Best Buy integrates interior design and the latest smart home technology at National Home Show

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Toronto - The 2016 National Home Show kicks off this weekend and while the cavernous halls of the Enercare Centre  at the Exhibition Place in Toronto were packed with furnishings, appliances and all types of home and garden related products, Best Buy Canada's Smart Home drew a lot of attention.

Simulating a typical home, Best Buy Canada collaborated with interior designer Christine Dovey who integrated tasteful and comfortable home interiors with the latest in wireless technology, smart appliances, wireless lighting and control and even a Samsung smart fridge which had a built-in touchscreen.

The idea was to show how modern smart home devices can seamlessly fit into existing homes and not only are most of these easy to control using a smartphone or tablet, a wide variety of appliances like smart thermostats, smart lightbulbs and smoke detectors can work in unison. 

"As an interior designer, I always worried that technology could overpower the design but many of these appliances and products are designed to be shown off or can fit seamlessly into an ecosystem," Dovey said. A den setup was illuminated by Philips Hue smart light bulbs and the Samsung SmartTV as well as the Sonos soundbar, were working without any displayed wires. 

Seamlessness was also evident in the way the Nest smart thermostat and smoke detector were installed in the kitchen and living room sections. More than just the wide range of products, from smart doorlocks, surveillance cameras, routers, Wi-Fi speakers and appliances, what made the Best Buy Smart Home stand out was how many of the products were inter operable. Many of the functions were demoed using either a Samsung tablet or a Harmony Remote.

Dovey said that a lot of the technology at the Home Show was easy for most users to install and that Best Buy's Geek Squad technicians can install and ensure that various devices work well together.

Best Buy's Smart Home helps demistify a lot of notions regarding connected home products and shows how far this segment of technology has gone in terms of offering ways to make homes smarter, safer and more energy efficient.

The National Home Show runs from March 11 to March 20, 2016 at the Enercare Centre at the Exhibition Place in Toronto. Find out more about it here.