With this new penthouse directly on the Ruhr, a married couple fulfilled a long-cherished dream of living. The interior was designed by an interior designer, and the owners secured the services of an artist as a consultant for the decoration. So there is no question that the installed technology must also meet special requirements.
Such a location is not often found in the densely populated Ruhr area: directly on the Ruhr, with an unobstructed view over the traditional water into the countryside, yet conveniently located and with all shops for daily needs in the immediate vicinity. The owners could not pass up such an opportunity, especially since they were able to design the floor plan and layout of the new penthouse themselves to a large extent.
They opted for a generously designed living area with an open kitchen and large dining table, which can be opened almost completely to the large terrace with a view of the Ruhr in summer. A large office and lovingly furnished private rooms make optimal use of the floor space and offer cosy areas of retreat. The loving and thoughtful decoration of all areas makes use of both favourite pieces of the residents, who are keen collectors, as well as specifically newly acquired works of art.
In a living environment planned in such detail, a modern home control system cannot be missing, of course, but all technology must be subordinate to the design and remain discreetly in the background. The basis for this is a Control4 system, with which all aspects of home technology - from lighting control including automatic blinds to heating and air-conditioning technology to the entertainment system - can be conveniently controlled via wall switches, several tablets and touchscreens, conventional remote controls, but also via the residents' smartphones.
An easy-to-use multi-room system provides musical accompaniment in all rooms, mainly from almost invisible ceiling speakers. Only in the living area did the owner, as a true hi-fi fan, not want to do without "real" speakers in order to enjoy his favourite music and films in the best possible sound quality. Together with the interior designer and the owners, our specialists came up with a solution that combines powerful compact speakers from Bowers & Wilkins with built-in speakers from the same manufacturer hidden in the ceiling to create an outstanding surround system. The subwoofer was concealed in the custom-made furniture under the large television.
Today, modern technical equipment is simply part and parcel of a new building. And as you can see from the example of this stylish penthouse, home control, security and entertainment electronics can be ideally integrated into any ambience if the relevant partner companies know their job and cooperate optimally right from the planning phase.