Wired up to a trendy home

Landscape designer Monica Bainbridge puts the finishing touches to her garden design for the show. Photo / Chris Loufte

Controlling appliances and systems remotely features as hot attraction at Home Show.

Homeowners are able to warm their houses, shut the blinds, turn on the lights and clean the pool - all before they leave the office.

Whether it's systems to centralise all electronic features or single appliances that can be controlled via smartphone, automated housing is a surging trend at this year's Auckland Home Show.

Opening today and running until Sunday at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane, the 500-plus exhibit show features the latest services and trends in renovations, building, furnishing, home improvements and outdoor living.

Show spokesman Paul Blomfield said technology was playing a big part in this year's hot housing trends.

"Being wired in and connected is integral to your home," he said. "Power plugs now have USB ports in them, you've got wireless internet in every room, speaker amplification in every room.

"In some cases there is a fireplace you can control with your iPhone, you can control the lighting with your iPad."

Home intelligence company Fibaro offered customers the convenience of controlling their whole home remotely, said New Zealand director Johnny Corry.

"It's a central control system that can connect to anything in your existing house: lighting, heating, alarms, garden irrigation systems, electric blinds and windows, cameras.

"If it's powered we can control it."

Mr Corry said the firm, one of half a dozen offering such services, first appeared at the show in 2011, but demand had grown significantly each year.

Also growing in popularity was custom printed wallpaper and glass, where people can use their own photos or designs to be reproduced for their homes, said Mr Blomfield.

Other unique features of this year's show was a Smeg fridge competition, where four contestants had put their own spin on the retro appliances for the public to vote, a range of home improvement seminars and gardens landscaped by industry leaders.

Auckland Home Show
• Today until Sunday at ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane.
• Hours: 10am to 9pm, but closes at 6pm on Sunday.
• Tickets: $16 for seniors and adult tickets purchased online, or $18 at the door.
• Children under 18 free.
• $10 for patrons with building trade IDs.
• Parking: $6 cash only at Alexandra Park.
• More info: aucklandhomeshow.co.nz.