Technology must be at the service of Interior Design
Home automation has become almost a standard in projects of a certain level. So to provide a true differentiating value to a home, technology and interior design must go hand in hand.
Today, it is no longer enough for houses to be equipped with control and automation technologies. Home automation and technology must not only be functional, but must be at the service of interior design and decoration, becoming a strategic ally for architecture and interior design teams.
User Interfaces: Keyboards
When we talk to our home automation customers, we realize that they generally think of automation devices, elements in the electrical panel and cables (lots of cables!). But often they forget a fundamental part of the home automation system, which are the elements with which we interact with the control systems. What we call user interfaces or UI.
Manufacturers of home automation control technologies under the KNX protocol have made a great effort in recent years to provide interaction elements with technological functionalities previously only allowed by proprietary systems: control keyboards (switches) that have capacitive technology, That is to say, you don’t need to touch them, but at a short distance they activate; or buttons that allow double-press functionality, or a key hold to give different solutions
But undoubtedly one of the great advances, and especially in European manufacturers, is in the aesthetic design of these devices. Winners on several occasions of international design awards, they have finally given the necessary importance to meet the needs of those projects where functionality is important but aesthetics are even more so.
Design award winning keyboards, sensors, touch screens or video door entry systems.
It is the moment when aesthetics and technology go hand in hand!
In current projects, aesthetics are taken care of a lot and an essential part of this aesthetics are the electronic elements that must be installed within the project. If the style is minimalist, we must choose elements that enhance or reaffirm this idea and not argue with it.
It is still common to find ourselves in some projects with a significant number of switches, thermostats, blind controls, etc., arranged asymmetrically where the owner has a “collection” of shapes, brands and functionalities on the wall that they contribute to the walls. a more than questionable aesthetic.
All these components, absolutely necessary in the installation, make the walls look saturated with elements, while if a smart keyboard were used, a single element would be installed that integrates all the functionalities in a single device.
On the market there are control keyboards in different materials such as corian, stone, metal, plastic, glass, invisible … ..which contribute in an incredible way to the aesthetics of the room.
But it’s not just the user interfaces. Today we have a variety of invisible speaker options, keyboards that blend in with the materials, mechanisms that disappear, glass that dims, motors that hide audio visual elements, etc.
Given the variety of offerings in this market and the continuous launches made by brands, it is important that interior designers and interior designers have the advice of integrating companies that can offer them a range of possibilities that allow them to materialize solutions never seen before.
Audiovisuals and decoration
Television
One of the elements that causes the most controversy in a home is the location of the television. Comfort is often at odds with interior design. In order to get the most out of the location and aesthetics, there are endless possibilities: motors that take the TV out of a cabinet, from the ceiling, that remove it from a cabinet, supports with turning possibilities, etc. In our motorisations and supports section you can see some of the solutions that we have designed for clients, in which we sought at all times to support the decoration of the room while providing the necessary functionality.
The speakers
In the same way, speakers are necessary elements that are often not taken into account in interior design, until they are installed. There are a lot of possibilities on the market, but one of our favorites is the invisible speakers, which are literally invisible because they are recessed in the ceiling or wall. These speakers allow you to fill, with a layer no higher than 2mm, and paint on top with the same color as the wall or ceiling. The result is incredible since they cannot be seen! There are also special speakers to install on the floor, on the shelf, on the recessed ceiling or wall, in the form of pictures (you can choose the picture that hides it), etc.
Invisible speaker installation process. Images courtesy of Stealth Acoustics
One of the options that are presented in luxury projects, where aesthetics and functionality have to go hand in hand, is to paint the speakers at the factory. This increases the price, but gives the aesthetic touch that is often necessary.
The Audiovisual Equipment Rack
Last but not least, it is to ensure that architects and interior designers are clear that audiovisual systems, networks and control require a space. This space must meet certain technical requirements regarding space, temperature and ventilation, location.
The audiovisual equipment closet (rack) should ideally be hidden within the furniture of the house. But it is not just hiding it. The amount of installed equipment and the heat generated by BTU must be analyzed, as well as the air flow necessary for its correct cooling (measured in cubic meters per hour or liters per second). Additionally, if these furniture are designed to install AV equipment, they should have the possibility of controlling them by remote control or managing them by a control system.
In short, technology and interior design must go hand in hand
It is clear that each technological component meets or is designed for a specific requirement. As an example, we should not put the same speakers for a small space as for a much larger one. That is why it is important to work on a good audiovisual and control design that adapts to the needs of each project, according to its size, aesthetics, functionality, etc.
The current challenge is to achieve spaces that are livable, welcoming, with good energy, and for this the technology applied to interior design creativity results in unimaginable projects.
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