Knightsbridge Luxury Townhouse

As experts in designing smart home solutions in historic properties, we used our expertise to develop the most advanced bespoke home automation and audio-visual systems in this architecturally important residence

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The Brief

Having previously worked with Size Group, London’s high quality residential specialist, and with luxury architect and interior designer, Studio Indigo, Cornflake was recommended to design and develop all the smart home automation, audio visual, IT and Control Services within this imposing Victorian property in Holland Park, which also included the creation of a bespoke home cinema. As part of this challenging brief, all audio equipment was to be completely concealed, whilst lighting and all other visual aspects were to blend perfectly with the remarkable interior aesthetic.

The Finer Details

We curate every project using smart home technologies from leading global industry partners.

Crestron Home Automation System with bespoke GUI via the Cornflake personalised app for use on smartphone or tablet

Centralised AV distribution with user-based system with dedicated AV sources

Lighting and motorised shading throughout

Enterprise-grade data networking and Wi-Fi, with backup cellular modem

Integration of Fire, Security and HVAC systems for off-site controls and monitoring.

The Project

Holland Park, at the westernmost part of Kensington, is one of London’s most notable and affluent addresses. The two connecting streets of Holland Park originally comprised 78 detached villas built as stylish family residences in the 1860’s. Distinctive, because of the beautiful curved glass-covered balustrades that flank their entrances, each of these imposing stucco-fronted houses is Grade II Listed.

The refurbishment of this house was undertaken for a private client who wanted every aspect of the build to be of the highest quality. It included work in the existing property, which meant that we needed to be sensitive to its heritage, whilst respecting its Listed status. It also included the construction of newer elements including the development of a new subterranean wellbeing area, which includes a gym, a sauna and a pool that has a rising floor to convert it into a party space. Given its prime location, security was also a key priority. To connect all aspects, we created a combined services location serving all areas of the property, installed an enterprise data network to provide full Wi-Fi coverage throughout, with leased-line connectivity provision.

We also developed a personalised Cornflake app with an easy-to-use graphic user interface that was custom-designed for this property, where all smart aspects in the home can be controlled and adjusted within the home using fixed or roaming iPads, or remotely via a smartphone or tablet.

Smart Audio Visual

Throughout the house, we installed a range of discrete and high-performance audio solutions to provide high quality background audio. These included Sonance, Stealth Acoustics, James Loudspeakers and Meyer Sound Install speakers, each chosen to meet the unique design requirements in each room. This includes the dedicated Media Room in which we installed a large format TV and custom sound bar within a bespoke wall-mount with sliding doors.

We also supplied Mirror TV solutions, where the TV is concealed within a decorative glass mirror until in use. In addition, we included Sonance sound bars with width-matched TV grilles to ensure that TV audio was improved without requiring visible speakers in the ceilings or walls. For the garden, we suggested external audio from the Sonance Patio series, which delivers high-quality low-level audio together with party-level sound for when the client is entertaining.

Smart Security

Using Crestron as the control hardware, we created a custom graphic user interface as part of the Cornflake personalised app to enable a variety of interfacing capabilities with specialist sub-systems including a fire alarm, intruder alarm, CCTV and Building Management System (BMS), all with flexible programming. Aviglion cameras were specified for the internal and external CCTV and chosen because of their high-level analytics and because they feature remote access for the client’s security team to use. Internally, flush-mounted mini-domes were installed, fitting flush with the ceiling. Externally, they were paint matched to suit their surroundings, for the house, and in the garden.

Smart Garden Audio

Smart Lighting

Working with the lighting designers, we specified Lutron Lighting Controls as they feature best-in-class dimming controls and work with on-wall control devices and with the Cornflake personalised app where lighting themes and scenes can be created in every room. For each room, unique lighting control keypads were created with custom-made backboxes.

Smart Electronic Blinds and Curtains

Throughout the entire home, we specified Lutron shading as the window solution as they are silent, energy efficient and work seamlessly with on-wall control devices and with the Cornflake personalised app with pre-set options.

Smart Climate Control

An energy efficient solution, smart heating and cooling is pre-set for every room in the home and can be pre-programmed using the Cornflake personalised app. Time-saving, it also works with smart blinds and curtains to keep rooms cool in the summer months and warm in winter.

The Wellbeing Area

Smart audio and lighting solutions were required for the subterranean wellbeing area that includes a swimming pool with a rising floor that converts the area into a party space. For this, we had to consider clever workarounds as high-performance directional sound was required, yet with limited ceiling void depth. The structure had already been created so we custom-made a series of speakers and subwoofers using James Loudspeaker components to meet the needs of our client and to offer best technical performance for the pool audio.

In addition, we worked closely with the lighting designers to install lighting that would present a relaxing spa-like experience when using the pool, with the ability for the illumination to change colour and work in conjunction with the sound of music, when entertaining, to make the whole experience truly immersive.

Home Cinema

A dedicated room in the house was converted into a comfortable yet informal home cinema, where we installed motorised smart shading by Lutron, featuring a combination of roller and roman blinds to keep the room feeling casual while offering control of ambient lighting.

To ensure the projector could be used both when the blinds were open and in full blackout mode, we installed a concealed Barco High brightness projection solution with a custom access panel design. This features a discrete aperture for projected images onto the DT Screens Automasking projector Screen. For perfect sound quality, we specified a Meyer Sound 7.2.2 Dolby Atmos Speaker System for best-in-class audio, which was integrated into the interior design. To ensure the optimal audio quality and sound system performance for all seating positions within the room, we used C-ATS acoustic treatments with a stretched fabric wall and ceiling finish to conceal speakers and acoustic treatments. This perfectly coordinates with Anne Kyyro Quinn’s leaf patterned acoustic wall detail.

Testimonial

“Cornflake have worked with me on many projects, both for my Company’s clients and for my own personal residences. I continue to work with them because they are always willing to ‘go one step beyond’, solve problems efficiently and quickly when they occur and are a very positive influence on our team work ethos. Commercially, they always prove they are value for money and their commitment to a longterm relationship with the end client sets them apart.”