Malcolm Stewart & Osman Khalfey Interview: Design and Tech in the High-End Home
Malcolm Stewart & Osman Khalfey at Decorex 2014
Decorex International showcases the very best in luxury British design, so naturally we were thrilled when KAV London had the opportunity to attend this year’s event. The brands given a platform at Decorex reflect the most distinguished specialists in their field, and we were proud to represent the field of home automation. Our founder and our director, Malcolm Stewart and Osman Khalfey, took charge of the exhibition themselves and were interviewed on the role of luxury tech in the home.
How does smart home technology appeal to the high-end customer?
KAV London were asked about the role of design and technology in the high-end home; It’s a great question, and one that we’ve given a lot of thought to. In the end, we’ve realised that the high-end home is a place of high-end technology. Technology, for the most part, is there to enhance our lives. After we have finished a hard day’s work, we want to return to a home that works for us, not one that we have to work on. The problem is that the number of appliances that we use everyday seem to have multiplied and become more complex. It’s easy to feel as though we are working for our technology, rather than the other way around. Home automation is a solution to that problem.
Home automation is much more than simply a management system. It allows us to control all of our technology from one device with ease. In a smart home, different pieces of technology communicate and even collaborate with one another. Our systems are integrated rather than separated. Savant, Control4 or Crestron controllers act as a heart for the home and they talk to everything else, through your smartphone, tablet, remote control or a touch screen on the wall. Using your smartphone or tablet, you’ll even be able to remotely control your home from anywhere in the world.
What does home automation give to those who are tech savvy?
For those who are prepared to delve deeper into programming, there’s no end to what can be achieved with home automation. One of the cool tricks that a controller like Savant allows you to do is split your television screen. If you have multiple boxes, perhaps a SkyBox as well as Apple TV, you can play multiple channels simultaneously on the same television screen. For example, you could have the news, sports, a film and your user-interface up on screen at the same time. What better way to show off your new 4K television than by putting that ultra-high definition to good use?
Do you want to learn more about the possibilities on offer when you mix smart technology with bespoke design? Our team will be happy to discuss the most innovative options on the market.
Go to our new page for upcoming Decorex 2015!