Earlier this year, CEDIA member Nucleus provided a great showcase of integrators working with interior designers. 

Inside WOW!house 2025’s first-ever media room

When technology and interior design unite with a shared vision, the results can be spectacular. This was on full display at WOW!house 2025, the annual showhouse at London’s Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. This fantastic showcase, which is situated within the Design Avenue, features 22 full-sized rooms and outdoors spaces, all created by world-class interior designers. For the very first time, a dedicated media room was part of the home – an immersive and high-performance space where design and integration were indistinguishable. The room was designed by interior designer Alex Dauley Designs and technology integrated by Nucleus. 

The vision: A sensory space thoughtfully integrated  

For Alex Dauley, the brief offered creative freedom rarely found in client-led projects. With fewer commercial constraints, she was able to focus on crafting an interior that delivered both atmosphere and experience. Achieving that vision, however, meant finding the right team to support a carefully balanced mix of design and technology.  

“Interior design is all about a sensory experience, and obviously sound is a huge part of that, as is lighting, scent, and more,” Alex explains. “But the beautiful thing is that the interior design intent has not been lost to accommodate the technology, and vice versa.” Working with Durgesh Sinh and the team at Nucleus, Alex created a media room where Dolby Atmos sound, Lutron lighting, and AV components are integrated discreetly into bespoke joinery and tailored finishes. The result is a space that delivers on performance without compromising the design. “It doesn’t feel tech heavy. Everything’s been hidden beautifully and seamlessly within the space,” Alex says. 

Building the room twice: offsite precision, onsite luxury 

Given the complexity of the build, including intricate AV infrastructure, custom cabinetry, and high-spec materials, the team decided early to build the room offsite first. 

The offsite prototype proved invaluable. It allowed both design and tech teams to test fit every component, from the speaker boxes and subwoofer locations to the luxury wall finishes and hidden picture lift with bar access. 

“We didn’t want it to be smoke and mirrors,” says Durgesh Sinh from Nucleus. “We wanted to deliver it like we would for a real client. And that meant full reference-level audio, genuine integration and all the performance we promise in live projects.” 

The final in-situ install was a feat of coordination, involving late-night sessions, intricate fabric wrapping, and working within the health and safety constraints of the showhouse infrastructure. Despite the tight five-day on-site schedule, Nucleus delivered a fully functional room that stayed faithful to the original concept sketch.  

“We haven’t changed Alex’s sketch,” adds Durgesh. “We’ve implemented full Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 with a 77-inch TV, and it looks like her original drawing.” 

The ripple effect 

As word spread about the media room, other WOW!house designers began approaching Nucleus for support with their own spaces, leading to involvement in three additional rooms. 

Staffan Tollgard, founder of Tollgard Studio, invited Nucleus to collaborate on his study room, which followed a “functional beauty” concept. Rather than concealing technology, Bang & Olufsen speakers and TVs were chosen for their sculptural appeal and placed on display. Lighting control was integrated into Nucleus’ wider Lutron HomeWorks system. 

Nucleus was then asked to assist interior designer firm 1508 London with their bathroom space, providing lighting control connected through the same interface.  

The final and most technically demanding addition was the garden, designed by landscape architect Randle Siddeley. Here, Nucleus installed an 8.1 Paradigm Oasis audio system and three Sony 85-inch screens, running fibre and DALI cabling across a 100-metre distance. 

Each of these spaces was brought together under a single control system, demonstrating the potential of integrated technology in complex, multi-zone environments. 

Shared success 

Perhaps the most important takeaway from WOW!house 2025 was not what was built, but how. 

“Durgesh and his team are one in a million,” Alex reflects. “This project is testament to the fact that you must have great relationships with people. You must work with like-minded people that are equally as ambitious and equally as detailed.” 

This mutual respect extended beyond design and installation. With thousands of visitors walking through the space, Nucleus was able to show how integrated technology can support and enhance thoughtful design. “It’s powerful to physically show designers the lengths you can go to. You don’t have to compromise technology or aesthetic, you can have both,” Durgesh explains. 

More than a showroom 
WOW!house 2025 is a showcase of what’s possible when integrators and designers work as collaborators. It proves that performance and beauty can, and should, complement each other. When it’s done right, design elevates the technology and the home to a whole new level. 

Stay informed!

ISE 2026 takes place in Barcelona on 3-6 February 2026. For more updates on all kinds of residential technology – including audio, video, lighting, automation, control and security – and to discover more about ISE 2026 as details are released, sign up for updates.

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