Bright Shiny Things

Yet the proliferation of design tech in high streets and online stores now means that a bit of upfront consideration – and, of course, refined taste – can see cutting-edge gadgetry not only add to your interior, but form a fundamental part of your home’s identity.

In fact, the tech can even start with that most mundane of household tasks: the utilities. When you’re faced with the ever-glamorous task of setting up your energy suppliers, why not invest in Nest, the acclaimed high-tech thermostat that, having wowed the US for a while now, finally heads UK-wards this autumn? While the masses tech up their household temperatures with British Gas’s ideologically similar Hive, you will have the original and best, created by former Apple designers no less, hanging on your wall.

Connecting to an app on your smartphone and tablet or through your computer’s browser via Wi-Fi, Nest is the slickest way of monitoring your energy use on the market. From nudging the radiators up to a near-balmy 26 degrees as you leave the office, to monitoring the weather with its multiple sensors and adjusting it all for you, the eco-friendly, always-learning sidekick’s skills are as invaluable as they are strangely addictive.

Of course, when you’re done spicing up the mundane, you’re sure to want some statement tech pieces that define spaces rather than simply manage them. Whether it’s an all-action mixer on your cooktop, such as KitchenAid’s powerful yet easy-to-clean Artisan Stand range, an eye-catching music player in the bedroom, like the strikingly retro, Brit Design Award-winning Magno Wooden Radio, or a few of Erik Magnussen’s sand-blown glass Oil Lamps for Stelton placed carefully around the garden, a well-used gadget doesn’t have to reek of utility. This is no truer than in the living room, where high-end German audiovisual specialist Loewe has made a name for itself integrating impressive technology into interiors. Having previously made colour-matching furniture for their televisions, Loewe’s latest big screen, the Reference ID, goes a step further by offering customisable materials and motifs, for a fully bespoke set. Of course, the Reference ID would quickly become a nice-looking but untouched work of minimalist experimental art if it was so busy looking the part that it couldn’t punch its weight in the specs department. Thankfully, its Full-HD 400Hz display (in 40”, 46” and 55” flavours), 160 watts of Dolby Digital sound, built-in 1TB recorder and extensive smart TV services tick all the necessarily techy boxes.

“a nice-looking but untouched work of minimalist experimental art”

For true lounge luxury, try partnering it with Loewe’s 3D Orchestra IS surround sound setup, which allows multiple speakers to be placed rather cleverly at different heights and angles within the room, unlike most systems that require them in perfect alignment. This not only gets rid of the need for laborious ‘sweet spot’ tests, it also lets you plan speaker placement around the room’s fixtures, rather than knocking down walls and pulling out shelves in the name of audio clarity.

As all the sound processing happens in the TV itself, the signal can be beamed, losslessly and wirelessly, around your living room without a cable in sight. Rather than any kind of compromise, it actually acts as the best-of-both worlds, the technical and aesthetic working in harmony, form and function. It’s a mantra we intend to embrace further next issue as we take our quest for uncompromisingly great tech to the bathroom.

Words:
Matt Hill
Editor T3 Mag