Dowsing & Reynolds takes on the ‘techy eyesore’ with new smart home range

Why smart technology should feel like part of the room

The end of the white plastic smart home?

Smart home technology gets an interiors-led rethink

Dowsing & Reynolds launches smart sockets, dimmers and combination switches designed to bring connected technology into the wider interior scheme

From paint colours and lighting to handles and hardware, homeowners are paying closer attention to the details that determine how a room looks and feels.

But according to interior experts, one part of the modern home is still regularly treated as an afterthought: smart technology.

Smart technology has become part of everyday life, yet many of the controls used to operate our appliances, lighting and lamps still appear overtly technical. This can leave homeowners choosing between intelligent functionality and electrical fittings that feel cohesive with the rest of their interior.

In response, Leeds-based interiors brand Dowsing & Reynolds is expanding its smart home offering with a collection of smart plug sockets, dimmer switches and multifunctional combination plates.

Launching in full this autumn, the range has been designed to make connected technology feel like a considered part of the room, rather than something that needs to be concealed.

Available in a selection of the brand’s signature metal finishes, the collection allows homeowners to coordinate their smart controls with the other switches, sockets, lighting and hardware used elsewhere in their home.

Designing technology for the home, not around it

James Dowsing-Reynolds, Co-Founder and Product Designer at Dowsing & Reynolds, says:

“Smart home products are often designed as pieces of technology first and objects for the home second. That is why so many of them can feel visually disconnected from the rest of a room.

“I didn’t want people to have to choose between smart functionality and fittings that worked beautifully with their interiors. The aim was to create something intelligent and flexible that still feels unmistakably Dowsing & Reynolds.”

The range builds on the brand’s existing smart dimmers and introduces smart double sockets alongside combination switch plates that bring several types of control together in one design.

Available as double, triple and quadruple plates, the combination switches can include a bespoke mix of smart dimmers, tactile silicone push buttons and tapered toggle switches. This allows different lighting functions to be controlled from one coordinated plate, without creating a wall of mismatched smart devices.

Smart technology should make life easier

As well as addressing the way smart technology looks, the collection has been designed around the small, practical ways connected controls can improve everyday life.

Smart sockets allow connected lamps and appliances to be controlled remotely, included within routines and schedules to switch on or off automatically.

They can also make hard-to-reach sockets easier to operate, allow table lamps to be switched off without getting out of bed and help homeowners set their lighting before they arrive home from work.

Schedules can also be used while the house is empty, giving the appearance that someone is at home by switching selected lights or appliances on and off automatically.

Ally Dowsing-Reynolds, Co-Founder and Interiors Expert at Dowsing & Reynolds, says:

“People don’t necessarily want their homes to look futuristic; they simply want them to work more intuitively.

“The best smart technology supports the way you live without taking over the room. It might mean turning off every table lamp before bed, setting the lighting before you arrive home on a dark night or controlling a socket that would otherwise be difficult to reach.

“These sound like small inconveniences, but they make a noticeable difference to how responsive and comfortable a home feels. I also love that the technology does not dictate how the room has to look - the switches and sockets still feel like part of the interior.”

Creating a more coordinated smart home

The full collection includes smart double plug sockets, smart dimmer switches and combination switch plates in Dowsing & Reynolds’ signature finishes.

This means smart controls can be coordinated across a room or throughout the home, rather than appearing as isolated pieces of technology.

James adds:

“When people plan an interior, they think about how the paint, lighting, flooring, furniture and hardware work together. Electrical controls should be given the same consideration.

“A switch or socket might be a relatively small detail, but it is something you see and use every day. Making smart technology more visually cohesive means it can become part of the design rather than interrupting it.”

The collection uses Zigbee technology and requires a compatible Zigbee hub or smart home controller.

Compatibility typically includes Amazon Alexa with a compatible Zigbee hub such as the Philips Hue Bridge or an Echo device with a built-in Zigbee hub*, Google Home, through a compatible Zigbee hub such as the Philips Hue Bridge, Apple Home, through a compatible Zigbee hub such as the Philips Hue Bridge

*The following Echo devices have built-in smart home hubs and do not require a separate bridge: Echo 4th Generation, Echo Plus, Echo Show 10 (except 1st Gen), Echo Studio.

The range can also continue to function as conventional switched sockets and dimmers through their physical controls when they are not connected to a smart home system, making it easy for those without a smart home system to futureproof their home.

Discover the Dowsing & Reynolds smart home collection

The new range includes:

• Smart Double Plug Sockets (gold, black, silver, chrome & white available now - artisan finishes launching autumn 2026)
• Smart Dimmer Switches (available now)
• Double, triple and quadruple combination switch plates (launching autumn 2026)
• Bespoke combinations of smart dimmers, push buttons and toggle switches (launching autumn 2026)



Prices start from £69 for a smart double plug socket in selected finishes.

ENDS

Media contact: Natalie Walsh - natalie@dowsingandreynolds.com