User:Techorator

Techorate

“Techorate” (v), a term originally coined by LG Electronics, is the blending of modern technology with the art of decorating a room to ensure that a room integrates design and consumer electronics to suit the function and style of the room. The successful “techoration” (n) of a room incorporates technology so that it is attractive and easy to use with the existing architecture (interior design).

In the same way that flowers or vases once represented decorative focal points of interior design, technology now sits at the heart of a modern interior living space as both a functional and decorative part of the room’s overall look and feel.

A Techorator (n) is a person, usually a design professional, who incorporates consumer and home electronics into the design of interior spaces. This comprehensive design approach creates a multi-sensory space and enhances it with cutting-edge technology to express the owner’s personality and unique style.

LG Techorator

Douglas (Doug) Wilson, of TLC’s Trading Spaces and “Moving Up,” and respected interior designer, is America’s first Techorator. Partnering with consumer electronics leader LG Electronics, Wilson is helping guide consumers to easily integrate technology into their home décor to create a stylish living space.

Techorating Themes/Tips

Room Dynamics: No matter the size of the room, or living space you are working with, remember these important guidelines and you’ll never go wrong. The biggest mistake consumers report they make when purchasing a TV is buying one that costs too much or was the wrong size for their space.

Size matters. But remember, bigger isn’t always better! The technology used should be in proportion in the home/room for the best aesthetic and functional fit. Consumers should seek best integration over size.

Determine the focal point of the room: The television has become the “hearth of the home” in the 21st century. With so many new innovative models on the market, there are many ways to upgrade this focal point of the home to create a stylish design that complements home décor and incorporates one’s unique taste and personality.

The place that looks perfect for your television may actually be the perfect spot. Don’t be afraid to put that new flat screen over your mantel, but remember that competing design elements – fireplaces, large mirrors, picture windows – will make the space look too
HDTV delivers the most impact when your eye level is at the center of the display; so budget money for a stand or wall-mounting system that puts your TV at eye level when you're sitting on your couch.
Many electronics companies offer a package of floor standing and rear wall mounted speakers to amplify your listening experience without sacrificing space.
The screen size of your television should determine furniture placement.
- How far back should the sofa go?
- Multiply the screen size in inches by 1.5 - that's the minimum distance in inches between the TV set and sofa. Divide by 12 to convert your answer to feet.

Clean Design: Televisions can actually add to the aesthetic of a space rather than detracting from the design. With sleeker flat screens and new design elements available, the TV no longer has to be hidden or stick out like a sore thumb. Today’s media rooms can easily *Companies like LG are incorporating elements such as ”invisible” speakers and color accents that make great design possible without sacrificing the integrity of the space.

Try painting the wall behind your flat screen a darker shade than normal. If you want to be daring, a dark charcoal will help your black frame blend in. If you are looking for something more subtle, paint the wall a shade or two deeper than the others to add contrast and for a better view.
Table top or simple wall mounting for a flat screen TV can add space to your room and streamline the look and feel of the room.
Don’t let your flat screen be the only thing on the wall. Fill out the space using symmetrical design and equal proportions that still let the eye focus on the TV – such as matching pictures on either side of the screen with high gloss frames to mimic the television to achieve balance and symmetry.
Fill in the space below the TV by adding a credenza or long table underneath the set to get extra space for DVDs and remotes while also drawing the eye into a larger design.

LG Techorator Bio/ Doug Wilson

Doug Wilson is a modern day Renaissance man – a designer, author, television showman and philanthropist. While he is perhaps best known as the “colorful” designer for his daring, high-impact rooms on TLC’s hit series “Trading Spaces,” this small-town boy turned design-phenom extends well beyond his television persona. Raised five miles outside the town limits of Broadlands, Illinois, population 350, Wilson uses the purity and serenity of his childhood home as inspiration for melding organic elements with a fresh, sophisticated and inherently American sense of style.

His designs are unconventionally stylish and urbane, and Wilson has packaged his expertise into a uniquely comprehensive portfolio. He has hosted three television shows on TLC – “Trading Spaces,” “America’s Ugliest” and “Moving Up,” currently in its 4th hit season. Clarkson Potter/Random House published his debut design book, Doug’s Rooms, and Doug pens regular design columns for In Touch Weekly and Signature Kitchens & Baths.

Wilson’s unique design sensibility has caught the attention of Hollywood starlet Lindsay Lohan; New York’s elite including Barbara Walters and Mayor Michael Bloomberg; renowned designers Jamie Drake, Albert Hadley and Alexa Hampton; and national media including the “TODAY Show,” “The Rachael Ray Show,” “In the Loop with iVillage,” “E! News,” “Access Hollywood,” “The View,” CNN and FOX News Channel as well as House Beautiful, House & Garden, InStyle Home, Elle Décor, Cosmopolitan, At Home with Century 21 and The New York Times.

A master of intricate wall treatments and decorative painting techniques, Wilson often showcases his bold and powerful 21st century design sense. From a table suspended in mid-air in an elegant yellow and black dining room to a space created as an exact replica of a Pullman car, Wilson is not afraid to tackle big challenges in a remarkable way. His fearless approach to design has resulted in furniture literally tossed out of a three-story window, tears in an infamous “Trading Spaces” episode and even an unexpected kiss from a grateful homeowner.

While Wilson is bringing unconventional design into the homes of viewers across the nation, he is also working to make “doable” design accessible to everyone – not just those lucky few who are chosen to appear on an interior design television show or who can afford a high-end decorator. In his highly acclaimed debut book Doug’s Rooms (Clarkson Potter), Wilson provides room design ideas, pictorial how-tos and decorating advice encouraging readers to focus on a specific touchstone for each room – a swatch of fabric, a favorite knick-knack or a thrift-shop treasure – to create their space.

Wilson also is a man with a big imagination and huge heart. Motivated by his nephew’s personal experience with Rhabdoid cancer of the kidney – one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies in pediatric oncology—Wilson is actively involved in the fight against this rare form of juvenile cancer. He became involved with the Ronald McDonald House through his nephew’s stay during treatments and has taped a public service announcement for the organization based on his family’s experiences.

Given Doug Wilson’s comprehensive portfolio, this celebrity designer is well on his way to transforming America’s homes…one room at a time.

For more information about Wilson and his company please check out www.douglaswilsonltd.com.

References

A national consumer survey conducted by LG Electronics revealed that nearly two-thirds (72 percent) of those surveyed say that they often cannot determine how to integrate new technology into their home.
More than a third of respondents in a national research study conducted by LG Electronics indicated that the television has become the focal point in their homes.