Impress guests with these systems that streamline holiday entertaining. By Danielle Karr
The holidays can be a crazy time, with relatives and friends quickly filling up even the largest humble abode. However, designers can help their clients plan for a smooth and jolly season year after year by creating a kitchen that’s filled with helpful automation and technology. Thanks to the growing number of devices that are coming online, it’s easier than ever to make “techorating” a central component of any remodel or new design. Add these five home technology solutions to your design checklist to create a kitchen that can lend a helping hand at even the most crowded of holiday parties.
WIRELESS CHARGING
With large gatherings of people comes large gatherings of smartphones, tablets, cameras and other mobile devices that will surely need power by the end of the night. But outlets can be unsightly, and it’s rare that you’ll have all types of cords needed for every device. That’s where wireless charging stations can save the day. Spill-proof, retractable, and a very low profile, a pop-up power outlet hides in kitchen countertops and is the perfect home techorating accessory. When the outlet is not needed, the unit hides out of the way flush with the countertop, and the stainless plastic top offers easy wireless charging for devices.
Where to get started with this trend: Lew Electric Countertop Pop-Up Wireless Charging Outlets
SMART LIGHTING
Holiday lighting isn’t just for the outside of the home anymore. Designer-quality holiday lighting also sets the scenes and moods inside the home through automation, allowing brightness, color, focus and atmosphere to be easily adjusted. For example, a homeowner can select a lighting configuration that is brighter for kitchen prep and cooking of all the holiday party hors d’oeuvres, and then, with those same lights, another configuration can set more of a low-light, warmer mood for when the party kicks off that evening. Easily achieve this in a kitchen by selecting a lighting brand or smart-home brand that offers a “scene” lighting capability.
Where to get started with this trend: Control4 Smart Lighting
TELEVISION ARTWORK
If you’ve selected a beautiful framed TV for your client’s wall, be sure to give them the full experience by turning their TV into a work of art when not in use. Digital canvas companies offer elegant TV solutions that become dedicated art displays when not tuned in to a favorite show, provide simple smart-home system integration and offer thousands of curated, beautiful images and paintings to select for each TV when idle. Plus, it’s easy to swap out the image for something seasonal or themed — so the artwork can always match the party.
Where to get started with this trend: Blackdove Digital Canvas
STREAMING MUSIC
In the same way lighting can set the mood, music is an essential part of any holiday celebration; however, fiddling with the speakers and dealing with a speaker connected to a phone can be very frustrating. Eliminate the hassle with completely integrated high-resolution and multi-room audio. A homeowner can access a music-streaming service with just the tap of a screen or a simple voice command and play it throughout the whole home with incredible quality and reliability. Or, divide the home into multi-room audio listening zones to have dance music playing in the rec room, holiday favorites in the dining area, and a separate kids station in the playroom. With connected whole-home audio, music is now one less thing to worry about during the holidays.
Where to get started with this trend: Control4 Smart Entertainment
SMART REFRIGERATORS
A smart refrigerator means never again having to guess while running errands whether you have enough brie in the fridge for your holiday party that evening. A smart refrigerator does more than make lists; it can allow your clients to see their fridge contents from a mobile app, automatically assign expiration notifications and nutritional information, plan a meal based on what foods are available in the refrigerator and more. Homeowners will also be able to integrate their smart appliances onto a whole-home automation platform, allowing them to access and manage all of their smart devices from one app. Holiday meal planning just got smarter, so your clients can worry less about what to make and instead enjoy hosting with their digital sous-chef by their side — accessible on all their mobile devices.
Where to get started with this trend: Samsung Family HubTMRefrigerator
Danielle Karr is the Certified Showroom Program Specialist for Control4, a leading global provider of home automation and networking systems, offering personalized control of lighting, music, video, comfort, security, communications, and more in a unified smart home system that enhances the daily lives of its consumers. Working with interior designers and architects, Danielle connects industry professionals with Control4 smart home experts in order to help better provide automation solutions for their clients.
