Mr. & Mrs. Murlidharan’s 5 BHK Apartment Mulund West – Mumbai.

Designed by Interior Designer Veena Arunkumar

The apartment was planned for a family of five, with three generations comfortable under one roof. Merging two adjacent apartments into one, this home featured a mandir, living & dining area, four bedrooms, a spacious library, kitchen & a utility area.

The Client’s Vision With an initial idea of an elegant home with self-contained bedrooms, designed to suit all the members of the family. The client envisioned a home with automated comforts that catered to the needs of three generations. The Scope of Work A complete renovation of the premise was required, by merging the two adjacent flats into one. Integration of automation started from the planning stage. The system integrator gave their inputs during the planning state. The electrical lighting wiring was as per the demands of the automation system. “Since the client wanted the entire house gadgets to be automated we closely worked with the manufacturer to convert into a smart home”, says Veena Arunkumar, Founder, Hallmark Interiors. “We convinced the client to hire the automation system integrator at the beginning of the project. This made it very easy for the system integrator to plan & suggest the best suitable automation system”, she added. The layout was finalised, with an understanding of the client’s requirements as well as those of the automation integrator. The automation system integrator suggested the I-Touch wi-fi module switch-based automation system which can be operated in multiple ways, including feather touch, RF remote control, voice command & mobile app. “Since we were catering to three generations, these options gave flexibility of use to every individual. The entire lighting system, gadgets, Air conditioners, home theatre, curtains, music system was automated using all three options. This system also allowed us to configure different lighting combinations to create different mood lighting. The system integrator also suggested sensor lighting systems to areas like bathrooms & corridors where illumination is required to balance natural light & illuminated lighting. We incorporated a lot of suggestions given by the system integrator in our designs

in terms of location of touch screens, lighting, brands for gadgets, integrating the home theatre, music system etc. Initiating the system integrator at the planning stage of the project also helped us in executing the same flawlessly due to the clarity of system, design & coordination between all the agencies also became easy”, says Veena. Products Integrated “We chose Goldmedal Automation System and I-Touch Wi-Fi module Switches which can be operated in multiple ways, including feather touch, RF remote control, voice command and mobile app”, Veena disclosed. Other products include the music system, TV, curtains, lights, fans, air conditioners, video door phone, door lock etc. A docking plus music player was installed in all the bedrooms. “This device integrates with any external device and one can easily play music, connect with external devices & speakers. It has its stereophonic speakers as well”, she adds. Stumbling Blocks crossed successfully “We did face challenges integrating different product brands of lighting, TV, fan, AC etc but we managed to iron out all the issues since the service provider was appointed by us from the beginning of the project. But at the end of the day,

what matters most is that the client was extremely happy and satisfied with the design that featured the latest state of the art and most importantly a userfriendly automation system. Our hard work paid off when even their 80-year-old grandmother could use the automation comfortably”, says Veena. The Final Takeaway! “I believe, the final take away from the project was that the home automation should be planned as per the aspiration and expectation of the clients that can be integrated well into a design, that will also be budget-friendly”, she concludes.