It’s possible to tie almost every facet of home life to a smartphone
It seems each week begins with the announcement of a new advancement in technology. From the rollouts of smart speakers such as Google Home and Amazon Echo, to self-driving and electric cars, changes are coming with such regularity as to defy the identification of what exactly constitutes society’s new normal.
Such technological breakthroughs have invariably affected homeowners, builders and interior designers. So what are the most popular gadgets in high-tech homes? Across the board, the answer is the same: People want pretty much every facet of their home life tied into their smartphones. Today’s homeowners want to be in control of events going on in their residence – even when they’re halfway around the world.
“They want to control heating and cooling from Thailand, turn on the lights from their office, see what the kids and dog are doing,” says Sean Swayze, interior designer at Toronto’s Patton Design Studio. “It’s all about the smart home! Keys are becoming obsolete. [People are] using electric keypads or their phone as a fob, or as an access control mechanism.”
Gordana Di Monte, of Douglas Design Studio in Toronto, says her high-tech-loving clients are looking for ways to control ambient lighting, temperature, mood and window shades through their phones or touch-screen panels inside the home.
“All of this can be preprogrammed for each individual in the home and synced to a PIN,” she says. Elsewhere, she has noticed that for some homeowners it’s the possible advances in creature comforts that are of most interest, such as motorized draperies (or blackout shades that, when closed, can double as a 180-inch movie screen when used with a digital projector) or what might very well be the kitchen of the future.
“While in London,” she says, “we attended a design show where a concept kitchen featured an all-glass countertop which was actually a large computer screen. It allowed for interactive kitchen functions with instructions, recipes, how-to videos right on the countertop.”
Sometimes homeowners are concerned with environmental concerns and cost-saving alternatives. “We also see use of solar panels, heated driveways, heated floors, and intelligent appliances such as ovens and refrigerators.”
Sam Mizrahi, president of Mizrahi Developments, has seen an uptick in requests for installation of the latest in-home security items. “We have been requested to have secret doors and safes designed into homes and spaces which ties into the alarm systems. We have been requested to have camera control systems designed to the security and smart phone systems for homeowners to be aware of movement in their homes.”
It can be easy to become overwhelmed with too much of a good thing. Mr. Swayze cautions that the desire for the convenience in the integration of so many systems can, for the tech neophyte, become problematic.
“There are times when lighting controls become too complicated as far as moods, maintenance, or motorized blinds that don’t work in unison.” <EP>But when it all comes together, he says, with the combination of technical wizardry and natural beauty, one may impress guests with jaw-dropping displays of high-rise elegance. “In a condo with a spectacular view, the drama of pushing a button to raise and lower the window coverings is spectacular.”
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