Design & Development Consultancy in Cheltenham
The cheapest time to get home technology right is before the plaster goes on. Hidden Home Technology provides design and development consultancy for Cheltenham projects — working with architects, interior designers, main contractors and property developers to plan cinema, audio, lighting control, networking and automation while it’s still lines on a drawing.
Who this service is for
Three groups, mainly. Architects and interior designers who want the technology in their Cheltenham schemes to be invisible, coordinated and specified by someone who does this daily. Developers — from a single Regency conversion in the town centre to multi-unit schemes — who want “smart-ready” to mean something concrete rather than a brochure line. And private clients embarking on a major renovation or new build who want one experienced voice covering everything from screen sizes to server cupboards. If that’s you, our page for interior designers and architects is also worth a read.
What we actually deliver
Consultancy with us produces working documents, not vague advice: cable schedules and containment routes the electrician can price from; positions for keypads, speakers, screens, access points and equipment racks coordinated against joinery and finishes; lighting-control circuit schedules; ventilation and power requirements for equipment spaces; and staged specifications so infrastructure goes in now even where equipment arrives later. On site, we’re available at first fix — the single most valuable site visit in the whole programme — and at commissioning.
Why involve us early in a Cheltenham project
Cheltenham work so often means period fabric — listed terraces, conservation areas, buildings that don’t forgive an afterthought cable run. Decided at drawing-board stage, technology routes can respect the building; decided after decoration, they can’t. The same logic applies to new builds on the town’s edge: a few hundred metres of the right cable at build stage costs a fraction of retrofitting it, and makes every later choice — a cinema room, lighting control, whole-home audio — straightforward instead of disruptive. We’ve set out the trade-offs honestly in our guide to retrofit vs new-build smart homes.
Independent where it matters, accountable where it counts
We’re unusual in being consultant, retailer and installer in one company. Used well, that’s an advantage: our specifications are grounded in equipment we install and support daily, and if you choose, one firm carries the design from concept through installation to a calibrated handover — with no gap between the drawing and the delivery for problems to fall into. Design-only engagements are equally welcome; plenty of clients take our drawings and tender the installation.
The experience behind the drawings: our founder Dan has designed home technology since 2001 — 25 years across period and contemporary property — the company has traded since 2004, and we’re a CEDIA member (A-356536). Recent regional work includes a garden-room cinema in Gloucester and a period-house cinema in the Cotswolds.
Frequently asked questions
At what project stage should we involve you?
Ideally before technical design is frozen — early enough to influence layouts, containment and electrical schedules. That said, we regularly join projects mid-stream; the earlier the call, the more options survive.
Do we have to buy the equipment through you?
No. Consultancy stands on its own, and our documents are written so any competent contractor can execute them. Many clients do choose us for supply and installation — but that’s a decision for later, not a condition.
Do you attend site in Cheltenham?
Yes. Design reviews, first-fix inspections and commissioning visits are all normal parts of the service — Cheltenham is an easy run from our Bath base, and Gloucestershire is regular territory for us.
Can you work alongside our existing design team?
That’s the standard arrangement — we slot in beside the architect, interior designer and M&E consultant, covering the technology scope and coordinating with theirs.
Start the conversation early
Get in touch at whatever stage your project has reached, or read more about our design and development consultancy. For everything we do in the town, see the Cheltenham overview page.