Residential: Hamilton delivers coordinated smart lighting control in stunning Dubai-styled property

The Project: A contemporary Surrey-style new-build home with Georgian frontage, located in just under an acre of gardens in Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire. The building design was a collaboration between the homeowner and Bryant + Moore Architects Ltd. resulting in a striking 8,000 sq. ft property spanning basement, ground, first and second floors, connected with a breath-taking marble spiral staircase with Atrium ceiling.

The interior – which includes a master bedroom and dressing room, three additional bedrooms, ground-floor guest room, large reception area, lounge, main kitchen/diner, service kitchen and relaxation area with pool and cinema room – was designed by the homeowner. It is heavily influenced by a favoured Dubai style and gives a light and airy ambience through the extensive use of white and sand-coloured marble.

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The Brief: The homeowner sought a smart lighting control solution to span the entirety of the property and the rear garden area. Touchscreen controllers were required in key positions, while simple-to-use remote controllers were essential for younger members of the household. The lighting needed to be programmable for when the family is away on holiday, while app control was a main priority due to its flexibility and being the preferred control option for the homeowner.

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The Solution: Heavily involved in the development and design of the project, the homeowner thoroughly researched various smart lighting control systems on the market. Although prepared to invest significantly for the right system, he wasn’t happy purchasing a product with numerous inherent features that weren’t required in his property, which would be costly and wasteful.

Building contractor, Robert’s 21st Century Design Ltd. suggested Hamilton’s Smart Lighting Control System, which hit the brief and offered the homeowner the option of matching the finish of the smart controllers with all other wiring accessories throughout the property for a seamless, coordinated look.

Hamilton’s Area Sales Manager, Peter Bonnington, finalised the system spec and local wholesaler, Welham Electrical supplied the Smart Controls and wiring accessories.

The final install throughout the home was undertaken by Robert’s 21st Century Design Ltd. Company owner Robert Ciuraru said: “The client was looking for a simple and cost-effective way of automating the lighting scheme and we recommended the Hamilton system after previously installing it at a smaller scale with fantastic results. Having installed it in this much larger project, we found more advantages in using Hamilton and even easier ways to wire the system – taking our three-man team of electricians two days to install. We will keep recommending the Hamilton system as it’s simple to install and ticks all the boxes for our clients.”

Although easy to programme, for a project of this scale, it took one of Hamilton’s Smart Control Engineers just a few hours to fully commission the system to ensure it met the exacting requirements in all areas within and outside the home.

For a sleek, contemporary look, smart control touchscreen plates and matching push-button wiring accessories were chosen in the Hartland CFX design with a satin stainless-steel finish. Wall-mounted touchscreens were installed in the hall area, ground floor corridor, kitchen/diner and first floor landing, with push-button controllers fitted in each room with four pre-programmed lighting scenes and up to three dimming settings.

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The cinema room particularly benefited from Hamilton’s Smart Lighting Control solution. Located in the basement with virtually no natural light, this was transformed into an atmospheric relaxation area with multi-scene mood lighting. With a mechanical button control plate, all members of the household could select the most appropriate lighting setting for their viewing habits.

The Hartland CFX design, with its cleverly concealed fixings and satin stainless-steel finish, was also utilised for all other wiring accessories throughout the home, including single and double rocker switches and double-switched socket plates, all with white inserts.

The Result: The installation has provided an impressive yet functional lighting control solution throughout the property and garden. The Hamilton app control has proven to be a big hit with the homeowners and their young family, illustrating how easy it is to use. Meanwhile, the coordinated accessories provide a slick look that blends into the contemporary décor and suits the look and feel of the home. Ticking the client’s final requirement, the holiday mode system offers peace of mind when the family is away from home.

“I’m thrilled with the system – it does everything I wanted it to do, seamlessly and effortlessly. The children love the lighting control, and the app and controllers are so easy to use that it’s completely accessible to them,” said the homeowner. “For me, style is also extremely important and the ability to match all the switches and sockets has given a cohesive feel that shows the level of attention to detail we’ve taken in all areas and aspects of the home. It was a smooth and pleasant experience working with Hamilton and Welham Electrical on the project and I couldn’t be happier with the result.”

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Gavin Williams, Marketing Manager at Hamilton, said: “Hearing feedback like this makes all our efforts worthwhile. We invest heavily to ensure our products are designed and developed with the utmost quality and easy-to-use functionality, both for the end user and the installer. I’m delighted that the homeowner and his family are enjoying the performance and aesthetics of our smart lighting control system and that through excellent customer service we have gained another advocate for the Hamilton brand.”

Products Installed:
Smart Control System:
Smart Dimmer pack 1 - 20 circuits @ 600W (150W LEDs) 5 x 3A Relays
Smart Dimmer pack 2 - 16 circuits @ 600W (150W LEDs) 4 x 3A Relays + Ethernet

Control Panels: Hartland CFX Collection – Satin Stainless
74C Touchscreen
74C4S+2C-SV: 4 Scenes + 2 Dim Circuits
74C4S+3C-SV: 4 Scenes + 3 Dim Circuits
74C3S+5C-SV: 3 Scenes + 3 Dim & 2 Non Dim Circuits
74CHOLM-SV: Holiday Mode Controller
74C SS2 SS-W: 2 Gang Switched Socket
74C R22 SS-W: 2 Gang 2 Way Rocker