We're talking connected fireplaces
For our latest smart home tour, kick off your shoes and step inside this Victorian villa, located in the heart of Chelsea in south west London. Why not pour yourself a drink too? We count at least three drinks cabinets to choose from.
And while a footfall of 16,000 sq ft across seven floors, a private pool and billiard room may be a little hard to recreate in our own homes, the property has a host of inspiring automated tech inside that can be easily be adapted or copied, whatever your setup.
From the atmospherically lit furnishings to the neutral room schemes, there’s a host of style tips to steal too. Take a closer look here…
Smooth operator
Full home automation via smartphones, tablets or screens flush-mounted to the walls is a trend that’s become more obtainable than ever with Amazon, Google and Apple all competing to hook up our homes.
In this Chelsea home, Buckinghamshire-based integrators The Next Level were asked to kit out the property with a home automation system to match its luxury furnishings.
Using the Crestron 3-Series processors and the MC3 3-Series Control System, the owners now have access to all the main features in their home including smart lighting, blinds, climate, audio and visual, which can all be instantly accessed at the touch of a button, with Crestron TSW-752 and TST-600 touchscreens.
There are even pre-set programmes for finer things such as turning the fireplace on (above) or covering the swimming pool.
The system can be personalised for each household member too so the perfect scene – for you and specifically you – can be set at the touch of a button. This means your favourite music can start playing, the room can be changed to your ideal temperature and the lighting can be adjusted to a level that will soothe your tired eyes.
Safe and secure
Ensuring a secure space is a necessity in this large home so the Crestron system has been specifically tailored to control third party gadgets, such as the smart intruder and fire alarms. If one of them is activated, all audio in the house will automatically mute and the lights, including built-in bedside lights, will turn on – that should be a message that will be read loud and clear, even in the deepest of sleeps.
Security can also be monitored via a smartphone or tablet while the owners are out, so they can monitor things like whether the windows have been opened and for how long via connected sensors.
They can also keep an eye on the cat while they’re out – even if just to find out that it’s getting cosy on those sumptuous living room sofas, or catching 40 winks under Egyptian cotton bed sheets.
The perfect party pad
As well as private swimming pool and games room, the property has a dedicated home cinema room, complete with cocktail cabinet and reclining seats to get the viewers immersed in action every time they watch a movie.
There’s also a large open-plan living area with the TV screen discreetly embedded into the wall so as not to disturb the flow of the interior decor. And while the TVs and audio technology play an important part in the home, they are subtly installed to allow the furnishings to make the style statement.
To give the family a huge choice of films and TV shows to watch, which can be listened to in surround sound, a Crestron DigitalMedia and Sonnex audio system have been installed.
These have been linked to Sky Q, Apple TV and a Kaleidescape home cinema system. In short, there’s no time for boredom in a house like this, with hidden home tech at every turn.
