge range of projects from fully-automated new builds, to luxury man caves and even a boutique hotel. Now our customers enquire from all over the country which is a result of building a brand that people can believe in and a reputation for going the extra mile to deliver incredible projects.
What has been your biggest/favourite project (with Loxone)? What challenges have you faced?
My favourite project has been The Vices, a fully automated boutique hotel and restaurant in York. This project took nearly three years from concept to completion of which we have been involved from the start. The challenges we have had to overcome on this project alone has made us a much better and prepared company in so many ways. It features integrated heating, lighting, audio, shading and room access in the context of a beautiful converted Victorian police station and has already had incredible feedback from The Times, GQ and Conde-nast. The opportunity it gives us to bring Loxone and the benefits of automation to the guests who stay there is something we are very excited about.
What has been your biggest/favourite project (with Loxone)? What challenges have you faced?
My favourite project has been The Vices, a fully automated boutique hotel and restaurant in York. This project took nearly three years from concept to completion of which we have been involved from the start. The challenges we have had to overcome on this project alone has made us a much better and prepared company in so many ways. It features integrated heating, lighting, audio, shading and room access in the context of a beautiful converted Victorian police station and has already had incredible feedback from The Times, GQ and Conde-nast. The opportunity it gives us to bring Loxone and the benefits of automation to the guests who stay there is something we are very excited about.
How have your customers benefited from Loxone technology?
We love seeing how quickly they see and embrace the benefits of automation. They often can’t believe how quickly they adapt to moving around the home without the need to ever touch a switch. Not having to put that shopping down to turn on the lights or getting up to close the curtains in the evening, may sound small thing, but once you are used to it, I promise you will miss it when taken away!
How have your customers benefited from Loxone technology?
We love seeing how quickly they see and embrace the benefits of automation. They often can’t believe how quickly they adapt to moving around the home without the need to ever touch a switch. Not having to put that shopping down to turn on the lights or getting up to close the curtains in the evening, may sound small thing, but once you are used to it, I promise you will miss it when taken away!
What makes your company different and what are your unique selling points?
We have a true passion for automation and the skills to deliver, but we don’t just finish there; Our small Potes “family” has a wealth of expertise: from interior and lighting design, to a wide range of technical experience from commercial and residential sectors we create proposals that meet and exceeds our clients’ vision. We give our customers peace of mind knowing their project will be delivered on time, and beyond expectations while inspiring them to be creative and innovative. We also understand that no two of our clients are the same and we pride ourselves on delivering a bespoke personal service which meets their specific requirements and lifestyle and most importantly, works for them.
What are the go-to features customers ask for when it comes to home automation?
Simplicity and for it to blend in. You would not believe how many people just want the easy life. And guess what, Loxone has this well under control. But the touch surface has always been a show stopper because it is unique most people have never seen anything like it! The Loxone switch model is perfect for clients who don’t want wall mounted touchscreens affecting the aesthetics and they love how simple it is to change multiple lighting scenes.
What would be your ultimate home automation project?
I love any project which involves being creative and finding solutions that meet certain individual needs or solve a specific problem. Whether a luxury domestic property, commercial environment or otherwise I like the challenges that come from working in this industry and being innovative. To this end we are very interested in ways in which we can use automation to help elderly and disabled people have a safer, more comfortable and stress-free life.
How would you encourage other Partners to reach for Gold?
Set goals, work hard, be honest and believe in what you have to offer. Loxone will give your clients massive benefits to their lifestyle. They have created an ecosystem that once demonstrated to a client, almost sells itself. This said a show space to invite clients to is one of our most powerful tools we now have and I highly recommend it.
In your opinion, where will the smart home industry be, in the UK, in 2025?
I believe automation is not too far from being the normal as opposed to the luxury. This means in the UK we really need to start up-skilling soon to keep up and this is our pitfall. Automation engineer is the future electrician; if you’re not ready you will simply be left behind.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking of having Loxone installed, what would it be?
It’s never too early to start thinking about automation to make the most of it. Being able to work with our clients from the start means we can achieve and exceed their expectations in the best possible way.
I am proud to be a Loxone Partner; the support and relationships built over the years has been fantastic and it feels like an extension of our team. I am genuinely excited to see what Loxone will develop to bring to this extremely exciting and rapid growing industry.
I started working with Potes back in 2020 and have seen their excellent growth over the past couple of years.
They have been working on some exciting projects and it is amazing to see Christian achieve his goal of becoming a Gold Partner. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Potes Smart Homes.
