⏱ 4 minute read

There's a version of home technology that nobody actually wants — the kind that works perfectly well but looks like it was bolted on as an afterthought. A chunky grey box on the wall. A camera that screams "surveillance" from across the yard. A keypad that wouldn't look out of place in a 1990s office building.

The assumption that security and smart home gear has to be ugly is one we're quietly dismantling with every installation we do. Because the truth is, the best technology today doesn't just perform beautifully — it looks beautiful, too. And with spring renovation season approaching, there's never been a better time to think about technology that actually enhances your home rather than clashing with it.

Here's a closer look at some of our favourite products — what they do, what they look like, and why we trust them.

Walk past a Crestron Horizon keypad on a wall and you might not immediately recognise it as a technology product at all. That's entirely by design.

Horizon keypads prioritise clean design featuring improved colour, finish, and alignment in visually appealing layouts — with careful attention to everything from the ergonomics of the device to its ultimate fit and finish. The result is something that looks like it belongs in the space, not something that was added to it.

The latest generation goes further still. Crestron's Horizon keypads and dimmers now offer four premium metal finishes — brushed brass, dark nickel, dark bronze, and brushed black — alongside a modern, minimalist faceplate and modular button design to complement any interior.

Custom engraving lets you label buttons with icons or text that actually make sense for how you live — "Good Morning," "Movie Night," "Away" — rather than generic symbols nobody remembers. Deep functionality is built into the backlighting too, with colour temperature adjustable to suit the room's ambient light, and a dim-to-warm mode that automatically softens the backlight as the room darkens.

For anyone renovating — especially those investing in quality finishes, joinery, and fittings — the idea of a keypad that you'd actually choose as part of your interior design rather than grudgingly accept is a meaningful one. This is what Crestron does exceptionally well.

The humble light switch is one of the most-touched objects in any home, and yet it's almost always an afterthought. Ajax has changed that.

The Ajax LightSwitch features a spacious touch-sensitive panel that responds instantly to taps or contactless gestures — hold your hand 15mm from the device and the light turns on. Soft LED backlight makes it easy to find in the dark, and it requires no neutral wire.

LightSwitch is available in one-gang, two-gang, and two-way models, with replaceable face panels in eight colours: white, fog, grey, graphite, ivory, oyster, olive, or black. Whether your home leans contemporary, coastal, or classic country, there's a finish that fits.

This isn't a cheap smart switch you'd find in a hardware store. Ajax earned its first Red Dot Award — one of the most recognised design awards in the world — with the LightSwitch and Outlet family recognised specifically in the Interior Design Elements category. That's a security and automation company being judged on design merit against products that are only supposed to look good. And winning.

Beyond aesthetics, it integrates directly into the Ajax security and automation ecosystem — so your lighting, alarm, and sensors all communicate through a single platform, managed from one app.

WiFi access points have traditionally been an eyesore — white plastic discs reluctantly tolerated on ceilings and walls. Ubiquiti's UniFi range changed the conversation by designing hardware that's genuinely discreet.

The UniFi U7 Pro ceiling-mounted access point, for example, sits flush, low-profile, and clean — the kind of thing that blends into a freshly painted ceiling without drawing any attention whatsoever. Ubiquiti's commitment to aesthetics is evident in a design that is both sleek and functional, promising seamless integration into any environment.

For outdoor installations, the UniFi U6 Mesh outdoor access points extend that same design discipline outside — weatherproof, purpose-built, and considerably more considered in their appearance than the industrial-looking alternatives.

The philosophy across the UniFi range is consistent: professional-grade performance in a form factor that respects the spaces it lives in. For a renovated home or a well-designed commercial fitout, that matters.

The G6 camera range is a good example of what happens when a manufacturer takes industrial design seriously.

The G6 Turret, in particular, is compact, low-profile, and finished in clean white — designed to sit unobtrusively under a soffit or on a wall without announcing itself. It's a meaningful departure from the bulky, utilitarian cameras that have long dominated the surveillance market.

The outdoor G6 Bullet is more visible by nature — it's designed for perimeter use where some degree of visible deterrence is actually desirable — but even here, the lines are clean and the hardware is considered. These cameras deliver pro-level performance at a price point that no longer requires choosing between image quality and cost.

And because the entire UniFi ecosystem uses the same app, the same interface, and the same management platform, everything from your WiFi to your cameras to your access control sits in one cohesive, well-designed digital environment. Tidy hardware, tidy software, tidy installation.

One of the most common hesitations people have about installing a security system is visual: they don't want sensors stuck to their doorframes or motion detectors screwed awkwardly into corners.

Ajax has addressed this head-on. Ajax devices feature sleek, minimal lines that complement modern residential and commercial spaces without the bulk and clutter of traditional sensors. The motion detectors, door sensors, and keypads are designed to sit quietly in a space — present and purposeful, but not intrusive.

Ajax Systems was recognised as Best Smart Home Security Equipment Manufacturer 2024 by the Security Awards in the UK — and that recognition extends beyond functionality to the considered design of every device in the ecosystem. In 2025, Ajax received 18 international awards spanning regions from Australia to North America and Southeast Asia.

For a renovated home where the finishes matter, knowing that your security system won't undermine them is genuinely reassuring.

Here's something that doesn't always get said enough: even the most beautifully designed products can look terrible if they're installed poorly.

Cable management, mounting position, alignment, height — these details are what separate a professional installation from one that was just "done." At The Techery, we take the installation as seriously as the product selection. Cables are concealed. Devices are positioned intentionally. Everything is clean, considered, and finished to a standard we'd be proud to show off.

That's as true for a single access point in a hallway as it is for a full smart home build. The technology should look like it was always meant to be there.

If you're refreshing your home — new kitchen, updated living areas, outdoor entertaining space, new build — the best time to think about your technology is before the walls go back on. It's much easier to run cables, plan access point positions, and design entry systems during a renovation than after.

We're happy to walk through a project at any stage and give you an honest picture of what's possible, what's practical, and what will look and work beautifully for years to come.

Come and visit us at Shop 5, The Mill, Bowral, call us on 02 4883 6781, or reach out through our website.