How to Customize Technology in the Kitchen and Bath
There’s a home in Florida owned by an art collector. Her passion is glass – there’s hardly a space in the residence where one won’t encounter a gorgeous vessel or sculpture. That’s true of the chef’s kitchen in the house, where open shelving reveals objects d’art as well as glassware and dinnerware. To one side of the space is a glass room housing a floor-to-ceiling wine collection.
The lighting in this space is striking. In addition to lighting solutions that highlight the glass and brighten the larger spaces, the home uses light as a design element. Light frames bathroom mirrors and select window treatments. Small sculptures are lit in the spa-like bath. Custom fixtures that follow straight edges and more organic lines highlight the home’s soaring ceilings. Every luminaire is tunable – colors can change with a shift in mood or sunlight.
It’s a tremendous example of a home technology professional and a designer working hand-in-hand to achieve a customized result that perfectly expresses the homeowner’s vision: a space that does double duty as home and gallery, a museum that never sacrifices livability. It’s something you could never achieve with off-the-shelf products from a big box store – it’s the essence of a custom integration.
Discovery Is Everything
A different client might have only needed lighting to perform little more than basic utilitarian functions – opting instead for the focus of the kitchen and bath to be entertainment-based, with music and even video to set the mood or even assist with a recipe. All of this – and so much more – can be achieved, and clients often don’t have any idea of the potential of technology to create these solutions. And when all the systems and subsystems are working in concert with one another, without glitches or hiccups, that’s where the true magic of the smart home is revealed.
Of course, the key to customization is the discovery process, best undertaken with the kitchen and bath designer, tech pro and client all at the same table. Understanding both the client’s wildest dreams and day-to-day needs is equally essential. And often, it’s a two-way street: The pros learn what the client wants, and the client learns what’s possible.
Being able to completely change the look, the feel, the energy of the space through technology is something special. Imagine the bath during those first waking hours of the client’s day: Lights come up slowly; perhaps there’s a TV embedded in the bathroom mirror that’s on as the homeowner is getting ready for the morning. Maybe there’s a specific playlist they’ve selected for the bed and bath zones of the home. The overall feel of the scene is one of “ramping up” to meet the day.
A Space Transformed
At the end of the day, the home itself is winding down, and it’s a totally different vibe. The lights are dimmed, and the color temperature is adjusted to replicate candlelight. Perhaps there are natural sounds or relaxing music on the audio system as a bath is drawn at the perfect temperature. All these integrated technologies adjust every aspect of the space to create the desired atmosphere.
The furniture and fixtures are the same – nothing has changed except how the room presents itself, a space transformed through technology.
Customizing and personalizing technology is about much more than gadgets. It’s about experiences. Having a fridge with a touch screen or a dishwasher that can be started remotely via a smartphone is wonderful, but how do those devices work within the larger system? Do they help create a space that can truly be transformative? That’s where discovery should start: Is your kitchen merely for cooking, or is it a gathering place for family discussions, entertaining or a casual drink after a difficult day?
Intuitive Control
Two factors are central to creating these experiences: interoperability and control. For our part, Crestron is constantly integrating a growing list of third-party solutions into the Crestron Home OS platform. Simply put, all this stuff needs to work and play well together.
As for control, well, that’s at the heart of what we do. When it comes to the home, every touch screen, keypad, or smartphone app must be completely intuitive and easy to use for every member of the household, no matter how technophobic they might be.
Homeowners expect technology to be a part of their living space. They demand it. And as these systems become more robust and reliable, you’ll find that the addition of tech solutions doesn’t come at the expense of any other part of the design: That glass collection in its Florida home truly shines when it’s beautifully lit.
By JoAnn Arcenal, Director of Business Development, Residential, Crestron
