September 16, 2019

CEDIA Expo took place last week at the Colorado Convention Center, bringing together more than 20,000 home tech pros and 500 exhibitors to the leading event in smart home technology. KBB magazine went to find out more about what’s happening in the growing $14-billion home technology industry and how it is impacting residential design.

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Takeaway Trends from the Show

Design-Worthy Finishes
Technology manufacturers are now ensuring their products come in multiple options that fit today’s trends. Popular finishes like rose gold and black were popping up across the show floor, allowing products that used to stick out – like speakers or control panels – to blend in with a design.

SEURA’s Hydra Waterproof TV is an ideal entertainment solution for a wet space like a shower or above a kitchen sink and comes in finishes like stainless steel, brushed gold, polished chrome, black onyx, pearl white and other custom colors.

Technology That Disappears
Smart products that enhance an experience and simultaneously are as invisible as possible were showing up at CEDIA Expo. On the same wavelength of design-worthy finishes, these “hidden” products are meant to step back and let the design shine.

The Sonance Landscape Series is a scalable outdoor speaker system that delivers even coverage and high-quality sound throughout any sized space. The sonic performance comes from small satellite speakers and below-ground subwoofers that are hidden completely out of sight amongst plants and under foliage. 

Compartmentalizing Control
By working together, smart home manufacturers are making it possible for homeowners to have a seamless technology experience in their home. No more switching between multiple apps to control lights, sound, etc.; one interface or panel makes it possible to control whatever smart product a homeowner wants.

The Maestro LED+ Dimmer from Lutron offers a full range of designer light controls, fan controls, sensors and timers that allow the user to adjust lights and fans from anywhere in the room and even outside your home. Using software with a unified app, all lighting dimmers in a space can be consolidated into one outlet.

Multi-Purpose Spaces
The kitchen is becoming more like a living area, study area and entertainment area – the space for everyone to gather and spend time. Outdoor living areas are also taking on this trend and becoming more about both cooking and entertaining – particularly specialized entertaining like movie watching or gathering around a firepit.

The TV Floor Lift mechanism from Future Automation is a custom-designed mechanism that allows a flat screen to be stored in a floor out of sight. The walk-over flap mechanism allows for a seamless transformation from the concealed to the revealed.

Voice Integration
Of course, voice control compatibility is still going strong in the smart home industry. Seen as both a popular feature for the elderly and for millennials, voice control makes hands-free living easier and more universally friendly for those with disabilities or busy schedules alike.

Josh AI understands any number of nicknames for a device, room or scene. The proprietary Natural Language Processing technology lets the user speak to their home naturally, like they would a family member or friend.