Over the past 10 years, there has been a huge acceleration in home technology. In fact, technology is now a part of everything we do, touch, and see. It controls our appliances, entertainment systems, heating and air conditioning, security systems, lighting, and much more. Whether it is the device itself, a component or a switch panel, we see it. No longer can technology be hidden in the closet or in a three-drawer chest. It is something we live with daily, so we as designers need to embrace it, and then integrate it gracefully into our designs.

With this in mind, I would like to share a recent experience:

Not long ago, I was at a friend’s home, and on the north wall (where at one time I had placed a piece of artwork for him), was a television monitor. While sitting in his wonderfully appointed Living Room (now referred to as “The Great Room”), I turned my head to the south wall where I had once placed an oil painting. There was another television screen.  Both monitors were on, and were displaying a montage succession of photographs of family and friends.

As we visited and caught up, my friend occasionally commented on a passing photo, as would I. It made for a delightful afternoon and a wonderful hour of conversation. And it was much more enjoyable and convenient than trying to balance a photo album on your knees, while constantly passing the book back and forth. Indeed, this “Moving Photo Album” was subtle, convenient and fun. I loved it.

I must admit, however, that the thought of live media as an “art” form in an interior is something that I would have objected to in years past. But, because this photography show was artistically displayed (the monitors were both clad in the same frames that I had originally used for their artwork), it worked. And, perhaps because media and technology is now an inherent part of our lives, it was perfectly okay. The photos were compelling and colorful – representing my friend’s life over many years – and that too was, of course, okay. And since they were not just black monitors that hung on the wall, these new forms of technological “decoration” blended nicely into the room.

The  president of San Francisco-based Warren Sheets Design, Inc. (WSD), Warren Sheets is an artistic and visionary interior designer known for his hands-on approach and meticulous attention to detail. He has overseen WSD for nearly 30 years, accruing a diverse portfolio of high-end residential and commercial projects located across the country. To read more design articles from Warren, click here to visit his blog.

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