Integrated systems make life easier!

I recently spoke with Michael Voll of Electronic Systems Designs, ESD for short.  Michael is very smart, knowledgeable about electronics and a great guy, but sometimes, when he gets techy, I have no idea what he is talking about.  So he graciously offered to try once more, and this time, I think I got it!

Hi Michael.  Your company, ESD is multi-faceted…. Tell us about what you do, in layman’s terms.

We are multifaceted, but basically ESD specializes in “systems integration”. We integrate the electronics and technology of the entire home into one, centralized control.

Why is this in demand, why is this important?

Technology in homes is become more complex.  When you buy electronics, you also buy the controls that go with them, so you end up with remotes all over your house! There is a remote for your ceiling fan, pool, TV, then there’s the stereo…. It goes on and on.  People want a central control for it all.

Yeah, that gets to be a mess. I never could get the remotes right or even find them sometimes!

Exactly! It is better and easier to have one ‘go-to’ location. 

How does this fit into the interior design?

With interior design trending toward more clean lined and modern, people want their electronics and their controls to be the same way.  A smaller package for everything in one interface. Easy.

What other movements or trends are you seeing in the world of home technology?

Hands down it’s the ‘green movement’.  On almost every job now don’t just program lighting we make it more efficient.  We call it the “Green Scene”.

Green Scene?

Yeah, we program the system so the lighting automatic dims by 10%. That saves people about 15% on lighting bills and extends bulbs by 50%. It reduces bulbs and acid in landfills plus it improves efficiency in your home. You gotta have a Green Scene!

Yeah! I don’t know that I have a Green Scene. I have to look into that.  Actually what pops in my mind is, why don’t people just buy lower wattage bulbs?

Well, sometimes you still need brighter lights, just not on an everyday basis. 

So in addition to getting Green, what are the Must Haves that you see in home technology?

Flat Screens still! In bedrooms they are about 32” and then up to 55”- 60”in family rooms. I have one client doing 103” right now!  Also HD (high-definition) video distribution is important now.  People want HD on their flat screens but not all the boxes that go with it.  So we set up one control area but the HD goes to all rooms.  It’s great!

What are some of the mistakes Home Owners home electronics?  

Easy – not pre-wiring for options they may want to add in the future. If you pre-wire, you are all set for future purchases. Plus, it is a lot cheaper than cutting up your house to add wiring later on.

Another mistake is not going with a reputable company or looking just at the lowest bidder. You get what you pay for!  There are a lot of start ups out here who come in low, but they are here today, gone tomorrow.

With electronics, we know there is always something new on the horizon, so look into the future a bit – what about the Must Haves of tomorrow?

I would have to say it is digital streaming of video content. As MP3 revolutionized the music industry the same thing is happening to videos.  We wont buy DVD or Blue Rays or any of those. We will be downloading videos to personal storage and saying, ‘remember when we used to have to go to a store to actually buy this”? LOL!

What about phone technology?

Video will be integrated more and more with mobile devices. Not just for entertainment but for communications too. Then in homes we will see the disappearance of the home phone, which is already underway. Whole sections of the Gen X, Gen Y groups, only have I-phones. Telephone jacks and landline phones are disappearing.

Thanks Michael – I appreciate it and I get it!

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ASID had a special event at Luxautica Exotic Car Club last night. Lots of FUN! Beasley & Henley did the Interior Design and Interior Detailing on that Club and it is gorgeous! Here are a few pictures

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Sensuous and Touchable!

Edwards Fields and Tai Ping are such fashion-forward companies, but both have been around for a long time, how they keep things fresh?
Edwards Fields, the company, has been around since1935. Edwards Fields, the man, was an icon – he was on the world’s best-dressed lists and he was the person who coined the phrase ‘area rug’. That set the tone and we have been on the forefront ever since. Tai Ping has always been innovative. Its name means ‘great peace’ – which everyone wants – a great piece, I mean ‘peace’, … how can you go wrong with that?

Are we still talking about Rugs?
Um, sorry I drifted for a moment… yeah, sure.

We really applaud your use of great designers for your rugs. Tell us about the designers.

In North America our Design Director is Yasmina Kossman and she is so talented. We also have an in-house Design Studio in Paris with fresh designers who are constantly creating. We are pretty much all in house. We have had Kenso do a collection and we had an interesting line by French artists. In addition to the new design, we also have our older collections. Nothing is every discontinued and it is all hand done.

To what do you attribute the shift in rugs and carpet design?

Its the green movement that has lead to the interesting changes in rugs and carpets. LEEDS, eco-friendly design, go natural – it is on everyone’s minds and we have a very sophisticated clientele is asking for it. We have rugs made from bamboo, soy, five kinds of silk, cotton, wool, jute, and more. Mixing them creates wonderful rugs. They are sensuous and touchable. One of the newest combinations we have is wool and cashmere. (Yummy!) See what I mean– great piece!

What movements do you see in the future?

Cleaner, simpler, this is the way we are living now and that is reflected in our furnishings. People are doing more cacooning and investing in their homes. So it is not so much about fancy jewelry, and expensive cars but a home that is a comfort and a haven.

Who is your favorite wallpaper designer?

Yasmina! She travels the world and comes back with wonderful fresh ideas and textiles.
We can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

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We love to see new developments in the world of design. We dislike the word ‘trend’ and prefer the word ‘movement’. A trend is like when purple as popular for about 10 mins. A movement is a sustained new approach, which changes design.

One of these new movements is seen in Rugs and Carpets. There are so many new looks and fresh designs. We give a lot of credit to companies like Tai Ping, its subsidiary Edwards Fields and Niba Rugs. They have fabulous designers who are creating great new looks and compositions for all of us to choose from. Anything is possible and most items are customizable.

One of the things we love is the interesting mixes of textures in today’s rugs. Mixes like sisal and silk, silk and wool, and different textures of jute for example. These mixes speak to one of the Five Foundations of the design: Friction and Contrast. The sheen and softness of the silk beside the coarseness of sisal or the density of wool creates a visual and tactile element that we love!

Today, with everyone leaning to modern design, abstracts rule. Some are bold and very 60’s but a lot are neutral, flowing and organic and can be used in a variety of settings.

We still love Aubussons, Tibetans and Orientals but today’s new rugs are a new favorite! It is so refreshing!

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Like a hot relationship, Friction is an element in an interior that you may not even notice at first.  It is the thing that makes it all blend, spices it up and makes it interesting.  “I don’t know what it was, but everything flowed.” That was the Friction. The visual and tactile textures that keeps interiors interesting. Smooth surfaces combined with textured fabrics or finishes and contrasted with the backdrops in the room create a lot of interest. This principal applies to all types of interiors from modern, traditional and all points in between. 

Interesting textures are the things that make you want to reach out and run your fingers along a countertop or sofa or fabric.  It is even in the artwork. Maybe it is a bold piece in a white room, or a highly textured piece beside a silk sofa. You may be tempted to reach out and touch both of those! Silks, wools, nubby boucles, leathers, grainy woods, glass/metal combinations – all these elements compliment and contrast, helping to form the finished look.  Then you can add in wood clad walls, contrasting flooring, mixing stones…

Friction also works with mixing of styles. For example, if you have an old piece of furniture that you just can’t get rid of, like a family heirloom, then change its look for some style friction.  Reupholster or slip cover that old chair in a mod fabric and hang a great piece of contemporary artwork over it. Change the chandelier over the traditional dining table to a wild contemporary piece. Pair up the old with the new and give it a fresh lease on life.

Like a hot relationship, Friction and Contrast can get out of control, so plan ahead and have fun!

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