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Smart Home

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The quest for creating a smart home is paramount in today’s modern world. Modern automation solutions within the home can enhance all aspects of your lifestyle. Not only does a sustainable modern smart home provide a minor relief to your home bills at the end of the month, but it creates a happier living space for all the family to enjoy. A smart home, essentially, looks at the modern functionality of your property with simple implementations of smart home technology. We can all appreciate the simplicity of connecting your smartphone to relevant apps, and this principle is used within smart home technology.

With the easy-to-use wireless technology, connecting to your smartphone has never been easier. You can also connect to the technology through home assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home. These smart and innovative ideas allow you to become both vigilant and problem-solving at the same time; with the ability to see and fix a number of issues in and around your home. Safety is paramount and this technology allows you to focus on what is going on outside your home, even who is stood at your front door, when you’re in or out of the house. There are a plethora of gadgets that are simple to use, and can make life so much easier, but the one thing that may cross our minds is, how will it look in the home and is it going to look out of place? 

Making it Blend Into Your Interiors

Technology often comes with wall mounted boxes, or equipment that must be fixed around the home. While a lot of modern technology can be small and unassuming, some technology may be bigger and bulkier but it doesn’t have to look ugly around the home. Amazon echo for example is one of the most popular choices for a smart home. It will take voice commands and there are a number of things that can be set and activated around the home. Alexa will be able to assist you with all your home needs, from manually closing blinds across your home, to setting the heating and alarm systems to come on at specific times. An Amazon echo can be neatly hidden within your home, and doesn’t have to look out of place. If you add the right decorations, you can make it work; look at the colour of your technology, what will enhance it and make it blend in? 

The Google Home system does similar tasks within the home, like switching lights on and off. Will it look ugly? A smart plug would be connected and all the wiring connected to necessary lights. It sounds complicated but it really isn’t. If you are worried about the way wires may look and if it will interfere with decor, you could look to use the space wisely and camouflage any wires. Although most of the systems are wireless, any wire connecting certain aspects of the home could be covered intelligently, by hanging plants, or lighting to cover up any visible connectivity methods. This can also be used if you are planning to install any sensors for your heating systems or outlets.


The Smart Plug is a plug that can connect straight to your home. It features the smart tracking of your energy uses within the home, a brilliant way to keep on top of your bills and usage. It can also set times for the lights to come on and off at specific times. If you want to ensure that the plug is not within visibility in the home, you could conceal it underneath a table or hide it in a plug point that is not seen, therefore concealing any trace of the technology and it will still work as effectively. 

What About The Security Factor?

The need for security in the home, especially if you have a family can be addressed through smart home automation. Surveillance cameras, locks, doorbells, carbon monoxide detectors are all very important. Some of today’s surveillance cameras at home are impeccable quality; which allows you to create a 4k image in and around your home, so if the unthinkable should happen, you can provide the police with high definition images. This also can be linked up to your home, so you can have great HD images and video connected to your home while you are hundreds of miles away. The idea of concealing cameras around the home can be beneficial for security, but you can also choose to have your camera visible as a deterrent. Be safe. Be smart. Your home is your haven.

To learn more about smart home technology, read Home Automation: How To Make Your Home a Smart Home.

What to Know When Making Your Home “Smart”

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smart home pic

Technology is moving so quickly it can be a challenge to keep up with the latest and greatest options to make ‘your home smart’. S Interior Design recommends that you don’t get carried away and install every option available, but rather assess your personal lifestyle and determine the best products to support that.

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5 Home Upgrades You Won’t Regret

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Below is a guest posting about upgrades you can do to your home to increase functionality, update the look and feel and increase your home value prior to selling. Notably the first upgrade the author cites is around smart home technology. It gives even a traditionalist, post 50 year old cause to think about implementing a few more in her home….lights that can change color with our moods? Definitely need to find out more about that one! Enjoy reading this post and more from S Interior Design.

There are many ways you can upgrade your home. From full scale remodels to small upgrades that will impact the way you live in your home daily. We’ve compiled five upgrades you can do in your home that will provide a refresh, and can even help you save money. 

Photo from Unsplash

1. Automating with smart home technology

We are constantly surrounded by technology, and we’re always finding new ways to make our devices smarter, faster, and better. Smart phones and watches, high-tech doorbells and hands-free devices, such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home, allow us to streamline our lives.

Some other smart home features include smart televisions, which are more streamlined than an entertainment center full of modems and they’re more stylish with an unobtrusive screen and beautiful screensavers.

You might also look to smart lighting by adding a lamp that can be turned on and off via an app. Smart light bulbs also exist with color-changing options that can coordinate with your mood.

There are even smart oven options now that allow you to monitor your cooking and food temperature while being away from the kitchen. Imagine, picking up children from school and extracurricular activities and still arriving home to a delicious, homemade meal.

Photo from Unsplash

2. Painting or redecorating

Take a look around your home and consider your current color palette. How long has it been since you painted your living room or kitchen? Determine if a fresh coat of paint will help refresh a stale space. Consider neutrals or the color of the year (“Living Coral”) to update a room in your house.

Other ways to refresh a space without a full remodel include utilizing some of the 2019 home design trends. Some examples you may consider include a full tile backsplash in the kitchen to refresh the space or repainting your cabinets with a white or cream to brighten the room without the expense of replacing cabinets. Also, in living spaces, consider a mix of fabrics to add depth and textures.

Photo from Unsplash

3. Replacing old appliances

Upgrading your 13-year-old washing machine or your finicky dishwasher to a new, high-tech appliance could save you money in the long run. Modern appliances are energy efficient and conserve more water than traditional models, so you’ll be saving on your utility bills in no time.

They’ll also boost the resale value of your home if you’re planning on moving in the next few years. If any of your appliances are on the fritz, you could be eligible for a brand new replacement through your home warranty, which is also considered to be a great marketing tool during a home sale.

4. Getting more out of a small space

We all have a small room in our home that isn’t being used to its greatest potential, and it’s often a bathroom. Fortunately, there are ways to make the most of the space you have.

First, consider the lighting of the bathroom. If it is possible, consider bringing in additional natural light by adding a skylight or solar tube. If that isn’t an option, add recessed lighting in addition to the vanity lighting. Clear clutter, go vertical with storage and consider adding a floating vanity. With a small footprint use all the space available by going up.

Photo from Unsplash

5. Preparing for resale

Selling your home is a stressful process. You want to show it in its best possible shape, but you also want to avoid putting too much money into the property you are selling.

Start with a home critique from a real estate agent or potential buyer. Getting a fresh set of eyes into your space can provide feedback on things you may not see, and may also show trouble points you weren’t aware of.

Once you have received feedback consider repainting and reflooring the interior. A fresh coat of neutral paint helps provide a neutral backdrop that potential buyers need in order to imagine themselves in your space.

Also, consider the condition of your flooring, especially carpet. Dirty and torn carpet may need to be replaced, or at minimum a professional carpet cleaning works wonders.

These are just a few tips and upgrades we know you won’t regret when considering changes and additions to your home. 

BY: Paige A. Mitchell

Smart Technology That is Revolutionizing Modern Homes

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Below is a guest posting on the subject of the technology options that are changing the way we live in our homes.
As an Interior Designer I need to be aware of the ever changing technology options that can have an impact on the overall design and functionality of a space.  With the rapid pace of change we are experiencing in this area it honestly can be a part-time job in and of itself to keep abreast of it all.  That is one of the reasons S Interior Design welcomed the opportunity to learn more and share it with you! Thank you Jackie Mason for writing the article and sharing it with us.

Make sure to click on the links imbeded in the article to get the full story.

The Smart Technology That is Revolutionizing Modern Homes

Over 40% of American households use smart technology, with an average of 3.5 smart devices used in each home. Smart technology often appeals because of the convenience and time saving it provides. A lot of smart technology also offers a way of updating your interior design easily without any major cost. The stylishness of many of today’s emerging gadgets makes it easy to see why so many people are incorporating them into the design of their homes. Here are just a few examples of the kind of smart technology that can give your interior design real style and added functionality.

 The stylish and unobtrusive television screen

When it comes to home living, you can ‘go smart’ anywhere in the house. However, one of the areas of smart technology that people are drawn to most is home entertainment. Television screens are becoming more and more streamlined and multi-functional. The transparent TV is particularly worth a mention. Still in the early stages of development, the TV shows high-definition images when switched on and can blend into the background as a transparent screen when turned off. This means that you can have the sought-after high quality as well as discretion; the television doesn’t have to dominate the room. LG takes this combination one step further with its roll up and down television screen. The TV screen can be wound down when you don’t want to watch it or would rather it was out of sight when not in use. The screen size and aspect ratios can be adjusted to suit different uses – whether that be for television, computing or photograph displays.

 A kitchen that aids cooking

Research shows that the kitchen is the most important room to homeowners when it comes to interior design. This has led to a rise in the number of smart kitchen gadgets entering the market – and potentially people’s homes. These include smart ovens: gone are the days where you have to slave away over a hot stove after a day’s work. Smart ovens can link up with your smartphone, registering the food that is in the oven and making recommendations on cooking methods. The technology involves means that you can monitor the cooking away from home if you want to, carrying on with other tasks in the meantime. The result is a tasty meal that was stress-free to make.

 Smart lighting for the home

Lighting design has evolved with an environmental focus, with many companies using efficient LED lights. This is not at the cost of style and functionality, however. Examples of smart lighting in the home include SmartLamp, which is controlled by its own app and allows you to change the color of the light, depending on your mood. You can also choose a color to accompany music you are listening to, making SmartLamp an effective tool for entertainment and creating ambiance.