Technology is finding its way into the home. Homeowners tend to upgrade into these technologies when they are remodeling, updating or moving into a new home. They often turn to me, as a professional interior designer to guide them with the lifestyle and cost benefits. I enjoy seeing the way technology is allowing us to be more connected with our homes as well as transforming how we live.

The nest is a sleek home thermostat that can be controlled from your cellphone. It learns your families schedule and programs itself for energy saving use. The benefit is a 20% lower heating and cooling bill. As a designer, I love the solid steel ring around it, that reflects your wall color to allow it to look custom to your home. Learn more about how this can benefit your home at Nest.com.

The television has become the new family gathering pastime. When I design hearth rooms or theater rooms I find that the TV’s are getting both bigger and thinner, which allows for more options of integrating the TV into the design of the room. The control systems are wireless and as a designer, this gives me more freedom to create a clean design, and keep all the unattractive equipment out of view. We collaborate the with experts when we cater to high tech clients, we have done many projects (including the one featured above) with Applause Theater, in Overland Park Kansas. Learn more about this company at applausetheater.com.

Technology has allowed for programmable lighting systems. Imagine, you come and with the push of a button, the whole path to your upstairs bedroom is illuminated with only one push of a button. This is a great security and safety system that make life a little more sophisticated. There are some many options from upgrading a few of your switches to going with a full home system. Again, we find that homeowners usually bundle this upgrade when they remodel or update their home. My guess is that very soon, we will see all new home will come standard with these systems. Lutron is well known in the industry, if you are considering a programmable lighting system, start with their website. www.Lutrom.com

Window blinds have also become automated. With a click of a button you can let the light in, or shut it out. As an interior designer, I recommend automated window treatments for windows that are out of easy reach. The cord free system is also a safety benefit around children. This little bit of luxury adds a lot of convince for quick shade opening on many windows at once.

If you love these ideas and products but don’t know where to start. Give the professional interior designers at Design Connection, Inc. a call. We can help you find the balance between beauty and budget. There are many new products out there, and we can help you navigate the choices to your families lifestyle. Click Here to view our online portfolio.