The custom home integration industry is very quickly moving towards systems that look as good as they function, and that was on very much on display at ISE 2025 as I toured the show on Day 1 of the event. These companies make technology systems, but it’s becoming very apparent that these systems need to, at the very least, be aesthetically pleasing and easy on the eyes. In fact, several of the companies I met with at my first day at ISE said as much.
Companies like Black Nova, a Milan, Italy-based maker of keypads and touch panels, called itself a design solutions company first. The company makes a wide variety of solutions, ranging from keypads, touch panels, and some that are even designed to be a fusion of the two. The devices integrate with major control systems such as Crestron, Savant, Control4, RTI and others, while offering a physical interface for smart home systems that the company says are more elegant.
Speaking of keypads and interface, Lutron was showing off its new Vierti keypads, which feature a modern control and a hybrid load control option designed for the European market. The company says the design was inspired by materials chosen by sculptors and has an old-world refinement with modern design.
To help keep in-wall technology looking sleek and sometimes hidden, Wall-Smart offers flush mounting systems and networking concealing solutions. New for ISE 2025 were a mount of the latest apple iPad, a popular home control solution. The company also brought with it an access point concealment solution, a necessity for customers who want to hide unsightly networking equipment.
Maybe because it’s Europe and everything looks nicer here, but the audio companies at ISE 2025 blew me away with how nice their systems looked. Companies like Meridian Audio, Monitor Audio, L-Acoustics, Bang & Olufsen, JBL, NAD, Russound and a host of others really put an emphasis on design quality.
Lightapalooza took place in late February, and the growth of the event has mirrored the rapid ascension lighting fixtures and controls.
If an audio manufacturer is at ISE, you can generally expect the system to be impressive, so what sets these companies apart from one another is the aesthetics. We hear it time and time again, but customers do not want a big ugly black speaker in their living room.
Even the receivers, amplifiers and pre-amplifiers – historically big black boxes – are being transformed into yet another design component with sleek-looking interfaces and other design components that doesn’t have to be hidden.
Stay tuned for more updates from our ISE 2025 coverage, including daily recaps and more post-show coverage in the days and weeks to come.
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