6 of the Coolest Smart Home Tech and Design Collaborations of All Time to Bring Sleek Flair Into Your Everyday Life
Mind you, these aren't your ordinary electronics
That the latest piece of smart home tech advice you'll find on Livingetc is coming from me, an analog-obsessed, eternally nostalgic renter who has categorically refused to purchase a TV to avoid it disrupting the (aspirational) mid-century-modern chic scheme of her London apartment, is somewhat ironic. But if even I can recognize the functional beauty that lies in some of the most iconic designer collaborations electronics houses have come up with over the last couple of decades, chances are you too will be tempted.
The truth is that, despite my apparent cynicism, I am well aware that installing a projector in place of a regular TV is anachronistic. But what to do when every contemporary screen feels a little too bright, too chunky, or straight up nerdy, to become your living room centerpiece.
Researching this edit of designer-made-and-approved smart home tech devices made me realize that, maybe, what I really need is some more electronics literacy. From artwork-looking TVs to Philippe Starck-designed thermostats and sculptural phone charging stations that could easily pass for a vase, these six design-driven smart home tech products prove that the future of living need not renounce style —
Bouroullec Brothers x Samsung — The Serif
First launched in 2015, Samsung’s Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec-designed The Serif TV is the kind of piece you’ll want to display in your home even when you are not tuning into your favorite show. A furniture piece first, and a screen second, with its unmistakable ‘I’ silhouette and industrial-chic metal legs, it can live pretty much anywhere in your space — whether you are looking to hang it on a wall like the more traditional models, or showcase it in all of its glory in a standing setup. Underneath the cloud-white shell sits genuinely sharp 4K QLED tech, so you're not sacrificing an inch of performance for the sake of good looks. It's proof that a smart buy doesn't have to look like one. If there's anything that my trip to Art Basel 2025 taught me, it's that the team at Samsung knows how to transform the watching experience into an art form. Discover their Frame TV to learn more.
Philippe Starck x Netatmo — Smart Thermostatic Heads
Radiator valves don’t tend to be the homeware pieces on anyone's wish list, but like any other of his design projects — from the recently unveiled Villa Colette to Madrid’s most romantic stay, Brach Madrid — confirms, Philippe Starck knows how to make even the most subtle of home details instantly iconic. This trio of connected thermostatic heads upgrades the usual clunky dial for a soft, rounded silhouette, reading more sculptural object than heating hardware. Crafted in a warm white that won't clash with your interiors, these smart buys have been designed to pick up your habits: they can be adjusted room by room, and let you fine-tune the temperature from your phone. Forget coming home to a freezing cold (or sweltering) apartment, or paying to heat a room nobody is using. Starck and Netatmo have envisioned something that allows you to quietly save money while looking like it belongs in your curated shelves, rather than in the boiler cupboard.
Fred Bould, Tony Fadell, and Ben Filson x Nest — Nest Learning Thermostat
If The Serif taught the TV industry that beauty and tech aren’t mutually exclusive, the Nest Learning Thermostat did the same for the humble wall dial a decade earlier, and its looks still hold up in 2026. Bould, Fadell, and Filson took a device nobody even glared at and gave it a brushed-metal ring and a crisp, glowing display that’s as useful as futuristic. Give it a week, and it starts predicting your routine, nudging the temperature up before you're even out of bed and down again once you've left for the day. Now produced by Google, the Pro Edition adds a remote sensor, so hot and cold spots around the house finally even out. Small, round, and quietly brilliant.
Per Brickstad, Martin Willers, and Magnus Wiberg — TRANSPARENT Speakers
Even as a die-hard audiophile (catch my enthusiastic review of the world's first listening suite to understand where I'm coming from), I have to admit speakers aren't the most aesthetically pleasing of tech accessories. But if there's one brand that's cracked the balance between hi-fi sound and good looks, it's TRANSPARENT. The Scandinavian design trio behind it built a speaker with fully see-through internals, where the mechanics act as decoration. A kinetic sculpture injecting analog-rich audio in every corner of a room, every TRANSPARENT speaker reminds us that, where most smart-home tech tries to disappear into the background, sometimes innovative designs can also be great to look at. Not the cheapest of tech buys, but a truly distinctive one. Tight wallet? Revisit our edit of best Bluetooth speakers.
Gen Terao x BALMUDA — BALMUDA The Clock
Don’t worry: I’m not recommending you buy a £450 clock radio. Still, it’s hard not to see why incurable design enthusiasts with a soft spot for beautiful tech might want this one. Gen Terao’s design for BALMUDA reinvents one of the most ubiquitous objects from the past — best styled on a wooden bedside table — and reinvents it for a screen-filled, never-stopping era; our one. Vintage-inspired and yet hyper contemporary, The Clock streams music, wakes you gently, and, thanks to its gently lit display, makes the anxiety-filled act of checking time into a soothing ritual. If I ever have a little money to spare...
Quaglio Simonelli x LEXON — Oblio Wireless Charging Station
Forget tangled-up charging cables: award-winning design studio Quaglio Simonelli has come up with a vase-looking setup that lets you charge your phone without the need to reach a plug. A wireless charging plate and a UV sanitizer built into one, this soft, pebble-like form is compact enough to sit on a nightstand without taking up the full surface and sinuous enough to be mistaken for an expensive collectible.
Now that you've got some of the best-looking smart home tech buys on your radar, you no longer need to worry about bulky gadgets disrupting your home aesthetic.
Still not convinced? See how IKEA's newest smart temperature sensor helps you keep track of temperature and humidity amid this summer's recurring heatwaves while looking chicly discreet.
