We’ve all seen futuristic smart homes being advertised in magazines, on Instagram, and YouTube.
They always somehow offer a balanced combination between style, functionality, sleek design and optimal connection and convenience. The good news is all of that is available today for the interested homeowner.
We have access to the technology and the tools to make a smart home a reality for everyone. From smart video doorbells and home assistants to AI-powered thermometers and motion-activated lights. All of this is available for the taking.
If you’re looking to turn your house into a smart home, the following suggestions are a good place to start.
Smart Lighting
Smart lighting is the simplest and easiest way to start your journey into having a smart home. A lot of smart lighting systems come with a primary hub that connects them with other smart home tools and apps.
A few examples are bulbs from brands like TP-link and LIFX. They have Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth communication for easy synchronisation with your smartphone radio.
These smart bulbs are easy to operate using a smart app from your phone or tablet. You can customise it according to different lighting schedules and scenes.
Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats are another entry-level smart home device or gadget that’s incredibly popular. That’s because they can significantly reduce your cooling and heating costs.
In addition to allowing you to schedule your cooling and heating, these devices come with AI technology that anticipates your needs. They can tell when there’s no one at home and will switch HVAC on and off accordingly.
Now, there are even thermostats with sensors which are more compact and designed for use in specific spaces around the home.
Smart Speakers
Smart speakers allow for convenient voice control of your entire house. For instance, you can use them to pull the curtains open by simply saying so. The best devices on the market include the Google Home series and the Amazon Echo series.
The best part is that both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are compatible with most third-party products and devices.
Home Security Cameras
Home security cameras come with a lot of benefits, such as enabling you to watch your house from afar and protecting you from criminal activity.
Outdoor cameras will help you monitor your kids and pets while playing outside. They’ll also help you detect suspicious behaviour so you can report and nip it in the bud early.
Smart home cameras now come in different forms including doorbell models that are stealthy and allow you to interact with whoever is at the door, even if you’re not at home!
Multi-Room Audio Systems
Multi-room audio systems from companies like Denon, Yamaha and Sonos are becoming increasingly popular.
Most of them are self-containing, which means you can stream music from different areas of your house. You can also enjoy your own music from offline collections or stream straight from Spotify and other music platforms.
Most companies include soundbars as part of the overall system to make for an improved TV viewing experience.
Conclusion
One of the best ways to create a smart home environment is to purchase a smart home hub that includes all the different elements included in this article. Everything is made available through a convenient user interface.
But, it’s important to ensure that the smart hub you buy is compatible with the different devices and apps you want to use and vice versa.
