There’s no doubt about it – technology has become an integral part of our lives. We use it for entertainment, communication and productivity. So why not integrate it into our home design? Here’s how to do just that.
Most of us want the efficiency and luxury technology can add to our lives these days. But we also want our homes to look warm, inviting and have a little wow factor. Instead of viewing technology and interior design as separate entities, it works even better if you weave technology seamlessly into your interior design. And here are some clever ways to do it.
Build A Media Wall
Our living spaces tend to be hubs of technological items, including televisions, cable boxes and stereos, along with lamps that help with mood lighting for evenings spent relaxing. A great way to make all this technology look great is to build a custom media wall. This is essentially a wall designed to your own specification, with just the right shelving and space to hide wires for your exact set of tech items. It transforms a TV area into being a focal point of the room.
Use Art
Many of us will have extra televisions in our homes too, such as in the kitchen, a children’s playroom and in the bedrooms. But we might not want all these televisions to be on display all the time. If you want to watch television in other rooms but don’t want it to be the focal point, consider hiding them behind pieces of artwork, that can swing open like a door. You can even mount these hidden TV on swivels so you can watch it from anywhere in the room.
Baby Monitors
If you have young children, you know how important it is to keep an eye on them at all times. But you also don’t want a big, bulky baby monitor camera taking up space in your home. A great solution is to get a video baby monitor that can be mounted on the wall. It often works well to have baby cameras mounted up high anyway, as it gives you a better overview of the room your kids are in, so a high, dedicated shelf for this will hardly even be noticeable in a room. This way, you can keep an eye on your little one while they’re sleeping and free up some space.
Disguised Cameras
If home security is important to you, it’s likely you have some cameras up and running in your home. But you don’t want these to be obtrusive and ruin your home’s aesthetic. A great way to disguise cameras is to use them as part of a piece of art. For example, you could have a painting with a hole cut out in the middle, where the camera lens would sit. Or, you could have a sculpture with a hidden camera inside. This way, you can keep your home secure without anyone even knowing the cameras are there. You can even find things like nanny cameras hidden in stuffed toys.
Use Apps For Room Controls
Nowadays, there are apps to control just about everything in our homes. So why not use them instead of having numerous wall mounted panels to control all the things in your home, such as lighting, heating and air conditioning? For example, lighting apps allow you to set different light profiles for various times of day, or even create special mood lighting for when you’re entertaining guests. There are also apps that can control your home’s temperature, so you can make sure it’s always comfortable, no matter what time of year it is. Using apps means you can take a more minimalistic approach to integrating some of the technology into your interior design, because you don’t need multiple control pads on your walls. They’re also great to change the settings in your home remotely too.
Integrated Cabinets
Another great way to add a little luxury to your home is to have integrated cabinets. Many people apply this concept to things like refrigerators and dishwashers, which you can hide behind cupboard doors that look just like the rest of your kitchen. But fewer people think to create integrated cabinets specifically for other pieces of technology too, such as charging stations for phones, tablets, Bluetooth speakers and laptops. This means you can have everything you need right at your fingertips, without having to have it all messily on display all the time.
Digital Picture Frames
Another great way to make interior design and technology marry together in your home is to use digital picture frames. These are becoming increasingly popular, as they offer a sleek, modern way to display photos. You can even get ones that come with their own stands, so you don’t have to worry about finding somewhere to put them. And, if you want to change up the photos on display, you can do so with just a few clicks. This is a great way to add some personalization to your home, without having to put too much effort into it. It also saves a lot of wall space, so you can opt for a minimalist interior style without having to miss out on having your favorite photos visible.