Modern apartment living is all about comfort and convenience. You work hard all week, so it’s important that you are able to relax and enjoy your spare time when you come home. Here are some essential electronics we think every apartment should have.
Laptop or Tablet Device
Most of us have laptops as our home computers now, because they can do everything we need them to and more – word-processing, spreadsheeting, internet browsing, Netflix, Spotify and more. The hulking presence of the desktop is thankfully a thing of the past.
For many, the MacBook is the ideal laptop; it has dozens of programs and applications, it runs like a dream, and on a purely superficial level it’s just a gorgeous-looking item. Apple is certainly one of the most prestigious tech brands out there, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s the only option. Dell, Samsung, HP and Lenovo all offer extremely high-spec laptops that perform just as well (in some cases better) than MacBooks. TechRadar is a trustworthy source for advice and comparisons on all types of home electronics, so look on there if you’re unsure about a specific model.
If all you’ll ever be doing is casual web-browsing and streaming TV programmes on-demand, then perhaps all you need is a good tablet – like Microsoft’s Surface Pro or Apple’s iPad Pro. These devices are ideal for the commute too, because they’re smaller and lighter than most laptops.
Home Audio System
Playing music in the comfort of your own home is one of life’s true pleasures. Whether you’re cooking, cleaning, exercising, doing some work, entertaining, or simply unwinding with a drink, it enhances the experience tremendously. It makes boring tasks far more bearable, and it makes good times even better.
A compact and wireless speaker system is the ideal way to achieve this in a modern apartment, because you’ll enjoy a high-quality audio experience without the equipment taking up lots of space and ruining the room’s feng shui.
Sonos and Bose are two leading brands, offering speakers that are totally wireless (apart from the plugs, of course), so they don’t need to connect physically to anything – you just hook them up to your WiFi and then control the music through either your phone, tablet, laptop or TV. Each speaker takes up about as much room as a small reading lamp – barely even noticeable.
If you get a speaker for each room, you can have the music flowing throughout your whole apartment, which means you can potter around without missing a single beat.
Juicer or Smoothie-Maker
There’s carton-bought ‘freshly squeezed’ juice, and then there’s true freshly squeezed juice. If you invest in your own juicer, you’ll get to enjoy the proper stuff every day. Orange, grapefruit, tomato, carrot – whatever you like. Some of the most trusted brands in the juicer market include Nutribullet, Sage (Heston Blumenthal’s appliance range), and good old Philips.
If you’re a health enthusiast or an exercise fanatic, get yourself a smoothie-maker. Combine your favourite ingredients each morning to create a light yet delicious and nutritious breakfast for your commute. The beauty of smoothies is that there’s lots of room for experimentation, so feel free to try new things and tweak your recipes. High-end smoothie-maker manufacturers include Nutribullet, Magimix and BERG – though brands like Kenwood and Andrew James also do reliable models.
Coffee Machine
Many of us like to start the day with a good strong cup of coffee, but making it can sometimes be a chore – especially if we’re pushed for time (which, let’s face it, most of us are in the mornings).
But speedy coffee at home is easily achievable if you have a high-quality countertop machine. There are countless brands and models to choose from out there – from entry-level machines by De’Longhi and Dualit to deluxe contraptions by BERG and Sage. The vast choice can be a bit overwhelming, but it really just depends on how much you want to spend, and what you want the machine to actually do.
If all you drink is strong black coffee, you’ll need a classic ‘drip’ machine. If you’re a fan of lattes, cappuccinos and flat whites, you’re best off investing in a model that has a steam wand for making that perfect warm and silky milk you’d get in any respectable coffeehouse.
4K-Resolution TV
As fun as a night out can be, sometimes there’s nothing better than spending a night in with a few friends, some food and drink, and a good film. Having a state-of-the-art TV comes in handy for these occasions, and at the moment there’s nothing better than 4K (otherwise known as ‘ultra-high-definition’).
Watching something in 4K is more like looking through a clean window than it is watching a TV, because the picture is roughly three-and-a-half times clearer than ‘Full HD’ (1080p), so you can create your own home cinema!
Of course, you’ll have to pay a little more for a 4K TV that you would for a regular HD model, but it’s worth the investment. You don’t need to buy an enormous size either, if that’s what you’re worried about – they start at 40”, which by today’s standards is about average.
Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic are always at the top of tech magazines’ lists when it comes to TV recommendations, so you can’t go wrong with one of those.
If you really want to go high-tech in your apartment, you could invest in one of these…
Make the Most of Life in London
Browse our other blog posts for more advice about London living.
