By Melissa Dubroc, ASID
Whether you are a tech addict or think that it has no place in the Living Room, home automation is going to revolutionize the way you think about Interior Design.
Smart homes are for everyone. Designers, Home Owners, Tech Enthusiasts – all of them can see something that they like about home automation.
We’ve come a long way since the chunky televisions and sprawling wires of the late nineties. We no longer must choose between owning the latest technology and having a home that looks good – now great technology complements excellent design. Smart devices are no both functional and fashionable. Cutting edge interior designers are starting to ask the question: How can we use smart tech to improve on design in the residential spaces?
Lighting
Light, is undoubtedly, the single most important aspect of design. It’s easy to overlook because we are immersed in it all the time but take it away for just a few seconds and you’ll know what I mean. Light creates space, enhances furniture and decoration and even influences emotion and mood. Home automation takes lighting to a whole new level. Walking into a room and having the lighting system not only sense your presence, but also adopt a different brightness according to the time of day, fundamentally changes the way you experience your home.
Sound
Remember the days of the huge hi-fi systems? Not only were they an interior design nightmare and incredibly difficult to cover up, but they used a lot of valuable room space! Thankfully, audio systems and speakers can be seamlessly integrated into the home by embedding them in the walls or ceiling. Incredible acoustics and immersive surround sound work hand in hand with minimalistic design.
Hidden Wires
Those who care deeply about design will appreciate the importance of integrated technology. Having our sound system mounted on the wall or celling is more than just a convenience, it is a space creator. Hiding messy wires and removing the need for tables and counters gives an interior designer more freedom to work without constraints. Not only that, but a speaker integrated into your ceiling delivers excellent acoustics – making it a must for music aficionados.
Tech that works beautifully, and looks beautiful
In an age where we probably look at our smart phones more often than we look in the mirror, we love for our tech to look good. The same holds true for the objects in our home. They are part of our daily surroundings, so they need to look and feel good.
The revolution will be automated
As smart home technology continues to improve, its influence on interior design will continue to grow. Fashion, tech and design are going to live together under one roof.
