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Grand Designs Live is an exhibition exploring themes familiar from the popular Channel 4 show. The exhibition is aimed at all home-improvement enthusiasts, from those building their dream home, to others wanting re-decoration inspiration. There’s everything you can imagine from the world of home and garden design on display at the exhibition. This week, we’re going to focus on the smart technologies that look set to define homes of the future. 

Smart technology is starting to make its presence felt in the majority of homes. The ‘early adoption’ phase – when the newest gadgets are taken up by enthusiasts – has passed. Now the technology has become affordable, increasing numbers of the population are showing an interest. We’re at about the point smartphone technology was at 5 years ago. If smart home technology follows the same curve – sales are about to explode.

The Grand Designs Live exhibition has a section devoted to the new technologies. Visitors to the exhibition have the chance to experience the convenience of interacting with the artificial intelligence systems that we will soon be inviting into our homes to do the hoovering, suggest television programmes we might like and run the central heating system efficiently.

Take the humble lightbulb. Smart technology has re-engineered the lightbulb in numerous ways. The Grand Designs Live Light Lab features bulbs that are voice activated, bulbs with in-built speakers, bulbs that can change colour on request. The LIFX bulb even has “…thousands of shades of whites…”

Automation makes life easier. We’ve been selling automated blinds since our business opened. The big change coming will be the method of control. Rather than having a separate remote control, your customers will be wanting to operate their automated blinds and shutters from their smartphone. Systems like the Somfy Tahoma that connect wirelessly between automated systems, a home hub and a smartphone app look set to be the next big step in home automation.