Apr 28, 2020
At NV Integration we work with trusted partners such as Creston, & Lutron to provide our clients with the best experience.
Both of these companies embody the ethos of a Luxury Smart Home - by giving unrivalled quality and reliability, and therefore making customers for life.
However, we seldom come across new products that also personify this idea of luxury, but we have found 3 new products that we love to use in our installations and one new product that could become much more common in the next couple of years.
Thermostats are often an afterthought in a home, resulting in a cheap white plastic device on the wall.
However, with the Zentium thermostat from Polar Bear Design, it is possible to have a simple yet sleek looking thermostat.
Zentium integrates completely into BMS, HVAC, and lighting systems.
A room in a smart home will typically have intelligent lighting as well as heating, and for bedrooms air conditioning too. Normally these are controlled separately but can be combined into one faceplate with the Zentium Thermostat.
It utilises a digital crown which doubles as a multi-function button that controls temperature, but it can be programmed to do much more.
Dimming lights, air-cons fan-speed, volume for music, etc can also be controlled. Heating zones can also be defined and controlled from the thermostat.
Two zones on the same floor can be controlled by the same panel allowing for simpler control without overpowering a space with control panels.
Amazon's Alexa gives homeowners voice control in the home as it can integrate directly with our smart home control systems to cover: audio, video, lighting, blinds and much more. However, the downside of using Alexa is the trailing wires and bulky plugs around the home.
By using a wall dock we can integrate the voice-controlled speaker into the wall, or fix it underneath a kitchen cupboard or joinery - keeping Alexa out of sight, and leaving countertops and floors free from loose wires.
Almost every smart home installation by NVI has a touch panel that gives the homeowner access to the services in their home.
However, when we are partnered with architects and interior designers the white or black screen bezel that is often used is not appealing and detracts quickly from the interior design.
In these cases we can supply these third party fascias to cover the surround of the touchscreens, allowing the metal finish to match those in the rest of the house, giving the option of a more refined faceplate that compliments the interior aesthetic.
Instead of the black bezel, the touch panel can be finished with a metal faceplate that matches the other light switches and power outlets in the home.
Josh.ai is not available in the UK, yet. Nevertheless, we thought we would mention this product as it could be the next step in smart home voice control.
We have seen Alexa, Google Home and Siri integrate with smart home automation systems like Control4 and Crestron.
However, control on these consumer devices can be quite limiting, needing to say a scripted text to get the command you want.
This is where Josh.ai comes in as a new artificial assistant that has been built for the luxury smart home industry. By constantly learning about the way homeowners interact within the home Josh.ai can learn how they like things, such as blinds and lights as well as other routines that are consistently followed.
However, Josh.ai can go even further by understanding where you are and giving you information about your home.
For example, if you leave the house and lights are left on, music is playing and the heating is on, the homeowner will be notified and they can remotely turn these off.
Having an artificial assistant alert you to these things in the home is an excellent way of cutting down on energy waste and truly changes your home into a smart home that reacts to your presence.
Check out this video of Josh.ai in action!
We like using these products in our installations and if you would like these superior products in your home as well contact us here to book an appointment at our showroom.