Often times our clients request unique features to be built into their new or renovated homes that require the use of modern technology – along with some creativity in figuring out the logistics. Today, we’re sharing some of the most interesting new technologies that we’ve incorporated into our projects.
First up, let’s talk about our recent work with special illumination. At our Seaside Shingle project, the owners wanted to make a highly visible showpiece of their wine collection – while still protecting the bottles – in place of the usual tucked-away wine cellar.
At the back of their basement hall is a fully-glazed cabinet with capacity for 200 bottles held on slender brackets. The cabinet is back-lit with LED strip lighting, and with the reflective qualities of the cabinet and its contents, creates the dazzling display that the owners had hoped for.
Another fun tech tidbit about this impressive wine cellar? It’s programmed to open with only the owner’s thumbprint!
At the same project, the owners requested an indoor play ship for their grandchildren. We couldn’t provide an ocean (regulations), but we were able to light the simulated night sky, using a series of LED pinlights to illuminate the ceiling mural patterned after the constellations.
Next up, let’s discuss a few of our projects that incorporate hidden technologies.
A popular client request is concealing objects when they’re not in use. One of the most common instances where we do this is with blinds. In the past, if you wanted window coverings, they were always in front of the window whether you wanted them there or not, unless you had really thick walls and like the look of pocketing shutters.
Concealed blinds in our Waterfront French Eclectic Project
There are many instances where it’s preferred to have them completely out of sight at times, and with today’s glazing technologies, fading of interior objects can be less of a concern than it once was. With the latest available shade technology, it’s possible to build a motorized screen into a wall not much thicker than usual, just above any windows or doors, and with the push of a button, all the shades in a particular room can be raised or lowered.
Blinds appear with the push of a button at our Classical Revival Project.
Similar principles can be applied at our projects with televisions, and even swimming pool covers.
Check out these images at our New York City apartment renovation, where new custom bookcases were installed to add elegance and disguise a television that rises when active:
Multiple examples of hidden technology can also be seen in our Rye Beach Shingle project. The master bedroom within the home features both a hidden television and concealed blinds:
Back at our Seaside Shingle project, the resort-like backyard of the home features an infinity pool equipped with a Covertech automatic pool cover.
Here’s a time-lapse vide of the pool cover in action:
Finally, let’s look at how technology recently enabled one of our clients to park multiple cars without making their house look like a giant garage with a house attached.
Our client asked us to find interior accommodations for seven cars, ranging in size from a standard sedan to a large SUV. The site was challenging with heavily sloped topography, size limitations, high water table, and a homeowner’s association. Building a separate carriage house was not an option, and our only realistic course of action was to find a way to fit the cars in the basement.
Even if we wanted lots of garage doors (which we didn’t), our only good option for access was basically two standard doors wide. This meant that we would have to treat the garage as if it were an indoor parking lot. However, given space limitations, we didn’t have enough room for large enough turning circles to allow all the required cars to park.
To solve our problem, we specified a turntable by Carousel USA, which essentially reduced the required driving pathway to a 19’-8” circle – a reduction in space for vehicular circulation of at least 40%. With it, we were able to meet our client’s requirements in a reasonable amount of space. Check out this video clip to see the turntable in action:
As we look forward to our projects in 2020 and beyond, we’re excited to continue incorporating cutting edge technology in our clients’ homes.
Want to see more of our work? Check out our portfolio of projects.