A system for controlling functional operations of one or more controllable appliances, comprising: a smart device having a first remote control application, the first remote control application being configured to cause the smart device to transmit at least one command for controlling at least one functional operation of one or more controllable appliances in response to at least one of a plurality of user interface elements of the smart device being selected wherein the at least one command transmitted from the smart device is transmitted using a first transmission protocol; and a bridge device having a second remote control application, the second remote control application being configured using appliance identity data received by the bridge device whereupon the second remote control application causes the bridge device to transmit at least one command for controlling at least one functional operation of one or more controllable appliances in response to at least one of a plurality of user interface elements of the bridge device being selected and to cause the bridge device to transmit at least one command for controlling at least one functional operation of one or more controllable appliances in response to receiving at the bridge device the at least one command transmitted from the smart device, wherein the at least one command transmitted from the bridge device is transmitted using a transmission protocol recognized by the one or more controllable appliances; characterized in that the bridge device communicates to the smart device data indicative of a configuration of the second remote control application resulting from use of the appliance identity data and wherein the data indicative of the configuration of the second remote control application is used at the smart device to retrieve a graphical user interface, GUI, definition, and wherein the retrieved GUI definition is used by the smart device to create a GUI page having at least the plurality of user interface elements that is to be presented in a display of the smart device via use of the first remote control application. a smart device having a first remote control application, the first remote control application being configured to cause the smart device to transmit at least one command for controlling at least one functional operation of one or more controllable appliances in response to at least one of a plurality of user interface elements of the smart device being selected wherein the at least one command transmitted from the smart device is transmitted using a first transmission protocol; and a bridge device having a second remote control application, the second remote control application being configured using appliance identity data received by the bridge device whereupon the second remote control application causes the bridge device to transmit at least one command for controlling at least one functional operation of one or more controllable appliances in response to at least one of a plurality of user interface elements of the bridge device being selected and to cause the bridge device to transmit at least one command for controlling at least one functional operation of one or more controllable appliances in response to receiving at the bridge device the at least one command transmitted from the smart device, wherein the at least one command transmitted from the bridge device is transmitted using a transmission protocol recognized by the one or more controllable appliances;