Alistair and his partner, Carol, had been living in inner-city Auckland when the first lockdown of 2020 motivated them to move to the country for a quieter, more relaxed life. The couple wanted their home to be as sustainable as possible.

“Electric home design actually futureproofs you within your new build,” says Alistair. “The more preparation you do beforehand allows you to enjoy things later.” He also recommends asking your electrician for ideas as you go. “It’s really important to understand what your electrician can add to your project. They are all about value-adding.”

Their electrical plan included sensor lighting in the bathrooms so guests can always find their way around. Subtle downlights highlight the curated artworks and ornaments, and additional LED strip lighting above the induction hob in the kitchen helps to make prep and cooking easier. Outside, they used Iconic Outdoor for a stylish weatherproof switchgear solution for their gas-powered hot water system.

Alistair's plans for a smart home meant finding a system that could bring all the individual parts together in one easy-to-use application. During a visit to the PDL Vision Studio showroom in Auckland, they saw how PDL Wiser Smart Home could achieve that. “Wiser is about having a home on your phone. It’s one touch and the whole house transforms. And it was so easy to use.” 

Wiser can control and dim lights throughout their house, and control appliances such as the wall heater in the master ensuite. Even the entrance to their house can be operated via Wiser — an electric maglock secures the large reflective glass front door, which they can see via the security cameras on their phone screen and then unlock remotely.

Alistair says that having touch-screen control from his smartphones is a game-changer. “It's so much cheaper to run a house too and you can run everything very simply.” He says their power bills have come down thanks to the energy efficient features, and the fact that Wiser lets them control exactly what is on and when.

For the finishing touch, they chose PDL Saturn Series switches and power points. “We wanted elegance because of the home’s simple lines,” explains Alistair. “The PDL Saturn Series is a beautiful range. It’s touch button and there’s a halo light to show when things are operating.” Saturn Horizon's textural metallic finish adds elegance throughout the house.

“We’ve gone with PDL because of the quality and the craftsmanship they have in their products,” says Alistair.