How Home Tech Was Made Beautiful... Just in Time for Christmas
Love good design and smart tech in equal measure? Here are some great new releases for the home that tick both boxes
New gadgets and smart-home products seem to hit the market every five minutes. While their performance might be top-notch, up until now many haven’t scored so highly in the looks department. Thankfully for those of us who love good design, that seems to be changing. We’ve trawled the market to round up the latest and greatest smart-home products and gadgets that are guaranteed to slip unobtrusively into your stylish home set-up just in time for our summer holidays spent at home.
*All prices are in AUD.
*All prices are in AUD.
Amazon Echo (4th generation), $149
Amazon has also come out with a range of new and improved smart speakers, which give you access to music, voice assistant Alexa, smart-home controls and more.
The pint-size Echo (4th generation) has an appealing new fabric finish in soft shades of charcoal, ‘glacier white’ and ‘twilight blue’ that blend in harmoniously with most decor styles.
The new Echo sounds better than its predecessors too, thanks to a 3-inch woofer, dual-firing tweeters, and Dolby processing that delivers stereo sound with clear highs, dynamic-mids, and deep bass.
The soon-to-be-released Amazon Echo Show 10 ($399) boasts a screen so you can make video calls and watch television.
Get connected! Find a smart home technician on Houzz
Amazon has also come out with a range of new and improved smart speakers, which give you access to music, voice assistant Alexa, smart-home controls and more.
The pint-size Echo (4th generation) has an appealing new fabric finish in soft shades of charcoal, ‘glacier white’ and ‘twilight blue’ that blend in harmoniously with most decor styles.
The new Echo sounds better than its predecessors too, thanks to a 3-inch woofer, dual-firing tweeters, and Dolby processing that delivers stereo sound with clear highs, dynamic-mids, and deep bass.
The soon-to-be-released Amazon Echo Show 10 ($399) boasts a screen so you can make video calls and watch television.
Get connected! Find a smart home technician on Houzz
The Bar Cart available via Amazon Alexa
Serve up cocktails like a pro
With cocktail season upon us, there’s no better time to boost your skills with the shaker. A new voice-activated smart bar cart that just hit the market will get you mixing like a pro in no time.
The interactive Bar Cart from Diageo (the maker of spirits brands Smirnoff, Gordon’s gin and Johnnie Walker) connects to Amazon Alexa and takes you through a menu of cocktails, suggests ideas based on which spirits you have at home, and guides you through the process of making them.
There are currently 12 classic drinks on the menu, including Johnnie Walker & Lemon Highball, Tanqueray Negroni and the perfect gin & tonic.
The physical Bar Cart is yet to be released, but you can use the creative feature (which is free) through Alexa now.
Serve up cocktails like a pro
With cocktail season upon us, there’s no better time to boost your skills with the shaker. A new voice-activated smart bar cart that just hit the market will get you mixing like a pro in no time.
The interactive Bar Cart from Diageo (the maker of spirits brands Smirnoff, Gordon’s gin and Johnnie Walker) connects to Amazon Alexa and takes you through a menu of cocktails, suggests ideas based on which spirits you have at home, and guides you through the process of making them.
There are currently 12 classic drinks on the menu, including Johnnie Walker & Lemon Highball, Tanqueray Negroni and the perfect gin & tonic.
The physical Bar Cart is yet to be released, but you can use the creative feature (which is free) through Alexa now.
Belkin Boost Charge Wireless Charging Stand + Speaker, $99.95 at Belkin, JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman
Charge and listen at the same time
A multi-functional device that charges your smart phone (either horizontally or vertically), allows you to stream shows, listen to music and podcasts, and FaceTime friends – all without cluttering up your bedside table or kitchen counter? We’re listening.
The Boost Charge Wireless Charging Stand + Speaker from Belkin is perfect for those who want to listen or watch and charge their device at the same time, plus it’s small and discreet enough to fit neatly onto any surface.
Charge and listen at the same time
A multi-functional device that charges your smart phone (either horizontally or vertically), allows you to stream shows, listen to music and podcasts, and FaceTime friends – all without cluttering up your bedside table or kitchen counter? We’re listening.
The Boost Charge Wireless Charging Stand + Speaker from Belkin is perfect for those who want to listen or watch and charge their device at the same time, plus it’s small and discreet enough to fit neatly onto any surface.
Fibonacci keypad, POA at Ivory Egg
A luxe-look smart-home controller
Forget boring smart-home controllers – some of the latest ones are designed to be noticed, with luxurious finishes such as leather, copper and glass, all while competently controlling your lights, music, shading and more.
The Fibonacci keypad is one of our top picks. It comes in four stunning finishes; Aluminium, Classic (featuring bronze, nickel and copper), the subtly textured Fer Forgé, and Enzo (glass or leather).
It also has thoughtful inclusions, such as an integrated proximity sensor that makes the keypad’s labels light up when you approach.
A luxe-look smart-home controller
Forget boring smart-home controllers – some of the latest ones are designed to be noticed, with luxurious finishes such as leather, copper and glass, all while competently controlling your lights, music, shading and more.
The Fibonacci keypad is one of our top picks. It comes in four stunning finishes; Aluminium, Classic (featuring bronze, nickel and copper), the subtly textured Fer Forgé, and Enzo (glass or leather).
It also has thoughtful inclusions, such as an integrated proximity sensor that makes the keypad’s labels light up when you approach.
Samsung LSP9T The Premiere $5,999
Movie night magic
If you want to gather the kids, neighbours, extended family – anyone you like – and enjoy a cinematic experience at home consider Samsung’s compact new smart projector range, The Premiere.
The 4K Ultra Short Throw laser projectors are specially designed to work in smaller rooms – think a family room or lounge. The Premiere LSP9T model has two built-in woofers, two tweeters and special acoustic-beam technology that gives you room-filling sound.
A great feature for the design-conscious is the projectors’ pale-neutral Kvadrat fabric-covered finish – an appealing alternative to traditional black.
The Premiere is quick and easy to set up and can even be used in a semi-lit room. For the best picture-quality, you should pair it with a CLR projection screen from Elite Screens.
Movie night magic
If you want to gather the kids, neighbours, extended family – anyone you like – and enjoy a cinematic experience at home consider Samsung’s compact new smart projector range, The Premiere.
The 4K Ultra Short Throw laser projectors are specially designed to work in smaller rooms – think a family room or lounge. The Premiere LSP9T model has two built-in woofers, two tweeters and special acoustic-beam technology that gives you room-filling sound.
A great feature for the design-conscious is the projectors’ pale-neutral Kvadrat fabric-covered finish – an appealing alternative to traditional black.
The Premiere is quick and easy to set up and can even be used in a semi-lit room. For the best picture-quality, you should pair it with a CLR projection screen from Elite Screens.
Cricut Joy, $375 at Spotlight, Big W and Harvey Norman
A compact crafter
Love the idea of crafting but not the thought of all that clutter sprawled across your surfaces? Check out the new Cricut Joy – a petite smart cutting machine that allows you to make everything from customised labels for pantry jars, wall decals, iron-on transfers for t-shirts, birthday cards and festive decorations like a pro (even if you’re a crafting newbie) via an easy-to-use app on your smart phone. At 1.75kg and 139 x 214 x 180mm in size, it’s portable and will fit neatly onto a shelf or inside a cupboard without swallowing up precious space.
Browse images of stunning Australian living rooms on Houzz
A compact crafter
Love the idea of crafting but not the thought of all that clutter sprawled across your surfaces? Check out the new Cricut Joy – a petite smart cutting machine that allows you to make everything from customised labels for pantry jars, wall decals, iron-on transfers for t-shirts, birthday cards and festive decorations like a pro (even if you’re a crafting newbie) via an easy-to-use app on your smart phone. At 1.75kg and 139 x 214 x 180mm in size, it’s portable and will fit neatly onto a shelf or inside a cupboard without swallowing up precious space.
Browse images of stunning Australian living rooms on Houzz
LG French Door InstaView Door-in-Door refrigerator in Matt Black GF-V706MBL, $5,639
See what’s inside at a glance
Simply knock twice on the InstaView panel of this award-winning LG refrigerator and you can see what’s on the shelves – a great tool for saving time and energy, while helping keep your perishables chilled so they last longer. The fridge also comes equipped with voice control so you can open the door when your arms are full of groceries.
See what’s inside at a glance
Simply knock twice on the InstaView panel of this award-winning LG refrigerator and you can see what’s on the shelves – a great tool for saving time and energy, while helping keep your perishables chilled so they last longer. The fridge also comes equipped with voice control so you can open the door when your arms are full of groceries.
HPM Serenity Wireless Doorbell kit, from $28
Swell sounds
Does the sound of the doorbell buzzing drive you mad? If so, you’re in luck. HPM has released the Serenity Wireless Doorbell Kit, which comes with over 30 ear-pleasing melodies to choose from.
It’s wireless and cable-free so even the DIY-challenged will be able to set it up without too much hassle.
Swell sounds
Does the sound of the doorbell buzzing drive you mad? If so, you’re in luck. HPM has released the Serenity Wireless Doorbell Kit, which comes with over 30 ear-pleasing melodies to choose from.
It’s wireless and cable-free so even the DIY-challenged will be able to set it up without too much hassle.
LG Steam QuadWash dishwasher in Black Stainless XD3A25BS, $1,739
A supersized serving
If you’ve ever gotten frustrated at not being able to fit large platters and deep bowls into your dishwasher, check out the LG Steam QuadWash model.
It has adjustable shelves specially designed to accommodate oversized cookware and dishes (perfect for for Asian-style share dining). It also uses TrueSteam technology to break down stubborn, stuck-on food scraps so dishes come out sparkling and hygienically clean.
A supersized serving
If you’ve ever gotten frustrated at not being able to fit large platters and deep bowls into your dishwasher, check out the LG Steam QuadWash model.
It has adjustable shelves specially designed to accommodate oversized cookware and dishes (perfect for for Asian-style share dining). It also uses TrueSteam technology to break down stubborn, stuck-on food scraps so dishes come out sparkling and hygienically clean.
QuietOn Sleep earbuds, $355
No more sleepless nights
Sick of being kept away by your partner’s snoring or the traffic outside the window? QuietOn Sleep earbuds are the world’s smallest noise-cancelling headphone and they claim to be powerful enough to quieten even the noisiest snorer.
They also have a ‘push-to-talk’ capability so you can chat with your partner when you want to. A single battery charge lasts about 20 hours.
No more sleepless nights
Sick of being kept away by your partner’s snoring or the traffic outside the window? QuietOn Sleep earbuds are the world’s smallest noise-cancelling headphone and they claim to be powerful enough to quieten even the noisiest snorer.
They also have a ‘push-to-talk’ capability so you can chat with your partner when you want to. A single battery charge lasts about 20 hours.
Heritage Special handmade standmount speaker, $11,000, Dynaudio
Stylish sounds
One for the true music aficionados who are happy to splash the cash on something they’ll love forever, the premium Heritage Special Standmount speaker is handmade in Denmark, with a retro look in American walnut veneer on the outside and top-notch, contemporary acoustic engineering on the inside. Each speaker takes over three days to build and is designed to last.
Sweet sounds never looked so good!
Your turn
Which of these would you put on your wish list? Tell us in the Comments and don’t forget to save your favourite photos, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want more on smart homes? Check out this story New-Generation Homewares: Smarter and More Responsive Than Ever
Stylish sounds
One for the true music aficionados who are happy to splash the cash on something they’ll love forever, the premium Heritage Special Standmount speaker is handmade in Denmark, with a retro look in American walnut veneer on the outside and top-notch, contemporary acoustic engineering on the inside. Each speaker takes over three days to build and is designed to last.
Sweet sounds never looked so good!
Your turn
Which of these would you put on your wish list? Tell us in the Comments and don’t forget to save your favourite photos, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want more on smart homes? Check out this story New-Generation Homewares: Smarter and More Responsive Than Ever
Bijou home pod
Smart speakers are becoming the norm in many households, and the latest releases are smaller, cleverer and more powerful than ever.
The compact Apple HomePod mini comes in low-key white and ‘space grey’ so it fits in with just about any colour scheme. This little package delivers impressive room-filling sound with access to your albums, songs, and playlists, as well as access to Siri so you can set a timer, make a call or ask a question, plus a handy intercom feature so you can speak to people in another room through their HomePod mini.
You can also connect it to your smart-home devices so you can manage lighting, heating and cooling and more with a voice command.