Lutron Homeworks QSX — Whole-Home Lighting Automation

A Closer Look at Lutron Homeworks QSX for Large Luxury Homes

Lutron Homeworks QSX is Lutron’s flagship home automation system, and very possibly the most intelligent lighting system available. More than just lighting control; the system can incorporate curtains and blinds, temperature controls, energy controls and even integrate third party audio visual devices and voice control technology such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It’s more than intelligent lighting; it’s a smart home system which has evolved and been perfected for more than 50 years.

Homeworks QSX is a wired system with unlimited zones, access to the full designer keypad range and native integration with Ketra full-spectrum lighting. It is the specification we recommend for large new builds, major renovations and the most demanding homes, and the Lutron system we pair with Crestron on our largest projects. This page covers what the system does, how we design and install it, and when a different Lutron system is the better choice.

Lutron Homeworks QSX Integration Options

The Homeworks QSX ecosystem allows convenient and intuitive control of many subsystems required in a modern home. It is extremely scalable to cater for hotel rooms right up to huge mansion houses. The backbone of any Lutron system is its lighting control and Homeworks QSX allows easy control of any type of light fitting – from tiny LED lamps through to huge colour changing light shows. All easily controlled at the touch of a button, a click on a remote control or a voice command. The system is easily expandable to control anything electrical in the home including, but not limited to:

• Intelligent Lighting Controls
• Automatic Blind & Curtains
• Temperature Control
• Audio Visual Controls
• Energy Controls

Scalability is not only about size. Because every part of the system is designed and programmed in the same environment, a scheme can start with the main house and extend to outbuildings, garden and pool later without replacing earlier work. Third-party equipment joins through the same programme, which is how pools, hot tubs, saunas, music systems and blinds become part of the same scenes as the lighting.

Individual Room Controls in conjunction with Whole Home Control

A high-end lighting control system needs sophisticated controls and the Lutron range is huge and offers a solution for any usage requirement or interior design challenge. An array of keypad styles ensures a well placed button is available when required and a huge choice of finishes ensures a seamless design from plastic through to metal to glass. Buttons come pre-engraved ensuring the system is easy to use for guests and non-native language speakers in addition to the actual home owners and their family. Each keypad is fully customisable allowing control of lighting in the room but also special functions such as en-suite lighting from bedside keypads and all off switches by exit doors. The Lutron Connect app even allows geofencing using a client’s mobile phone – approach home in the dark and the exterior and hall lights come on automatically! Leave home and the same system can switch off audio visual sources and revert to vacation mode – simulating clients at home so the house looks occupied.

Lutron Palladiom Motorised Blinds & Curtains

Motorised blinds and curtains are one of the most compelling elements of a Homeworks QSX installation. Lutron’s Palladiom shading system — wired roller blinds and wire-free battery-powered blinds — integrates natively with Homeworks QSX, programmed through the same software as every lighting circuit. A Palladiom blind is assigned to a scene, responds to a keypad and moves in response to the same automation logic as every light in the property. Natural Light Optimisation allows the system to track the sun’s position automatically throughout the day and adjust blind positions without any manual input. Sivoia QS motorised curtain tracks handle full drapery. Palladiom brackets are milled from solid aluminium or brass, hand-finished in seven finishes that coordinate directly with Palladiom keypads and thermostats — designed to be seen rather than hidden. Read our complete guide to Lutron motorised blinds and curtains →

Homeworks QSX and Crestron: The Premium Combination

Homeworks QSX is the lighting system of choice on our most demanding Crestron projects. The two systems integrate natively and deeply — Lutron manages all lighting and shading with its characteristic precision, while Crestron provides the overarching control interface: a fully bespoke touchpanel or app that puts every system in the home — lighting, AV, HVAC, security, access — behind a single, elegant interface. It is the combination we have been specifying and installing since 1998, and the one we are most confident recommending for large new builds and serious whole-home projects.

If you are weighing up Homeworks QSX against other platforms, our expert comparison of Crestron, Lutron and Control4 covers the key differences in detail — including how QSX compares to Lutron RadioRA 3 for projects where a fully wireless system is the right fit.

Audio Visual Control & Integration

Homeworks QSX allows easy control of whole home music systems such as Sonos – allowing music selection to be easily controlled by lighting keypads for individual room controls and allowing all off functions by entrance doors. We often integrate music systems with occupancy sensors so music starts in powder rooms as clients enter and then automatically switch off when the room is vacated. We have even switched on music systems in boot rooms to keep dogs entertained when homes are unoccupied – truly bespoke solutions are easy to create with systems this powerful! Neat touches like monitoring the light levels in cinema rooms and automatically closing blinds when required is all part of the service with a well designed system.

These integrations are about outcomes the household notices rather than features on a specification sheet: music that follows people through the house without a button press, blinds that respond when a film starts, and keypads that follow the same logic in every room. Each is written into the scene and occupancy programming, so it works automatically and can be refined as the way the house is used changes. Voice control through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant sits on top of the same scenes.

Lutron RadioRA3

Not every project requires the full power of Homeworks QSX. If you are retrofitting an existing home, working to a tighter budget, or your property does not require wired infrastructure, Lutron RadioRA 3 may be the smarter choice — delivering exceptional wireless lighting and shading control. We are happy to advise on the right system for your home during a free consultation, and can explain exactly where the two systems differ in practice.

The practical difference is the infrastructure. Homeworks QSX is wired, with unlimited zones and the full designer keypad range, and suits new builds and major renovations where cabling is planned from the start. RadioRA 3 uses Clear Connect RF, operates independently of the household Wi-Fi and can be installed without opening walls, so it suits retrofits and period or listed properties. Read our full comparison of Homeworks QSX and RadioRA 3 →

Lutron Homeworks QSX Design, Installation, Support & Programming

We are fully Lutron Homeworks QS certified allowing us to design, install and program Lutron lighting control systems – this includes Sivoia QS Blinds and Curtain tracks. We specialise in designing systems for larger houses which present unique challenges with multiple lighting rack locations and complex equipment integrations such as swimming pools, hot tubs and saunas. The Lutron eco system is so diverse and accomplished that almost any electrical device in the home can be integrated. When designing a system we focus entirely on the end user – how will this system be used and how can we make the system as easy to use as possible. We often take over existing systems for both programming and maintenance – delivering systems which delight clients. Read about our Lutron maintenance and support →

Where to buy Lutron Homeworks QSX Lighting Controls

Homeworks QSX is a trade only product as it requires programming by Lutron certified programmers. We are more than happy to quote for full projects or individual components on a fully installed or supply only basis, as required. Take a look at our main Lutron product page for more information or contact us, we would be happy to help.

Because Homeworks QSX must be programmed by Lutron certified programmers, we act as the single point of responsibility for design, supply, installation and programming: the lighting design intent becomes a circuit schedule, the circuit schedule becomes a programmed rack, and the rack is commissioned in the finished house. For existing systems we also provide standalone programming, maintenance and support.

Homeworks QSX FAQs

• What is Lutron Homeworks QSX?
  Lutron Homeworks QSX is Lutron’s flagship home automation system. It is a wired system with unlimited zones, access to the full designer keypad range and native integration with Ketra full-spectrum lighting, and it can control lighting, curtains and blinds, temperature, energy and third-party audio visual devices.
• What is the difference between Homeworks QSX and RadioRA 3?
  Homeworks QSX is wired and suits new builds, major renovations and the most demanding homes. RadioRA 3 is wireless, using Clear Connect RF that operates independently of Wi-Fi, and suits retrofits, period properties and projects where wired infrastructure is not required.
• Does Homeworks QSX work with Crestron?
  Yes. The two systems integrate natively. Lutron manages all lighting and shading, while Crestron provides the overarching interface for lighting, AV, HVAC, security and access. It is the combination we have specified and installed since 1998.
• Can Homeworks QSX control blinds and curtains?
  Yes. Lutron Palladiom wired and wire-free roller blinds and Sivoia QS curtain tracks are programmed in the same software as every lighting circuit, assigned to scenes and keypads, with Natural Light Optimisation tracking the sun through the day.
• Can Homeworks QSX integrate with music systems and voice control?
  Yes. It can integrate with whole-home music systems such as Sonos, occupancy sensors, and voice control through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so music and lighting respond together.
• Can I buy Homeworks QSX directly?
  Homeworks QSX is a trade-only product, because it requires programming by Lutron certified programmers. We quote for full projects or individual components, on a fully installed or supply-only basis.
• Can you take over or maintain an existing Homeworks system?
  Yes. We often take over existing systems for both programming and maintenance, and we also provide standalone programming for systems installed by other companies.

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