Apartment—Knightsbridge

A newly-refurbished two bedroom apartment situated over 1165 sq ft in a third floor building in London’s Sloane Street.

The brief by the client was to keep a contemporary style and décor along with sophisticated but simple technology. All aspects of the home entertainment and automation system had to disappear into the apartment’s modern design and act as subtle as possible.

Our involvement

• Initial design and specification
• Total system design
• Cable run out schedules and CAD designs
• Managing and overseeing the first fix works
• Second fix installation and equipment supply
• System programming and commissioning
• Supply of Cyberhomes operating system manuals
• After sales training and support

Key elements

• Hardwired and wireless networks
• Multi Room music system
• Audio and Video distribution
• Surveillance monitoring
• Lighting and Curtain control
• Intercom and access control

In particular, it was essential that it could all be controlled in a convenient way. The controls should be comprehensive enough to provide ‘blanket’ coverage of all systems, yet intuitive enough to allow use by all in the house—even the less technically minded!

In order to fit in to the carefully planned decorative finishes of the house, it was decided to use stainless brushed steel in wall key pads and touch screens to control Audio and Lighting. All the speakers were in-ceiling Speakercraft 8 drivers, with their grills and surrounds painted in the same finish as the ceilings they were mounted in.

In-wall Kef speakers were specified for the Home Cinema lounge’s front array with Speakercraft AIM series in-ceiling speakers complimenting the rears. The technology in the outside terraced areas also had to remain invisible, but also be weatherproof as it was an open roof terrace.

Home Automation and Lighting Control systems

The Lighting was controlled using a Rako Lighting system. The apartment was completely rewired during the refurbishment so every room was spoilt with atmospheric scene lighting.

The sleek steel keypads were capable of four individual scene settings and a dim up, and dim down facility. Every room was individually programmed to have its preset scenes individually tuned to the client’s liking.

The Home Cinema Lounge also had electrical curtains which on the Rako system, and control came via a combined Living Control and Rako in wall keypad. This meant that only one keypad was needed again avoiding wall clutter.

The entrance hall had a wireless Rako remote control by the front door, which was capable of turning the whole apartment on or off or to a preset scene. The idea being that when leaving a single button press would ensure all the lights were switched off, and similarly turning lights on when returning in the evening.

A second remote was also used for the outside terraced areas. This meant that no external keypad need be fitted, and still gave the client a choice of four preset scenes.