HOME AUTOMATION TRENDS IN 2022
We’re six weeks into the year and things are looking very different already to how they did previously.
With 80 per cent of American families owning smart products it’s safe to say that homeowners are now completely comfortable with apps and integration. This, coupled with a global pandemic, has meant technology has evolved at an even more rapid pace than it might otherwise have done. Being one step ahead as a technology integrator is critical. So, let’s look into the crystal ball and share our thoughts on what we can expect to see more of in the months ahead.
Need for flexible working and network resilience
Lighting control, audio distribution and centralized control are standard within the luxury market and with this comes the need for a robust network. Add to that the shift over the past two years to home working and that need has become even more important. With many major organizations opting to allow home or hybrid working to remain in place, we’re seeing a greater emphasis on creating a dedicated home office, which means technology professionals and interior designers working together to achieve the optimal productive working environment – with suitable lighting and great acoustics as a minimum. We’re also seeing high end technology manufacturers, such as Polycom and Crestron, putting more time into the marketing of video and audio call system for the home and the office, taking the now-familiar Zoom call to the next level.
Faster decisions
The supply chain crisis that we’ve been experiencing with our manufacturers over the past 6-12 months is something that homeowners are now fully aware of. They’re facing delays with furniture orders, home build materials and consumer electronics so there’s really no time to delay in starting a project. While thy may face frustrating delays along the way, proactivity in ordering to get in line for product as it becomes available is critical.
Expectations around service
Regardless of how well designed a system is, technology can suffer from things going offline, particularly in Texas where power outages are all too frequent. Planning for any disruption to service is obvious and that means homeowners understanding the value of those pieces of technology in the equipment closet that they might consider unnecessary extras on a quote. Those “add-ons” enable a service provider to remote in and cycle technology back up that may have fallen offline due to a power or WiFi outage. Similarly signing up to a great service package means you know your system will be well taken care of if the system they’ve just invested tens of thousands of dollars in grinds to a halt because of something you can’t control like an outage or a lightning strike. Great post-installation support should be built into every project and the trend for homeowners expecting this but also being willing to pay for great service is something we fully expect to see continue to grow in the year ahead.
Healthy spaces and technology
Health and wellness is growing in popularity for both residential and commercial spaces. In 2022 we expect to see an increasing trend towards biophilia and the smart technology that plays a big role in achieving a healthier space. The corporate world already offers yoga classes to their employees, so it makes sense that they’ll want to continue down this route, bringing the outdoors indoors by improving the air quality, incorporating greenery and creating meditative spaces to calm the mind – all things that can improve a living and working environment for the future.
