smart home special
SMART HOME
PLANNING YOUR
Rebecca Foster explains how to design a fully integrated, whole-house system, and takes a closer look at why it’s important to plan the infrastructure as early as possible
This new build home in Aberdeenshire features an integrated smart system from ABB-free@home, which controls the heating and lighting. Cables were also run beside the windows to install automated blinds at a later date. Designed by John Willox (
willoxdesign.com), the contemporary kitchen suite is from Rotpunkt (
rotpunkt.co.uk)
Adecade ago, you might have dismissed the concept of a smart home with fully integrated heating, lighting, security and audio visual as a fad. However, rapid technological advances over that period means that well-designed and seamlessly integrated whole-house automation now has the potential to transform the way you interact with your property. Plus, with more people working from home than ever before, and soaring energy costs, the right smart solutions have the capacity to create a smoother day-to-day living experience where you’re spending less money on bills.
Smart tech can broadly be divided into two categories – DIY smart home products purchased off-the-shelf and set up by the end user, and fully integrated (usually hard-wired) setups that require professional installation. The latter will be our main focus in this special section.