I’ve often found than my love for modern gadgets and shabby chic interiors clash a little. Wires spoil the look, I often hide my laptop away. So when Logitech got in touch asking me to post about blending style with technology, I couldn’t help but be intrigued! Here’s their tips…
Will Taylor, interiors author, journalist and blogger, has been used to finding inventive ways to seamlessly introduce technology into his home for many years. Having contended with a myriad of TV’s, computers, control pads and tablets that have passed through his front door over the years, he’s learned that tech doesn’t have to be tricky when it comes to styling the home. Logitech teamed up with Will to shoot the new K830 Living Room keyboard to show how tech can easily fit into people’s everyday lives. Read on for his three top tips to invite tech into your home without impacting on style:
Given technology is now so entrenched in our daily lives, it’s ironic that we often consider tech last when it comes to decorating. Whether you already own a TV or decide to invest in a new one when you move into a new home, it’s a good idea to consider upfront where it will be placed in the room, and how it will sit alongside the surrounding decorating scheme.
With some clever pre-planning, you can make a TV an interesting style statement in a space, without having to hide it away behind closed doors. For example, if you have a black TV, pick a wall to hang the TV from and then pick a dark wallpaper or paint for the wall behind. Alternatively, if you have a white TV, you could go for a stylish monochrome scheme and hang a white TV against a black wall to create striking contrast.
Hanging black and white prints in white frames around the TV will help blend it into the gallery wall. This approach will not only stop the TV from overpowering a room, but it will open up valuable floor space, too.
Tablets, keyboards, remotes, phones – the living room can quickly become a paraphernalia playground for tech if left unattended, as people increasingly use integrated tech, such as keyboards, to make Smart TVs even more interactive. But the good news is you can clear the clutter by introducing strategically placed storage across your space.
A docking station placed upon a side table is great for keeping charging cords and leads hidden away, without having to continually open and close a unit to use a remote or wireless keyboard; something you would no doubt quickly tire of.
Consider a sleek white lacquered or marble box for a modern, contemporary space, or a jute-lidded tray for a more organic, country-meets-coastal look. Simply pull the wires up through the back, or drill a hole to slide the cables through, and then place your tech on top. You’ll have stylishly streamlined your tech into the space without impacting on practicality.
As technology becomes an ever-greater part of our lives, the color options available are increasing. The benefit of this means you can now often match your tech to the color palette of the room. One approach is to opt for a co-ordinated feel between the scheme and the technology by choosing tech designs in the same, or a similar, shade to the main color in the room. Alternatively, you could switch things up by opting to use colourful technology as the elements for introducing accent color into a scheme. Simply pick tech items in a contrasting hue to the surrounding scheme and watch the space soar in the style stakes.
Ultimately, the key to successfully blending tech into the home is to consider technology as an element of the decorating scheme in its own right. Alter your decorating approach from the outset so that you consider the role and position of tech in a scheme, and you will find it easier to marry technology with other parts of the space. Taking time to invest in these stylish solutions will streamline how you use and store tech in the home, paying dividends and resulting in a more stylish space.
I definitely agree with hiding cables away in boxes – it looks so much better. I’ve also found that choosing white pieces (like my speakers) goes better with my existing decor, everything blends in so nicely! I’m still in a rented room so have absolutely no freedom in decoration right now, but I’ll definitely be taking these tips with me when I eventually get a little more leeway!
How do you blend modern technology into your interior decoration?