In 2023, health and wellness continue to be top priorities in residential design, according to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). ASID’s 2023 TrendsOutlook1 report explores how home design is being impacted by these factors alongside rising interest in sustainability.
The report identified a growing trend towards holistic healthy living, and interior design that addresses both the mind and body. It also shows how many consumers want to protect the planet and are making more deliberate sustainable choices.
So, what role does the technology integrator have to play in meeting these consumer expectations? In our view, it’s a significant one. These trends present an opportunity for installers to reframe the way they present technology to new and prospective clients which can help installers be both more relevant and more successful.
Smart Thinking for Better Sleep
Sleep is one area where technology can contribute. Since the pandemic, insomnia has increased with almost 23 million people in the UK suffering with sleep issues. The close link between sleep and good health is well established, so using smart home technology designed to improve sleep hygiene can add further value to your installations and improve the lifestyle of your clients.
Lighting technology may now help people get a better night’s sleep. Lighting control is important in promoting the body’s sleep-wake circadian rhythm; creating the right environment both to relax and wind down at night and wake up more naturally in the morning. Settings that support this include controlling window treatments that provide access to natural light in the morning, and limit exposure to light at night, as well as lighting colour temperature that automatically adjusts to match natural light, supporting our body’s circadian rhythms.
Smart lighting solutions, such as the new Vibrant Linear Lighting from Snap One, allows architects, interior designers, and lighting designers to work with integrators to create lighting schemes that support a client’s daily routine. With tailored lighting to support wellness, integrators can take advantage of a new service offering and a new potential business revenue stream.
Individual and Independent Living
Building on the theme of personalisation, smart technology can also benefit more specific needs of clients. By 2050, one in four people living in Europe or North America could be over 65 years old². We’re already seeing smart technology installations that are helping the elderly to live independently and safely in their own homes, for example enabling residents to close doors or adjust lighting with voice control, and this will continue to become a focus for manufacturers in the future.
Smart technology empowers people to create the right environment to suit their personal, unique needs. For example, in the UK it is estimated that around 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent³, and 1 in 100 are on the autism spectrum⁴, and these individuals often benefit from routine and predictability. So, providing a level of predictability with pre-sets and sequences, or creating a calming environment with tailored and soothing lighting, may assist these families in promoting a more peaceful and secure home.
Smart, Sustainable and Reliable
As we move towards the goal of net-zero carbon emissions in the UK, many people are making reducing the operational carbon of their homes a priority. Smart technology can substantially help manage sustainable energy usage by intelligently setting and controlling lighting, heating, cooling, and other essential systems in the home. By ensuring these systems run efficiently, energy consumption and emissions can be monitored and reduced.
Moreover, integrators can be instantly alerted to system errors that could potentially impact energy usage. Remote management and monitoring solutions, such as OvrC, empower integrators to remotely manage, configure and troubleshoot devices on the network, keeping every install running smoothly and sustainably.
Making Wellness a Business Priority
For any smart home integrator, it’s important to understand the potential benefit of excellent home automation on a client’s health and wellbeing. Helping a prospective client understand the potential long-term positive impacts that this technology can make to their lifestyle, and to those they love, may not only win you a client but may also lead to a greater scope of work for your business.
An ideal starting point for tips on how to approach this conversation with clients is the new CPD course by Control4, exploring the link between ‘Technology and Wellbeing’ including:
Improved sleep hygiene
Meeting individual needs
Reducing operational carbon
Minimising repairs andmaintenance
Decreasing clutter
In this course, integrators can gain essential tools to support conversations and new revenue streams to upscale technology for improved wellness and sustainability in the home. Find out more from Snap One on Stand111 at EI Live.
1. ASID Trends Outlook Report https://www.asid.org/resources/resources/view/resource-center/339
2. United Nations Trends in Population Ageing
3. ADHD Aware Neurodevelopmental Conditions
4. National Autistic Society What is Autism
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