What does it take to turn your home into a smart home?

With advances in modern technology making it even easier, more convenient and financially affordable, many people are wondering just what it would take to turn their house or apartment into a smart home.

We recently did this for a client at the Metropolis building penthouse suite, right here in the heart of Auckland.

If you want to know how a 5-star apartment can be improved with a little help from us, then read on!

Auckland’s premier apartment building

Considered one of Auckland's most exclusive apartment buildings, Metropolis is the tallest residential building in New Zealand.

Built in 1999, the luxury hotel/apartment building is 155 metres tall and cost $180 million dollars.

The building is located in the centre of the shopping and entertainment areas and in the heart of Auckland CBD.

Metropolis is truly a one of a kind, where residents can enjoy all the luxuries that go with 5-star quality, only available in the world’s finest cities.

Residents can enjoy a magnificent 22 meters heated swimming pool which overlooks the city, along with heated indoor and outdoor spa pools, a sauna room and gym.

A big job with a successful outcome

The Metropolis is the jewel in the crown of the city centre, and our client lived in the penthouse with a million dollar view overlooking Auckland.

Even though Metropolis is only 20 years old, the rate at which technology has developed, meant we had to completely strip the penthouse and rewire everything as if it was new.

A job of this size required a lot of planning beforehand, working closely with the builder, our CAD designer, and the interior designer.

It was all worth it in the end, with a finished product that looks amazing and operates seamlessly.

Watching movies in the bath

The apartment has 4 large televisions, with one even at the foot of the bath. All four of the TVs were hooked up to the full 4K video, giving perfect, high-definition images in every room.

For the TV in the living room above the fireplace, an automated lifter was installed, giving a more comfortable viewing angle.

Of course, no good movie is complete without the sound to match, so we installed a home theatre system. Custom-built Leon profile speakers with full surround sound were fashioned into the cabinet, hiding them away but still giving the perfect effect.

A sound system for a music aficionado

Surround sound for movies is one thing, but for listening to music a completely different approach is needed.

As any music enthusiast will tell you, full high-resolution audio is the way to go, which is why we made sure the sound system was distributed through to all the bedrooms and TV areas.

This state-of-the-art sound system can stream Spotify, Tidal, YouTube or any music the owner wishes to listen to from any room in the house.

For the formal lounge, something bigger and bolder was required and we installed a pair of high-end B&O Beolab 50 speakers - a pair of speakers fit for the penthouse apartment.

Lighting and heating at the touch of a button

A smart home is superb for recreation, but it also serves a practical purpose.

Heating, lighting, blind and curtain control is also now fully automatic, with everything from the timing, exact temperature, and brightness levels all controlled with the touch of a button.

Sensors can detect when it’s dark enough to draw the blinds or when it’s time to turn the heat up a little.

The aircon can be set to come on at a certain time, or if you’re just leaving the office, tap on your smartphone and you will have the perfect temperature on your arrival home.

Simplicity and control at your fingertips

The beauty of a smart home is the simplicity of it all. One touch of a button can set the entire apartment to the exact specifications you like.

Settling in for the night to watch a movie? Simply hit the pre-set “movie mode” and the curtains will pull, the lights will dim, and the heating will make it nice and cosy.

Away on holiday? Lock everything up, turn off the heating, and set the alarm from your phone. It couldn’t be easier!

The system we use is Control4, which can be used by several touch-screen devices around the apartment, as well as your phone or tablet.

Create your own smart home now

Soon all technology will be smart home compatible, so get ahead of the curve and create your own smart home today.

Integrating lighting, visual, audio, heating and security will turn your apartment into a luxury smart home, so life-changing you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

As the technology becomes more affordable, a fully interactive smart home is now available for even the most modest budget.

Get the ball rolling on transforming your home and contact DesignerAV today.

Our friendly and experienced engineers will be happy to answer any questions you have about home automation.