When the Oakley Estate was completed in 1927, it was still an innocent era when it came to technology and children. The great American yo-yo craze had not yet occurred, and only two years had passed since an English toy manufacturer had begun producing the first electric trains. Today, to say the least, things have changed.

The boy’s bedroom and bathroom both feature sophisticated technologies such as a wall-mounted LCD screen controlled by a wireless keypad, a built-in speaker system, motion-sensor faucets that release temperature-controlled water, and a self-cleaning and self-flushing toilet that also raises and closes its own lid. “You only have to show up and do your thing,” quips designer D. Lynne Maxfield-Cole of Decorating Plus in Auburn.

While the technology on display is certainly impressive, Maxfield-Cole was sure to add several details that are good old-fashioned “boy,” such as a trundle bed for sleepovers and a custom-made sports-themed area rug. “Our philosophy with this room was to bring in technology,” she says, “but also honor the age of the home by hiding almost everything behind the walls.”

At the end of the day, mom and dad will be very much in control of the room’s electronic gadgetry. “The parents have the ultimate control with this system,” says Jason Robie, co-owner of SmartHome Solutions, a Wells-based company that designs, engineers, and installs a variety of electronics systems. Robie says the design of the system was driven by education, not entertainment.

Excitement about the technology in the boy’s room quickly swept through the entire house, leading to the integration of a master system that controls all the home’s sub-systems: from the lights, audio, and intercom to the heating, air conditioning, and video monitoring. The home’s central media server will allow CDs and DVDs to be accessed and enjoyed from any room in the house.

Finally, since the system is IP-based, it can be accessed via a website from anywhere in the world, at anytime—this means that with a few taps on a handheld computer or smart phone, parents out for a night of music at the Portland Symphony Orchestra can access their home’s video-monitoring system to make sure the kids are behaving for the babysitter. “These systems are not only practical,” says Jeff Binette, Robie’s partner at SmartHome Solutions, “they also add incredible value to homes, and with today’s market, features like this really set houses apart.”

“This eight-year-old boy will likely have a voice-controlled house by the time he’s 50,” says designer Maxfield-Cole. “Things evolve and homes have to evolve with them.” She has dubbed her marriage of technology and consistency: “universal design.” Seeking to create uniformity in all homes and buildings, Maxfield-Cole hopes that eventually an eight-year-old or an 80-year-old will feel comfortable no matter where they are.