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Appliances Bathrooms Expert Tips Kitchens Smart Home

How smart tech can help to reimagine kitchens and bathrooms

From entertaining guests at dinner to alerting homeowners of leaks, smart tech has the potential to reimagine the way we live. Once the domain of the ultra-wealthy, new affordable and scalable home automation options are opening up the potential of all homes, including better bathrooms and clever kitchens.

“For the first time, true home automation is affordable, easy to use, and simple to install,” says Tim Fant, offer manager at Clipsal. “Complete systems like Clipsal Wiser Smart Home combine control of lighting, air conditioning, appliances, and almost anything else in the home, from the tap of a phone, a movement, or a simple phrase.”

Home automation has an almost unending number of applications to make life easier. Tim discusses the endless opportunities for two of the rooms where smart tech can make a real difference.

3 brainier bathroom automations

Home automation offers a lot more than asking a smart speaker to play your favourite song in the morning. From setting the scene to watching for leaks, the right set-up can create a more calming experience.

Keeping on schedule: The ability to schedule activities is great for making daily life easier. For example, turning on heating, heated towel rails, and lighting to a soft shine to create a comforting environment in winter, or a bright light and air conditioning in summer to help you feel energised.

A good system will allow you to set different times for different days, perfect for weekend lie-ins.

Water warning: If you’re worried about the bath overflowing, or kids splashing around too much, a water leakage sensor is a must-have. It can be set to ping your phone if it detects excessive water so you can assess the situation.

Humidity sensors can also trigger extractor fans and heated mirrors automatically should the room become too steamy.

Combined control: Smart systems allow you to combine multiple functions into one ‘moment’. With simple automation functions, that can be set to happen at a certain time, or when a sensor is activated. This could include lighting, heating and music set to come on before you head to your morning shower.

3 clever kitchen hacks

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, then the home automation system is its brain! Often connected to dining and alfresco areas, the kitchen is a place to come together with family and friends where smart use of home automation can make for a more effortless experience.

Getting everyone to the table: Smart sockets allow homeowners to control anything they plug in via their phone, from turning on the kettle to more complex movements. The latter could include adjusting heating, lighting, and music and even the command to turn off TVs and gaming consoles to get the kids to the table. 

Lighten up (or down): Motion sensors are great in kitchens or butlers’ pantries when your hands are full or messy from cooking. Connected smart speakers allow you to turn lights, heating, and appliances on and off with a simple spoken command.

Wiser about water: Much like bathrooms, kitchens can get steamy and there are concerns about overflowing water. Humidity and leak sensors can provide an early warning to any issues helping homeowners avoid damage and mould.

For more information Clipsal’s Wiser solutions

Smart home devices: 7 everyday life-changing gadgets

Our homes are our sanctuaries; spaces where we can rest and spend joyful moments with our families. Lately, homes have become even more important, with many of us now spending…

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Design RENO ADDICT

How to light up your home while sticking to a budget

Renovating a home takes time, energy and money. So after all that heavy lifting and structural changes, many people treat lighting as an afterthought. This is a big mistake! Lighting has the potential to enhance all of your hard work and make a house feel like a home. Below are some top tips on how you can make the most out of your home’s lighting, while sticking to a budget.

Planning

It’s important to understand the different types of lighting and where they should go in your home. During the renovation process, it’s vital to keep lighting in mind and think about how it can accentuate the work that you have done, or are going to do. Different lighting obviously has a variety of effects, so consider how it could work with your interior design strategy.

Ambient lighting provides great overall illumination, task lighting is used for specific tasks such as writing or reading and accent lighting can be used to highlight aspects of the home or create visual interest.

It’s always a good idea to engage an electrician early on in the renovation process and discuss your upcoming work. Once an electrician knows your renovation plans they can work collaboratively to help map out your lighting and ensure that no mistakes are made. An electrician can also recommend lighting options when they hear about your hopes for the renovation, to really accentuate the work that you have already done.

Materials

A renovation can be an expensive undertaking and it’s important to understand that lights and fixtures can vary greatly in price and quality. LED lighting can initially be quite expensive, but it provides greater energy efficiency over a long period of time.

Beyond the lighting that you purchase make sure you consider the full potential of natural light and how it can complement your electrical lighting.

Dimmers

As well as introducing flexibility, the use of dimmers can help narrow down the decision process for those who are overwhelmed by the range and scale of lighting. By using dimmers, you can include three lights in one, giving your home a customisable aspect. Additionally, the use of dimmers can cut down on the cost of your lighting by implementing a variety of uses within one fixture.

Easy improvements

Sometimes a renovation costs more than you anticipated and there is not much money left in the kitty for lighting. When this happens, review the work you have done and determine what other easy and affordable improvements you can still make.

Well selected ambient lighting can enhance the illusion of space within a room. Conduct a review of the work that you have done and potentially use well selected LED downlights or panel lights that fit within your budget to brighten up any space that needs a lift. These small improvements can really enhance a room.

Consulting with an electrician during the renovation process can also be applicable when your budget is under strain. By working together, you can review your renovation project and understand how small changes within your budget can enhance your home, either now or in the near future.

— Bec Sparky is a qualified electrician and Clipsal ambassador

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DIY RENO ADDICT Shopping

Take the guesswork out of electrical home makeovers with Clipsal Wishlist

Take the stress out of creating your dream home with Clipsal by Schneider Electric’s new home electrical planning web tool.

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From the comfort of your tablet, laptop or desktop computer, the new Clipsal Wishlist web tool helps you plan all the products you need for an electrical home makeover, including selecting individual solutions such as light switches, or electrical product packages designed for home safety, convenience, security, entertainment and energy efficiency.

Designed to make the planning process of a renovation or new build easy, the Clipsal Wishlist app allows you to use an existing room template, upload or draw house plans, select and place products throughout your home and track the budget of the products selected along the way. The plan can then be saved, shared and returned to at any time. To make things even simpler, the web tool is also linked to registered residential electricians in your local area, who can be contacted directly from the application to bring your dream plan to life.

Not only does the Clipsal Wishlist web tool help you take control of your own electrical needs, it also offers inspiration if the dream home vision doesn’t come with the flick of a switch. The Clipsal Wishlist web tool offers a gallery of home ideas, designs and templates that show which electrical plans and products work best with various interior design styles.

Whether you are renovating, building or planning your next bathroom, kitchen, bedroom or outdoor area, the Clipsal Wishlist web tool takes the guesswork out of planning and brings you one step closer to making your perfect home a reality.

For more information.

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Appliances Expert Tips RENO ADDICT

Finding the perfect lighting mood in your home with Clipsal

Sponsored by Clipsal

Lights and switches aren’t simply a functional electrical accessory or a source of illumination. Lighting affects your mood and the ambience throughout your home.

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There was a time when homeowners had little choice in lighting design. However, with the options now vast, spending the time to choose the perfect lights and switches in the home can achieve an outstanding outcome and create that wow factor. LED technology and its ability to produce warm or cool light output, now allows you to match the appropriate light output for the room. Warm lights offering calming tones are ideal for use in living areas such as bedrooms and family rooms, while bathrooms and kitchens are more suited to cooler lighting options, providing brighter light output.

Dimming lights to match the mood of a room

interiors addict clipsal

Adding a dimmer option to the light is a great way to create atmosphere in a room. For example, dimming the lights a little in the dining room sets the mood for a meal with friends and family around the table. A good tip is to make sure your new LED lights and dimmers are compatible to achieve optimal results; Clipsal’s extensive offering helps you make this selection process easy.

Keeping a low profile

Sometimes lighting options don’t always need to make a bold or obvious statement in a home. Sleek and low profile downlights are the perfect solution for areas like the kitchen to highlight features such as glass splashbacks and granite bench tops. Concealed lighting in bulkheads or joinery is a great way to complement downlights to create different moods and subtle effects in the home.

Additionally, low-level LED lighting options are a great way to ensure the perfect illumination level in your lounge or home theatre when you want to settle down and watch a movie or your favourite TV show. Clipsal by Schneider Electric offer a range of downlight options using LED technology for the home renovator to choose from.

Don’t leave any area unlit

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Ensuring a consistent lighting feel throughout your home is also important, so this means not forgetting areas such as staircases and hallways. LED recessed wall lighting options are a great way to highlight these features in your home, with the warm lighting creating the perfect setting alongside some of the statement areas in the home.

If you are stuck for inspiration on where to include the perfect lighting in your home or what room could use a splash of ambiance, use the Clipsal iSelect app which helps homeowners choose electrical products for their home.

With so much choice on the market it is easy to choose an innovative lighting solution that can meet individual needs, tastes and budgets. Whether this is making a bold lighting statement or achieving an understated subtle touch in a home, carefully selecting your lighting is key to ensure every room has the perfect ‘light up’ moment.

For more information and inspiration visit Clipsal by Schneider Electric.

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Appliances Expert Tips RENO ADDICT

Light switches can be colour co-ordinated too…

Sponsored by Clipsal

Colour coordination is important with all aspects throughout the home, whether it is matching cushions to wall colours, coordinating accessories in the bedroom or even complimentary towel choices in the bathroom. Light switches are not an exception to this rule! However, we all know colour and interior trends change as quickly as they come into fashion.

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With the Clipsal by Schneider Electric range of switches, adding colour or texture to your home is simple and styles can be updated quickly and easily to suit or change the look and feel of any room in the house.

A0004664The simple elegance of the Saturn range complements classical interior design looks through its textural and metallic finishes that are available in a variety of colours, including: Ocean Mist, Espresso Black, Pure White, Horizon Silver and Horizon Black. Through the silky smooth push button operation, subtle blue LED push button option and glass-look fascia, the Saturn range creates a classic style which can be integrated to any room to create a subtle and timeless statement without clashing with colour schemes or finishes.

A00053451But if a splash of colour in your home is what you’re after, the Strato 8000 series switches make a statement. The interchangeable coloured surrounds means when a new trend appears, the colour can be quickly and easily updated. The Strato 8000 series has a vast selection of colours to choose from for any room in the home. If one of the standard 20 interchangeable coloured surrounds, including Juicy Green or Moleskin White don’t suit, then custom colour surrounds from the Laminex range mean switches can easily be changed to suit all future trends and styles.

With so much choice on the market it is easy to choose a beautiful and innovative light switch that can meet individual needs and tastes, whether this is making a bold colour statement, or achieving a classic, understated subtle touch in a home.

To discover more, visit Clipsal.com.

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Interiors Addict

See how good your life could look before it happens with Clipsal iSelect

Sponsored by Clipsal

With Clipsal iSelect you can have your renovations without regrets! Use the app to easily find the right electrical accessories for a new home or renovation. The iPad app allows you to choose from a selection of photographs of rooms built directly into the app, or use your own photos and then select, place, move and resize a huge range of products from Clipsal by Schneider Electric, to see how they would look in the home.

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You can then get more information and close-up views of products that take your fancy, or view the selections in real time, in 3D, using the Real Time Visualiser. The app allows you to create multiple projects and rooms so that you can directly compare and contrast different looks, and you can even share images of the rooms with clients, family and friends via Facebook. An itemised list of the chosen products can also be created; perfect to show a builder or electrician so that the work can begin.

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Easy and fun to use, Clipsal iSelect is the essential iPad app for those planning to build or renovate. And, it is completely free to download. For more information visit Clipsal.com/iselect

Interaction. Inspiration. Clipsal iSelect.