Interior designer Theo Kalomirakis believes design and technology go hand-inhand. ‘Technology without the wrapping paper of architecture is dry and uninviting. An emphasis on the environment without technology is formalistic and vapid. You can't have one without the other.'

Homes can be described by a myriad of words. There are those which convey sophistication and elegance. Some look modern; others might be thought of as cosy and warm. Much of a home's style can be credited to an interior designer. Using your own tastes as a gauge, an interior designer selects, creates and arranges furnishings, wall colours, window coverings and other decorative elements to create an environment that's pleasing to your eye and suits your family's unique lifestyle.

An interior designer's job becomes a bit more complicated and important when technologies will be integrated into a house. There's nothing visually appealing about a system composed of black boxes and blinking buttons. In fact, most technologies can easily tarnish the looks of a beautiful room, if they aren't carefully designed into the space. Here's where the insight of an interior designer is extremely helpful.

One major concern in a smart house is exposed wires and electronics. Interior designers can introduce ways to downplay the visual evidence of technology. For example, an interior designer might paint over the faces of a keypad and built-in speakers to blend in with the wall surface.

Of course, you shouldn't rub out all signs of technology. Do so, and the system might become painfully difficult to use, or worse yet, yield below par performance. To preclude any system slip-ups, the interior designer and the systems installer should collaborate on the project. By working together, they can ensure a system both works and looks its best.

Before you sign on the dotted line

• Do they understand the importance of new technologies to a home?

• Do they have experience blending technologies into a home's décor?

• Are they willing to work with the home systems installer/have they worked with a home systems installation firm before?

• How flexible is the design? Is your designer willing to select a slightly different wall colour, modify the arrangement of furniture, and make other subtle changes to accommodate certain pieces of technology?

Where to find one

• w w w . d i a . o r g . a u / c o n t e n t _ d e s i g n _career.htm

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