The Dumb House
When it comes to home technology, how much tech is too much tech? Home designs and smart features have been around for decades, and it is unsurprising that the new additions to make a home efficient become outdated quickly. Especially these days!
It’s fun to research how homes have changed. In the 1940’s you picked up your telephone receiver and asked the operator, a real, live, human, to connect you! Oh, and the wonderful large stereo cabinets with the TV built in were a big deal at my house in the 1960’s!
So now, fast forward to 2024 and how do you determine which smart features are useful to your home and which ones to forgo?
There has been much discussion in our industry regarding the “dumb” house!
Do you want your home listening to everything you do and say? Cameras everywhere, including your fridge? Your phone becoming the all mighty arbiter of your home life? Interestingly, tech has made so many leaps and bounds in the last 15 years that it was at first a status symbol, something a bit “showy” that many people wanted in their homes. Now, as we evolve as a society there is a movement to simplify our lives, not become so connected, and thus “The Dumb House” is born. What I am finding is that most people want their home features to be reliable. If your only control of heating and cooling is a Nest and it goes offline, you can have some serious problems. There are cases on the east coast where pipes burst, basements flooded because the homeowners were away and the system went down, thus there goes the heating!
If the internet is down, should you lose your ability to open and close your blinds? Better to have a battery charged system that is still wireless but a more basic system of technology. Integrating manual and remote technology is the best way to go in my opinion. “Alexa, turn on the lights!” might be something folks are into, but I just like to flip the switch!
Have you ever stayed at an Air BNB and it’s taken an hour to figure out the TV system and which remote does what? It is laughable at how many different forms of “streaming” there are now. How about just turning ON a TV, and clicking the dials? Hahaha
Stereo sound systems are also undergoing rapid changes and what we are seeing currently is a move away from built-in wall speaker systems to a more flexible, Sonos based system that can be moved or added in rooms to enhance sound. Also, the classic vinyl world is back in a big way! Record players and albums are having quite a resurgence, and I will admit it, nothing sounds cooler sometimes than when I touch that needle down to listen to a Sade album…
When it comes to the bath, there are steam showers, bidets, the enclosed water closet with the amazing Toto toilet, saunas and electrostatic glass that turns opaque at the touch of a button. The advice I have here is that if you are building or renovating a bath: Do your research on all the latest systems available. Personal preferences run across the board in this category. There are some folks who are very active and want to get the steam shower hot and flowing as they head in from a workout. So many choices!
Technology can make a home sleek and efficient until it’s not! Passwords, apps, zones, and other systems can be overwhelming. Technology is going to change again in the blink of an eye! Did you need that swirling, light up musical shower head? Sometimes things sound cool and innovative but do you really need it? Another side of home design that is popping up is folks that are incorporating elevators for aging in place, induction cooktops to eliminate gas, and of course…what every golf enthusiast secretly wants in their garage… a simulator!
So, needless to say, there are literally countless innovations coming our way regarding home technology. The key is to do your research, choose what you really need or maybe just want for the fun of it, and be open to becoming extremely flexible and Zen if it all comes crashing down!!
In the business of Interior Design, many of us opt for the “dumb and romantic house!” We like soft lighting from table lamps, candles, and charming accents that make a home feel cozy and not complicated. There are gorgeous new switch plates that look like they are vintage with knurled brass buttons that turn instead of a switch (check out Solid Switch on Etsy.com). Also, the array of cordless lamps is a new product in the marketplace. Check out pooky.com for some fun cordless lighting options.
So, as you can see, there are countless ways to go these days when it comes to the How-To’s of How your Home operates. Choose what works for your lifestyle so you can have time to enjoy the best that Southern Oregon has to offer!
Cheers, Krissy
