Some of the coolest trends in interior design are related to something called stealth security. The general idea is to make homes safer without having them resemble modern fortresses. Things like surveillance cameras, high-tech smart locks, wall safes, fire sprinklers, and other devices that are easily concealable. Why the need for higher security at home? With both parents working, young children, once referred to as latch-key kids, are spending more and more hours alone before mom and dad return from work. That, plus a renewed push to secure prescription medications from intruders, has led to an uptick in interest in all things related to safety and security. Here are some of the main concepts behind this new trend in interior design.
Safe Rooms
It’s becoming more common for new homes to include at least one, sometimes many, safe rooms. What are these clever, low-tech spaces used for? Well, assuming the worst happens, like a break-in or natural disaster, your home’s safe room will be the last-ditch retreat where you can lock yourself in, have a communications lifeline to the outside world, and not have to worry about anyone or anything harming you. High-end homes have had rooms like these for decades, but the current trend is for average homes to have at least one such area, either in the basement or on the first floor. All include secure phone lines so you can call out for help while snugly locked up, out of harm’s way.
Now that you can get your medical marijuana card online in New York, it’s easier than ever to obtain the necessary documentation you need to purchase legal cannabis from a state-sponsored dispensary. Fortunately, if your home includes a wall safe, secure medical cabinet, or even an in-floor lock box, you can confidently store medical marijuana and other prescribed medications, in a 100 percent secure location.
It’s Not Just About Intruders
Parents want to keep certain items away from children. A few decades ago, when youngsters were rarely at home alone for extended periods of time, there was not as compelling of a need for devices like time-lock wall safes and combination-lock medicine cabinets. Nowadays, designers are including these items in typical home plans, not just for high-end real estate either. Tour a few of the new homes in your own neighborhood and you’ll probably be surprised to see hidden fire sprinklers in recesses ceiling spaces, in-floor safes in master bedrooms, and surveillance cameras concealed in corners of rooms. Many of these trends aren’t about keeping intruders out or protecting valuables from burglars. They’re focused on keeping your private papers, medications, weapons, and other valuable away from children, visitors, and casual workers.
Interior Safety
Many of today’s properties come equipped with smart locks and all-around surveillance cameras to protect the home. Interior design flourishes that incorporate this general concept include interior camera systems, motion detectors built into walls, and sound-proof materials. Interior designers typically augment these structural devices with items like fire-retardant wall hangings, carpets that allow recessed areas where camera pods can fit, and furniture that can block doors and windows in an emergency.
