These days, controlling a smart home does not mean compromising the interior with lots of sensors and other clutter (sometimes known as ‘wall acne’). Today’s systems not only deliver the control home buyers want, but they add style and poise as well.

In true ‘form meets function’ tradition, modern smart home controllers are like the stitching in a fine tailored suit – they hold everything together, but also add that extra level of detail that take the aesthetics to the next level.

Today’s control points add functionality and aesthetics

In the earliest days of achieving better control of lighting, utilities, or entertainment-based audio visual systems in a smart home, it was often necessary to employ several different control points and sensors to gather the information needed to make choices and deliver control points to make things happen.

Fast forward to today’s more mature smart home market and demand for this type of functionality is much higher, but it is not just automation that is prized – people want stylish good looks as well.

Luckily, there are now many options that do not detract from the aesthetic plans for the building; however, we at Avande go further. Our team carefully chooses a whole range of controllers that don’t just allow the interior scheme to be executed without compromise, they actually add to the look of the home giving developers and home owners aesthetically pleasing bespoke options for every eventuality. Key to this advancement has been the ability to gather many different functions into one device. Today, sleek and simple controllers that pack sensing and control into one neat package offer such a wide range of choices, so a solution can be found for any home or building.

Controlled good looks 

A big factor in the revolution in stylish home control is achieving a universal language that all buildings and products can understand. In turn, this allows manufacturers and installers such as Avande to concentrate on what we do best, which is creating bespoke options just for you. Avande is a supporter of the KNX building control system, Europe’s most popular automation platform which provides the communication backbone to many of the brands and products we supply. Rock solid reliability comes as standard with anything using KNX, so the Avande team gets to concentrate on taking the whole concept to a higher level. We recommend a range of KNX based controllers that do just that, here are just a few of the options available. 

Gira 

This well-established European maker has a range of attractive touch-pads that can control lighting, blinds, audio visual systems, but also have thermostats and humidity sensors built in. This cuts down on the real estate needed to deliver smart home functionality, but Gira also understands style and delivers that too.

The Gira PB4, for example, is a wall mounted push-button product that allows between four to eight individually variable functions to be defined. Either one or two optional LEDs provide clear operating and status information but do it with style. Each status display can also be programmed dynamically so that each LED is able to indicate several
end device statuses using different colours. To make control more intuitive, the buttons provide sensory feedback for the user when pressed. The products are available in a range of high-quality materials including white glass and black glass, in stainless steel, aluminium or striking aluminium black. Later this year, the maker will introduce further models such as aluminium coated with bronze (PVD) and painted stainless steel in a pure white glossy finish as well as silk matt, anthracite, black matt and grey matt. Whatever the interior, Gira has a choice that will match. The large operating surfaces mean each switch can be bespoke engraved to show what function is being controlled. Each button can be easily reprogrammed at any time in the system’s life.

Gira control, simple and elegant

Stay Jung!

Another KNX based maker flush with style is German company Jung, long known for its strong manufacturing processes and reliability, as well as an understanding of aesthetics.

A fine example from its current range is the Jung F50 compact room smart home controller which delivers a wide variety of functions and intuitive operation. The unit has a backlit LCD which clearly shows the most important information and control options available irrespective of the viewing angle. The F50 provides four options to determine the actual temperature: firstly, by means of the built-in temperature sensor, and secondly, by means of the temperature sensor of a connected extension module. The third option is by means of an external sensor that may be optionally connected and fourthly, by means of the temperature sensor of any other KNX based device. All of this functionality makes the product one of the most accurate environmental points on the planet, but it also comes in a myriad of colours and functionality combinations making its style credentials irrefutable as well.   

The Jung F50 delivers style, control and colour

Ekinex control 

The family of KNX based wall-mounted controllers from Ekinex provides another fine example of how form meets function in today’s smart home environment.

A big family of options lets users effortlessly control their home, but also make choices that match their taste. 

Simple and linear, the company’s controllers strongly suggest reliability and precision offering a range of push-buttons, touch-displays and plates which help to make the smart home an attractive home too. Able to deliver up to eight single functions from one controller, partnering four programable LEDs – which help in identifying each function and add to the visual impact too – the company’s family of products is one of the most comprehensive available. Integrated temperature, brightness and thermostat sensors means there is not much these versatile and good-looking products cannot do. A wide choice of symbols for different functionalities further enhances the level of bespoke choices and users can even choose to have their own logos or symbols added too.

Ultimately, these high-resolution touch-displays, combined with the versatile and intuitive interface, provide one of the highest user comfort and uncompromising aesthetic experiences available.

Ekinex black and gold controllers reflect the aesthetic of the room

Fibaro, more than words

Fibaro is a company that has embraced personalisation and human centric control perhaps more than any other manufacturer. This attitude is best summed by its Swipe Gesture Controller. The company has produced this slick video to show just how convenient stylish and controllable a smart home really can be. Give it a watch.  https://youtu.be/ORFas8glWDw

So, there you have it. Control has never been so stylish, so don’t wait – make sure your next project has access to all this aesthetic, personalised control and get in contact with the Avande team today.