Light switches, doorbells and curtain rods may soon become household relics of a bygone era. In a world intoxicated with the promise of all things artificially intelligent, that last refuge known as our home is rapidly becoming an automated experience, hyper-responsive to our voices, movements and habits. A mattress that automatically adjusts its shape in response to sleep data? A robot lawnmower that cuts the lawn without noise, emissions and bills? Or a smart refrigerator that “talks” to your fitness tracker to give you meal recommendations based on your health data and what you have on hand at home? It's all currently available to consumers and (relatively) affordable.
“Right now, home technology is evolving faster than smartphones,” says Chris Beucler, president of West Coast luxury design firm Blue Heron Nexus. “A pioneering industry of integrators” – contractors who configure these technologies and make them disappear into the background – “is shaping the design of a home as much as, if not more than, interior designers,” he says, citing the rapid growth of the sector market. While smart home systems have been available for years, they have now infiltrated every corner of the modern home, seamlessly integrating artificial intelligence into our daily lives, from facial recognition security systems that create profiles of everyone allowed inside (cleaning staff, weekend guests) to programs capable of responding to the skin temperature of the inhabitants and regulating the heating and air conditioning accordingly.
Russ Snyder, owner of Snyder Diamond kitchen and bath showrooms, says it's fully automated Jetson the future is not far away: “In Europe they are already creating entirely robotized kitchens, and in Japan there are bathrooms that can control blood pressure and [offer] a urinalysis.”
In the US, Snyder says, much of the innovation is happening in home wellness: “There have been huge evolutions in technology for personal health at home: ZeroBody [Dry Float] beds, cryogenic beds, which instead of submerging you in ice water allow you to lie in a clothed bed and it drops you down to 34-35 degrees, even floating beds that replicate being in a salt tub. These are traditionally commercial applications that are now also making their way into homes.”
Los Angeles super real estate agent Santiago Arana agrees and welcomes the explosion of wellness technology. “I'm a biohacker myself, so I'm on the forefront of what's good for the body and how we can incorporate that into your home,” says Arana, who holds the listing on Jennifer Lopez's $68 million Beverly Hills home and Ben Affleck.
In addition to his work as a broker, Arana develops luxury homes, which have been purchased by clients such as LeBron James. Its latest project, a 20,000-square-foot complex in Brentwood, will include a state-of-the-art gym and biohacking room complete with red light therapy beds, hyperbaric oxygen bed, leg massage/compression boots and a large in-ground cold pool where you can stand up on one side and sit on the other.
With home technology constantly evolving, builders like Beucler welcome advancements that allow homes to keep up with the times. “Supplements are increasing flexibility so that, like a Tesla, you can turn it on in the morning and its system will update,” Beucler says. “These homes will also be sent via the web and will be automatically updated.”
But how much technology do homeowners really want? For designers like Jeff Andrews, the answer isn't always more. “Yes, they want technology, but they don't want to be intimidated by it,” says the stylist whose clients include Kaley Cuoco, Kris Jenner and Lady Gaga. “Mostly, they want things that make their lives easier and chic.”
Taking care of the technology that enters the home and that which remains outside is increasingly falling within Andrews' skills. “The most important thing is to find out what is important to customers and what isn't,” he says. “For example, you don't need as many frills on appliances. It's like a car: there are so many things you won't use. And when the answer is yes to technology, it always involves a non-negotiable aesthetic requirement. Case in point: “Lutron's Alisse system manages your lighting, shades and music with one panel that includes all the buttons you want with unlimited programming options. But their finishes are so chic: modern, elegant and beautiful. This is a good solution.”
Arana similarly weighs the pros and cons of a heavily wired home. “There is an environmental and health component to all this. The more wireless you are, the larger the electromagnetic fields [EMFs] in your home that are not good for you,” says Arana, who has a newly listed $35 million home that is entirely wired rather than wireless. “For people who are very health and wellness conscious, having a wired home will become increasingly important,” he says. “AI is definitely coming to your home appliances, but there has to be a balance about it. At some point, people will think twice: 'I really want a robot in my house that expands my electromagnetic fields?” ”
This story appears in the Oct. 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to sign up.