At Illustrious Homes our SmartHomes team have been working on ways to make this type of technology available to the average household, and we think we have cracked it. Illustrious SmartHomes have just completed the installation of an integrated SmartHome Audio Visual system in its 5 bedroom ‘Test Home’ located in North West London.

Utilising the ‘Test Homes’ cat5 network it is possible to use cost effective solutions such as the Sonos ‘Connect’ and ‘Play 5’ modules to enable the streaming of music throughout the entire house. The great news is that even though our SmartHomes team will always say ‘Wire is best’ the Sonos system can also be set up over a Wi-Fi network, eliminating the need for expensive cabling works.

Sonos connect

Sonos Play:5 black front

The Sonos system is totally modular which means that unlike other solutions which require substantial upfront investment, you can build your system bit by bit based on your needs and budget. The Sonos system allows you to utilise existing equipment so there is no need to throw away your favourite stereo system. An added advantage is that Sonos have also released a free iPhone/iPad app to control their systems, removing the need to purchase controllers for each zone (which cost over £250 each!)

Sonos soft controllers

The Sonos system connects directly to your existing PC/Mac music library which is then available to play in any room (zone) that you have set up in the property. The ‘grouping’ function allows you to stream the same music simultaneously to each room, or to play different music in different rooms, the choice is yours. So whether you’re throwing a party or just having a relaxing day at home, the Sonos system allows you to set the scene.

The Sonos system also has a line-in-jack connector that allows you to play music from an alternative source.  At our ‘Test Home’ we have this connected to an old record player, so that all that old vinyl can be put to good use. A clever feature is that on group mode you can actually stream this ‘line in’ input throughout the whole house, it’s pretty nice to be able to play that Miles Davis LP in the lounge and listen to it in the loft.

As this system is connected to the internet you can also access a raft of internet content such as internet radio and applications such as ‘Spotify’ and ‘Napster’, giving you a vast library to choose from.

This solution is a fraction of the cost but not a fraction of the quality, providing great functionality that can be enjoyed by everyone.

For more information on this and our other SmartHomes solutions please contact Smarthomes@illustrioushomes.co.uk

Buying a new house is always exciting as we begin to plan our dream home. For many of us the opportunity to start over can be very rewarding as we look to ‘put our mark’ on the property. This might be through replacing the kitchen, bathroom, or for the more adventurous, constructing a new conservatory or loft conversion. But what about the original features, how can we restore or even reinstall these characteristics in order to preserve the style and authenticity of the property?

A difficult area when trying to maintain the feel of a period property can be the windows, as people believe they have to choose between aesthetically pleasing (yet drafty) sash windows or new energy efficient UPVC copies which ruin the character of the property.

This however may not be the case, as Illustrious Homes have been working for the past decade to develop techniques and processes that means you don’t have to choose between period features and efficiency, an example of this could be the dilemma many face with period windows, original sash windows or PVC copies?

For this dilemma, we are able to manufacture bespoke windows that exactly match the existing ones but contain double glazed glass. This will give the customer the benefits of modern windows while maintaining the look of period windows.

We are also able to recreate bespoke furniture, cupboards and wardrobes that allow clients to maintain the period beauty of an old property whilst emphasising and accentuating key characteristics that make a property unique. Using skilled workmen, features can also be duplicated and made to fit seamlessly into your property.

Through working closely with a good interiors team it’s also possible to take advantage of ‘Up Cycling’ (the use of old original features for new or different purposes). This is a perfect way of bringing old features back to life by making use of them in a new and exciting way whilst adding an element of period style to your property, for example, the use of a 120 year old sash window as a mirror in your ensuite.

This sympathetic treatment of original features in your home will help retain its overall aesthetic and feel. These days there is no need to compromise as we can combine the beauty and authenticity of the old with the efficiency of the new.

Below are 5 top tips to keeping your heating in and minimizing your heating bills.

1) Turn down the heating temperature on your boiler –

By simply reducing this heat, it normally goes up to 6, to between 2 & 4, you could save up to 60% on your heating. Running a boiler at maximum heats the water to over 60 degrees whilst running it at around setting 4 will heat the water to round 40 degrees, whichrepresents an energy saving of over 50%.

With modern condensing boilers, setting your boiler to a lower temperature will mean it can stay in condensing mode for much longer. This means that the water is being heated without burning any gas – effectively costing you nothing.

These techniques are best utilised with wet under floor heating systems, but the basic principles can be used in any home to save money.

2) Turn Down hot water Temperature on boiler

Most people will have the hot water temperature set to maximum, turning this down can save money as you don’t have to cool it down with cold water. Ever scold yourself washing up? Why not just heat it less in the first place, rather than adding cold water to cool it down?

3) Keep all internal doors shut

Heat loss is the single biggest problem in all houses, in particular period properties. Heating your house to a comfortable temperature is simple, the energy needed to maintain a comfortable temperature is exactly the same as the amount of energy lost, so -reduce the amount of heat lost, reduce the amount of energy used to maintain the temperature. This is also true in terms of heat loss between rooms, especially if rooms are not heated when not in use. Keep these and all internal doors closed and keep the heat in the places you need.

4) Close curtains / Blinds

70% of heat loss is through roofs and exterior walls, this is even greater where windows are concerned, so by keeping curtains closed you can dramatically reduce heat loss, and so less energy is needed to heat rooms. In winter,keep the curtain closed during the day when as this reduces heat lost through the day, so the boiler does not have to work as hard in terms energy consumption to get the house to a comfortable temperature.

5) Turn off heating in unoccupied rooms –

This is quite a simple and obvious thing to do,even standard heating systems can utilise this simple method. Simply turn down/off your radiators in unused rooms, but be careful to leave them on slightly or on frost mode (if you have thermostatic valves) to avoid freezing pipes, although this really should not be a problem in well insulated homes.

Bonus tip –
Whatever your form of heating, and whether you use all or some of the tips above, it can always be best utilised by having quality insulation installed, although it may cost more initially, the long-term savings are substantial as less heating will be needed in the first place, but that heat will stay in a building for longer. This will have a large impact on reducing your heating bills.

If you would like to discuss other ways to cut costs and keep more heat in your home, or would like to discuss how beat to cut energy costs for a commercial or industry property, please CONTACT  one of the Illustrious Homes team for information and free technical advice.

And remember – the easiest way to keep warm this season – wrap up! Try not to go straight for the heating every time, wrap up in a jumper, hoodie, dressing gown – it’s what they’re there for!

The results were as follows…

• 1st Place Team………….Mansell with 94 points.
• 2nd Place Team………Apollo 2 (John Dorling) with 87 points
• 3rd Place Team…………Lakehouse with 82 points
• Best Individual Score..Wesley Cass (Mansell) 35 points. Special mention to Andy Collie 2nd place with 34points playing off of a handicap of 3.
• Nearest the Pin…………Kieran Buckowski (24inchs)
• Longest Drive……………Dan Kucharski

We were generously supported by all those companies who attended and we plan to continue our association with CRASH and hold the event again next year.
To view pictures of the event please use the following link and login details

http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishuk/home/
Username jane@illustrioushomes.co.uk
Password Illustrious
(If you want to view photos only of your own team please use the ‘Narrow by’ heading at the top and just select your team)

Thanks again to the following companies for helping to support the event

• AKT II
• Apollo
• Applied Landscape Design
• Argent
• BAM Nutall
• Carillion
• Davis Langdon
• Herts. Builders
• Kier
• Lakehouse
• Mansell
• PMX
• Rush Construction Services