The speaker comes in a delectable rainbow of colours
Clean lines aside, the most notable feature of the new Sonos One smart speaker line-up is the colour palette. Vivid red, forest green, pale yellow, baby pink and light grey make for a collection that is sure to pique the interest of design lovers who are looking for both form and function when it comes to a home sound system. Sonos One is capable of playing music, podcasts, audio books, supporting multiple voice services and Amazon Alexa voice control too. It also delivers a meaty sound despite its petite size.
The baby pink iteration
“Sonos’ product design philosophy focuses on achieving the elegant integration of domestic life and sound design. We strive toward this goal without compromising on acoustics, connectivity, or the listener experience. Our speakers aren’t designed to claim attention, they are designed to blend naturally into their surroundings,” says Sonos VP of design Tad Toulis.
Sonos X HAY speaker in forrest green
“For me, colour is one of the most important tools in the design process, and it was very important we didn’t just create a colour scale that looked beautiful. Colours can hide completely and disappear or provide contrast – creating ranges in more colours produces more impact and opportunities for mixing items in the home. These speakers deserve to be treated like furniture; strong, independent objects that can blend in or stand out – functional accessories for any room that fit different needs and different spaces,” says HAY co-founder Mette Hay.
Sonos x HAY speaker in pale yellow
Mette saw the collaboration as a natural fit. “Sound plays such an important part in architecture and the experience of life at home, yet we hadn’t found speakers we were happy to have in our home until we discovered Sonos. We were intrigued by Sonos’ philosophy of sound architecture, its approach to contemporary design and sophisticated manufacturing techniques – values, both companies share,” says Mette.
The HAY for Sonos Limited Edition Sonos One speaker retails for $349 and is available online, at the HAY store in Sydney and Cult Design in Melbourne.
Former consumer technology journalist for the likes of T3, GQ and Men’s Health and Jen’s husband, Damian Francis, reviews the Sonos Wireless Speaker System.
One of the biggest challenges for the home owner today is concealing wires. What a fantastically interesting topic! But the reality is, today’s modern homes are small technology hubs — connected environments that are meant to make life easier and more entertaining. With technology comes wires. How many are sprouting from your TV right now? Mine looks like Medusa’s head on steroids. I’ve done a bang up job hiding those wires behind an entertainment unit the size of the QM2. Strangely Jen doesn’t seem to be too thrilled with this solution.
So how do you overcome it? The truth is, it’s tricky. Cull the wires and you often cull the quality, keep the quality and you add serious expense. How many times has Kevin McCloud waxed lyrical about a great built-in system that had to be heavily researched and then installed in a house at build-stage? When it comes to sound systems though, it is now a hell of a lot easier with Sonos.
Why Sonos?
Sonos was one of the first brands to produce a wireless solution for sound systems that didn’t sound like a spluttering 1970 VW Beetle, didn’t have the price tag of a Porsche and actually looked like something you would want to put in your home. I was a technology journalist when the brand first made waves — it caught the attention of a number of my colleagues, which is no mean feat.
Let’s cut to the chase. You want a Sonos because you’re tired of wires cluttering your home, you want versatility in your system to play music in a single room or throughout your house, you want a system that blends in with modern decor and you don’t want to have to remortgage your house or cut into walls to get any of the above.
Out of the box
Interiors Addict had a set of two Play:1 speakers ($329 each) and a Connect ($599) to test. Installation is as simple as taking the speaker out of the box, plugging it into the powerpoint and following the simple and quick step-by-step instructions to get the first speaker working. Adding more is even easier, with the process taking no more than a couple of minutes. And trust me, if you want to make the most of Sonos, you want more than a single Play:1 unit.
The Sonos Connect
There are a range of sizes and accessories to suit most needs — such as Play:1 small speakers for smaller rooms like I have in our house or the Connect which connects to wired stereo systems. But you can also get larger Play:3 and Play:5 systems as well as a Soundbar and Subwoofer. All are set up in a similar fashion and all can be used solo or grouped together.
Playing music is a fairly simple process. You download the Sonos controller on your laptop, tablet or mobile device and you can then play music from that device or use a range of popular services like Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn Radio and much more to play music. The Sonos controller also allows you to name your speakers, join them together to form a stereo sound system, play music in more than one room at the same time, change your speakers’ settings and more. Start using your smartphone and then move to using your iPad, for example, and you will pick up where you left off with your playlist rather than having to start from scratch.
The quirks
While it is relatively simple to use, it still has some quirks which can become a little annoying. It’s not always as simple as finding what you want and pressing play. While that’s not a big deal, it can grate a bit. In some cases it would be much better to be able to use the standard app, such as Spotify, rather than having to use the Sonos controller app to control your Spotify account with your speakers.
The real world test was getting Jen to use the app on her smartphone. She got it, but it took a little while and there were some really good questions as to why certain aspects weren’t simpler.
Also, bear in mind that Sonos is not a bluetooth speaker. You may use it with your computer or smartphone, but it is different to a bluetooth setup and therefore can’t be used like a bluetooth speaker. Big deal? Not at all – but if you’re after a bluetooth speaker, buy one.
Being that the Sonos system is meant to be a home music solution, sound quality is of greater importance than most speakers you would associate with control via your laptop or mobile device. Thankfully it’s good. But let’s qualify that. My Honda CR-V is good — plenty of space, cheap to run, good looking. But I’ll still get smashed off the lights by a Porsche Cayenne. The story is similar for the Sonos Play:1, which I tested at home, and other systems which I have tested previously, such as the Play:3 and Play:5.
Sonos offers great bang for buck. The sound is loud and travels further through your house than you would imagine. But it’s bass heavy, and treble can become murky, making certain genres of music more enjoyable to listen to on the Sonos than others. Adding speakers together, such as two Play:1s for a left and right channel system, helps but it doesn’t completely solve the problem. Despite this, the music is still enjoyable to listen to and I would argue that if you wanted better clarity through your highs, you should spend more money on a higher end system.
The result
When it comes to the crunch, the Sonos products are well priced and well designed, with adequate sound quality. They are well thought out and relatively easy to use. If you want a wireless solution that won’t require remodelling of your home or your bank account, it is hard to go wrong with a Sonos system. Play:1 will suit apartments or small rooms, Play:3 will suit lounge rooms and medium-sized areas, but for open plan areas, go for a Play:5… or two.
Switching from full-time interior design editor for Belle magazine to freelance stylist a year ago, Steve Cordony found himself working from home. Having recently purchased the apartment he had rented for years, it was the perfect opportunity to renovate and decorate the perfect creative space! And of course, it is as stylish and beautiful as you’d expect.
“The flexibility of working on different projects and collaborating with different clients was the most exciting part about going freelance,” Steve says. “I had been freelance prior to being Belle’s interior design editor and being a creative and unable to sit still for more than five minutes, freelance-land suits my frenetic nature!”
He’s not had much chance to sit still, working on interiors for Mirvac’s new Bondi and Green Square projects, styling for Belle as their style director at-large and working with Myer, Sheridan and advertising clients as well as styling some spectacular events for clients including Sephora, Stoneleigh and L’Oreal. “I have also been working with Waterford as a style contributor and most excitingly, I am working on a couple of product ranges as we speak with some great companies.” We can’t wait to see them!
Now based out of home in Sydney, Steve’s office space is very important to him as he spends so much time there. “I had to make it a space that had a great feel to it with good light. Luckily, we were renovating the rest of the home around the same time so I was able to design the space as a whole and it was much easier logistically with trades etc. I know there’ll come a point soon where I will have to move to a bigger office space, but I’m staying at home for as long as I can!”
[contextly_sidebar id=”aLzFVvScwv2EnjFaXccsgs9XfnU7ZBeS”]After renting the space for 3.5 years, when the opportunity to buy it came up, it was a dream come true, especially as Steve had already redesigned the space in his head countless times over! “It was such a blessing not having to move!” He wanted the office space to feel like another room in the home, not even vaguely corporate. “The French panelling and sisal carpet are throughout the rest of the apartment. I am lucky there is great built-in storage so all the boring stuff is hidden and I basically have my double-sided desk and the bar cart from Bowerhouse to ‘style’!”
Not surprisingly, the wallpaper was his the starting point. “Weirdly, it gives the room such a sense of calm and I feel like I’m working in a jungle. It was actually (partner) Michael’s idea as he has loved it ever since we saw it in LA. It’s bold, but also classic at the same time — which sounds odd, but I think it’s because it’s such an iconic print that I hopefully won’t get over in years to come!”
The Oluce ‘Atollo’ lamp from Euroluce was last year’s birthday present. “I had coveted this piece ever since I used it in my first assignment while studying at Enmore. Every home has to have a Ficus Lyrata (mine’s from Garden Life) and this adds to the ‘jungle fever’. The re-worked antique art deco desk is from MCM House and I have one ergonomic Herman Miller Aeron chair from Living Edge and one not so ergonomic Gebrüder Thonet 210R chair! I constantly change the accessories and books and have fresh flowers and candles burning 24/7.”
Aesthetics aside, what else does Steve think is important about a home office from a practical perspective? “Storage! It’s the most important aspect. My desk and the space itself look styled and together but behind the great wall of doors is a whole world of pain! Ok it’s not that bad, but I have drawers filled with fabric samples, kikki.K boxes with documents and shelving for samples and catalogues. And definitely good lighting. In terms of comfort, I’m so glad I invested in the Aeron desk chair as I spend so much time on it! And music — my Sonos system is my friend as I would go crazy working most days by myself in silence!”
So, being one of Australia’s top stylists, does partner Michael have much say in the interiors of their home? “We have a rule where Michael looks after the terrace/outside and I am in charge of the interior. But let’s just say that rule is sometimes blurred, mainly from me being a control freak! But I did let him choose the wallpaper after all…”
Steve adds: “I would describe our home style as modern luxe. I like having contemporary and ‘designy’ pieces but most importantly, I want it to have a soul. I love incorporating items from our travels and I am always moving things around from week to week to constantly keep it interesting.”
Steve’s tips for creating a home office space you actually want to spend time in
Don’t think of the space as an office. Think of it as another beautiful room in the home.
Create a mood board using any interior shots or styles you love and work from there.
Storage is the most important but it doesn’t have to be the ugly elephant in the room. If you don’t have built-in storage, invest in some functional storage that looks great which you can style and incorporate into the space.
