From the outside it’s a smart Victorian family house – but step inside and you’re surrounded by state-of-the-art gadgets that wouldn’t look out of place in a contemporary James Bond movie.

Described as ‘Britain’s coolest home’, the Yeadon property has been transformed at a cost of £1 million into a striking showcase of cutting edge technology, from speakers hidden in ceilings and walls to mirrors that turn into TV screens.

The showhouse has been opened by Pudsey-based home entertainment specialists Finite Solutions to demonstrate how top-of-the-range technology can blend seamlessly with traditional interiors. “This is high quality home technology for bespoke houses,” says marketing director Fraser Stride. “We’re always looking for new ways for clients to make the most of technology, to make their lives easier, more luxurious or safer, and now we’re able to illustrate this through our own showhouse.

“Nowhere else in the UK is it possible to experience so much of what the home entertainment industry can offer, under one roof.”

The company spent a year renovating the 1890s property, a former family home which had been derelict for some time.

“We spent a lot of time looking for the right house,” says Fraser. “We needed a large property that would look like a home, rather than just an industrial showhouse, so we could show how technology can be integrated into a family home. There’s a graceful balance between old and new, showing how cutting edge gadgets can blend into a period property in subtle ways. You don’t have to live in a chic new minimalist apartment to have these state-of-the-art features incorporated into your home.”

With features including multi-room audio and video technology, concealed screens and speakers, a six-seater cinema, and touchscreen lighting and security controls, the ambitious project is 21st century hi-tech chic meets Victorian elegance.

“We were keen to keep the original Victorian feel; it’s about getting the balance right,” says Fraser. “We completely gutted the house and uncovered some lovely original features, such as marble fireplaces and cast iron radiators. We restored the original doors and rooted out the basement. We landscaped the grounds – stone from the cellar floor is now in the garden – and chemically cleaned the stonework of the house. The interiors were done by York interior designers David Long Designs, who did a fantastic job.”

The basement has been transformed into a home cinema, complete with tiered white leather seating, mood lighting and speakers hidden behind an 8ft screen. Fraser taps a keypad and suddenly a selection of dozens of DVDs appears on the screen. “You can browse through hundreds of DVDs, CDs and computer games on screen,” he says. “Home cinemas have become the norm now, in large upmarket properties. It’s American-led – just as it was always the case that large houses were built with swimming pools, now they’re built with home cinemas.”

Upstairs, the hallway has the original mosaic tiled floor and a striking stained glass window half-way up the staircase. Ornate cornicing runs throughout the house. In the sitting-room, beneath a glittering chandelier, there’s a 52in TV screen on the wall flanked by acoustic speakers concealed behind artwork. As in all rooms, a touch-screen panel controls the audio visuals, as well as heating, lighting and monitoring CCTV cameras on screen. Above a grand marble fireplace hangs artwork made of stone – in keeping with the slate grey features in other rooms – incorporating the house’s stained glass design and the Finite company logo.

Striking abstract acrylics by Bingley artist Marcus Levine adorn the walls of the house, with some of the artwork hiding speakers and screens.

The dining room can be converted into a boardroom at the touch of a button, with a projector screen rising from the floor, while in an upstairs lounge a plasma screen emerges from behind a stylish wall panel. Press another button on the remote control panel and a 7ft cinema screen drops from the ceiling, with a projector lift descending on the wall opposite. Mood lighting is controlled with a key pad.

“The hidden screens are the perfect solutions to ensure the TV isn’t the focal point of the room,” says Fraser. “Not all these gadgets will become mainstream, but some – like using an ‘all off’ switch to turn off all house lights, rather than going round and switching them off separately, saving time and power – will become standard features. Music, videos and digital photos can all be accessed through TVs around the house or controlled using in-wall touchscreen controllers. You can control air conditioning and exterior lighting or view all six CCTV cameras on any TV screen or touch-panel throughout the house. The CCTV can be monitored when away from home, even abroad.”

The bathroom, designed by natural stone interiors specialists Verbeia, is a striking contrast of black slate walls, bright blue spotlights in the bath and brightly-coloured lights pouring from the shower in the centre of the room.

The music room combines old and new, with a £25,000 digital stereo system and floor-standing speakers blasting out beats beneath a sloping ceiling. And in the elegant master bedroom there’s more gadgetry, with a painting moving sideways along the wall to reveal a TV screen and speakers.

Finite, which has celebrities, sports personalities and top business figures among its clients, tailors home entertainment gadgetry to suit individual needs. “We work alongside architects, interior designers and property developers,” says Fraser. “Everything is bespoke. This property proves that gone are the days when such cutting edge technology was only for the movies. Now it can be a reality for home owners.”

* For more about the Yeadon showhome ring (0113) 2554765 or visit www.finitesolutions.co.uk