Whether designing your home from scratch or making enhancements, the installation of bespoke tech to enrich your life and help it run more smoothly is the latest must-have. A cinema room with surround sound is no longer enough, those living in the capital want the highest security, intelligent shutters, coloured and mood lighting and energy control from their phone, tablet or a dedicated remote, whether they are home or away.
Comfort is key
Home automation companies, such as London based JSJ Smart Homes, aim to provide every comfort with a single touch. Founder and Managing Director of JSJ, Stefan Knight recommends thinking about your tech at the very beginning of a project.
“A typical house is going to have an alarm, heating and a security system – that’s three different apps straight away. People often have one system for air-conditioning and another for underfloor heating. So, in theory, you could have both on at the same time which is clearly not energy efficient and, in addition, you are unlikely to achieve your exact preferred temperature.
We don’t reinvent the wheel, we use the best manufacturers – the best access control system, security alarm, heating,air-conditioning, home cinema and audio, and integrate everything into one centralised server which is usually positioned in the utility area, basement or plant room. The resident can then control all aspects of their environment through any IT enabled device.”
Hight tech help
Stefan recommends a wired system buta retrofit can also be done wirelessly to equally good effect. “We put small retrofit modules behind your switches or sockets –anything with an electrical source that you want to control.”
Of course, if the energy goes off, the lights will go out, but there is a solution for that too. Stefan explains, “We have a lot of clients who have UPS (uninterruptible power supply) so even if the power goes down, they are automatically switched to a battery source.”
Let there be light
Established by Richard Sagar in 2010, Sagar Smart Homes collaborated on the fabulous Beau House, a three storey penthouse in Jermyn Street in the heart of St James. The smart design features include a retractable glass roof which reveals a roof terrace that has a relaxation space with a television, and a dining area with underfloor heating.
In another luxury property, Sagar used technology to bring the benefits of light to a dark space. “We created a stunning centrepiece, from a lifeless, seven storey lightwell. Colour changing LED lights in the well are connected to a roof mounted camera that ‘reads’ the natural light colour. Using a specially configured processing engine, the ambient light colour is replicated down the lightwell, perfectly mirroring both the brightness and colour temperature outside. From crisp blue winter mornings to gold and purple summer sunsets, our unique installation brings them to life.”
Hands off
Richard Colman runs Luxe Smart Homes and is highly experienced in the planning and installation of multi-room audio systems, home cinemas, lighting and heating control and smart home security that are all connected over a secure and fast flowing home network.
Richard’s clients range from musicians and sportspeople to city financiers and global investors. He recalls one of his favourite installations: “The client had the appetite at the outset to ensure the property had all the latest smart home technologies that would simplify their lives at home and let the system do repetitive tasks that could be automated. An example of this was the automated shades opening and closing based on the astronomical clock on a daily basis. We set the system so the blinds would open 10 minutes before sunrise and close 10 minutes after sunset all year round. The client hasn’t needed to manually open the blinds since the installation.”
It seems that with today’s super smart technology, your home really can run itself.
