A wireless system is provided for dynamically configuring a multimodal user interface based on user preferences to communicate with a local appliance. An appliance node is operably linked to the local appliance and configured to transmit interface format data of the local appliance for reception by the portable terminal when in the transmit vicinity of the appliance node. The portable terminal transmits an interface request therefrom in response to the reception of the interface format data. A server node is configured to receive the interface request from the portable terminal for identifying a user interface for use in interacting with the appliance. The server node transmits the identified user interface or the information for generating user interface to the portable terminal and the portable terminal presents the user interface or generates the user interface based on provided information to a user via a display of the portable terminal wherein the user may interact with the appliance in accordance with the identified user interface.