Smart home tech is no longer bound to the realms of science fiction.
It used to be that as these technologies emerged, people bought each piece one by one – often ending up with a hodge-podge of disconnected devices. This is no longer the case, and luxury smart home systems can be custom-built to your exact needs.
Making your home “smart” is the pinnacle of luxury, creating an environment that is 100% tailored to you and your needs – as and when they change.
Here are just some of the ways you can make your home a smart one.
Lighting
If you’ve ever wanted to change the mood of a room at the touch of a button, or have experienced a horrible flickering dimmer light, smart lighting is the new technology you should make the most of.
Not only are smart bulbs more energy efficient, but you can instantly change the ambience and colour via wifi or bluetooth. Phillips’ Smart Bulbs, for example, can be controlled from an app on your phone, with 16 million colours and shades of white.
Since our bodies and circadian rhythms are naturally influenced by lighting, it goes without saying that you can use smart lighting to influence your mood. If you’re trying to get in the zone in your work from home office space, sitting in dim lighting won’t do the trick (it’ll just cause eye strain and tiredness)!
So, open up the app and switch up to warm, bright natural light to maximise productivity.
Security
Door viewers used to be ubiquitous, but gone are the days when you’d have to peer through your door to see who was on the other side. Home security technology has evolved into full-service systems that interlink door camera monitors, window sensors, smoke detectors, panic buttons, and more. Many of our clients are looking for peace of mind, and the ability to keep an eye on their properties while they’re away—and that’s exactly what this tech delivers.
The Crestron security system is an excellent example of security tech at its best. You can view through the security cameras remotely, and you can even pan, tilt, and zoom. Their integrated system – controlled via the app – can also put home access in your hands, unlocking doors remotely if, for example, you need to let the housesitter in.
Heating & Appliances
Now, you might not think your fridge needs to be smart, but when you find out you can look at the inside of your fridge from your phone, you might change your mind. Unnecessary? Maybe. Fun? Definitely.
In all seriousness, a high-tech fridge is significantly more energy efficient for this reason. Some will alert your phone if you’ve left the door open, and even let you adjust the temperature so you can have cold drinks on a particularly hot day. It doesn’t get much more luxurious than that.
In fact, nearly all other appliances can be smart now, too. Aqualisa, for example, offers a fully-integrated, digital shower that enables you to set profiles so that even your shower is personalised. It’s got app functionality and voice recognition technology, and you can even run your bath remotely.
There’s more – you can get a coffee machine that knows you and cleans itself, an oven that lets you save recipes and listen to Spotify, and a microwave that cooks intelligently.
One of the best things about this tech is that with the rapid increase in demand for these products, they’ll continue to evolve and improve. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before robots will be doing all the cooking and cleaning in the home!
An Interconnected Home
Now, an interconnected home is at your fingertips, with advanced home automation systems like those from Crestron and Savant allowing you to control every aspect of your home.
Whether it’s your lighting, security, room temperature, or home entertainment, you can control it from your phone, whether you’re at home or away.
Let’s reimagine what your day could look like with an advanced home system.
With Savant, for example, you can programme your home to wake you up to the sound of birdsong and a warm room. The heating is automatic, and the blinds open to wake you with natural light.
If you’re off out for a morning run and need to switch all the lights off, you can do so at theclick of a button by tapping ‘away’ on your app.
In the evening, choose what to watch from your phone and have your seats automatically recline and the lights adjust accordingly. Then, say ‘Goodnight’ to have everything switch off for bed-time!
Systems like this allow you to take control of your home by automating the processes you’d otherwise have to do manually – saving you both time and money, and reducing your carbon footprint too.
Your Smart, Luxury Home
There are plenty of ways you can make your home smarter – making your life easier and more convenient through technology. These really are the homes of the future.
If you have dreams of a house that’s completely and utterly yours – from the aesthetics to the oven – take a look at some of our previous luxury commissions for a taste of how we can make that a reality.