Beef Up Your Home Security With Smart Design

Beef Up Your Home Security With Smart Design

Charmaine Kon by Charmaine Kon on Aug 21, 2017
Why you should care

Home security is an important consideration for Malaysian homeowners. With the rise of break-in incidences, it’s important to amp up security at home. The safety of a home should not depend solely on CCTV and alarms as it should also be incorporated into design – architecture, design layout, and more.

Too often, homeowners mistakenly treat home security features as an afterthought, only relying on systems like alarms.

On the contrary, home security should be incorporated into the design. Speak to your interior designer or architect about your security concerns and consider these: 

Tall, “One-Dimensional” Walls

Half-walls with grille provide incidental steps for trespassers. Build tall walls with clean lines around the perimeter of your house.

While this trick was used by castles in ye olde days, it still applies today. In fact, tall, minimalistic walls boast a contemporary look. Just make sure to use a good combination of colour and texture between your walls and your gate, to add interest to your home’s façade.

Tall wall home facade

SOURCE: thewowdecor.com

If you live in an attached home, then keep your front wall short and protect the inner entrance instead. We love this combination of concrete, bricks, and grille – it’s great security and even better design.

Covered Gates

Gates with see-through design like horizontal bars also make for incidental steps. Reduce the likelihood of a forced entry by using closed-off gates.

Home wood front gate

SOURCE: homedsgn.com

As tall walls and covered gates might obscure natural light and block off views of the outside, opt for gates with see-through portions like mesh or smaller gaps that cannot act as steps.

Modern gate hoe

SOURCE: zodesignart.com

If you don’t like the idea of a very tall gate, then a shorter gate with trellises also work as a good deterrent for climb-ins. Unsure of your options? Read more about different types of gates here.

Modern Moats

Castles have moats while modern homes can have ponds or swimming pools around their perimeters.

This pond is a clever moat to protect this home’s side wall.

The swimming pool in this terrace home’s is a good defence for the vulnerable backyard.

Sensor Lights

Employ motion sensor lights at places like your garden, front gate, and around the perimeters of your home. In the event of a trespass, the lights might just catch yours or a neighbour’s attention.

Landscape lighting

SOURCE: ylighting.com

Fortunately, landscape sensor lights come in attractive designs and are a good way to highlight your envy-inducing hydrangeas.

Defence Landscaping

The right landscaping act as a second line of defence around your borders. Things like gravel and chips make crunching noises to alert you of intruders while thorny plants and bushes can drive plotting perpetrators away.

The Best View

Ask your interior designer or architect how you can best plan the common rooms in the home to have a good view of the home’s perimeters. Since you spend the most times in areas like the living room and dining room, having these rooms face the home’s exterior makes it easy for you to spot both welcomed and unwelcomed guests.

Kitchen with view

SOURCE: vintagespeedbicycles.tumblr.com

Plus, it’s a good way for outsiders to note the occupancy of a home; intruders prefer to make quick breaks as opposed to running into homeowners.

Click on the ‘Request Quote’ button on the images to receive free quotations from Malaysian interior designers.
You can also check out other local interior design portfolios.

Why you should care

Home security is an important consideration for Malaysian homeowners. With the rise of break-in incidences, it’s important to amp up security at home. The safety of a home should not depend solely on CCTV and alarms as it should also be incorporated into design – architecture, design layout, and more.

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