ARE YOU WIRED?

HOME CONTROL & AUTOMATION: Tempting products for the home.



Wireless Home Security

This is a mini guide for digital products for your entire home. It is virtually impossible to address all there is to offer. This guide we'll address the most popular avenues of home technology.

I’m really dating myself when I confess showing my first home with surround sound. Speakers no longer looked like out of place monoliths with mazes of wires. They were camouflaged and inset into walls and ceilings, blending with their surroundings. Today, electronics have the potential of running every function in your home whether you’re in residence or from a distance. I am continued to be amazed with the advances in home technology, and excited by the potential of things to come.

In the beginning, as a designer/decorator, my challenge was hiding all the electric cords from everything from lamps to computers, printers, TVs, stereos, and speakers. Floor outlets provided one resolution for access in any location. Remember to use flat plugs to avoid annoying bumps under rugs. I usually relegate a linen closet to house the main systems.

There is an array of tempting products. Make certain you discuss all plans with your contractor. Since all wiring is concealed within the walls, these must be installed prior to installing sheetrock. It’s much more expensive to add features after the wall are up.

For home offices, go wireless! Place wireless printer/fax/scanners in a deep file drawer. Holes can be drilled in desk tops and shelving units to keep necessary wiring hidden from view.

Other home features are geared to comfort. Radiant floor heating panels displays in bathrooms and kitchens can all be set on timers. There’s nothing more soothing than a warm toasty floor on a frigid morning.

Drapery and Blind Controls

Televisions have become the home base for wireless and internet connections. They can be placed in any room of the house, including bathrooms. Ingenious installations of TVs on remote lifts are available that raise the unit from a discreet console, or lowered from a ceiling soffit to keep them out of site when not needed. TVs have also become a focal point in outdoor living spaces. Placed over a fireplace with comfortable seating surrounding it, it helps to create a very popular outdoor summer room.

 Window treatments perhaps have one of the most popular remote control features. In addition to on the spot control, they can be timed to open in the morning as a gentle awakening, and alternative to a harsh alarm.

Outdoor Surveillance

 One of the most practical applications for home technology is safety. Local police are informed if there’s unauthorized entry. Remote indications are sent if you’re away from home, and the temperature drops below a certain level. You can raise the temperature remotely, or provide an access code to a repair man. You can also increase the temperature of your home when you plan to arrive on a chilly day.

From your laptop or smartphone, you have numerous options. You can control your alarm, lock or unlock doors, turn on lights, adjust the thermostat, see when your kids return from school, and observe baby sitters and nanny activity.

Surveillance products are remotely controlled from smartphone or computer. If you want to keep an eye on a seasonal residence, you can create an interior time sequence to turn lights on and off in various rooms at different times so it appears that you are there. Outdoor products to ensure the doors are locked, and security cameras are operational. An indespensible feature shuts down plumbing if temperatures drop, and freezing pipes burst.

The ultimate strategy for a technological home is to have everything working from your smartphone or computer.

The conveniences of home technology are no longer a luxury,they’ve become basic elements expected in new home costruction.