Three Ways to Make Your House Smarter With Home Automation
via Notion
Hey friends! Today I'm excited to introduce you to Smart With You, a home automation company based right here in Philadelphia! I recently met with the founders, Annelyn and Matt, who have launched a tool to help you create a smart home using the latest and greatest technology out there. They do the hard work for you of finding products that fit your needs, and will even configure them for you! They partner with installers as well, so if all of this sounds a little bit scary and intimidating, have no fear - they're ready to make this a piece of cake.
I invited Annelyn and Matt over here to guest post so that they can teach us a few basics about home automation and share three easy ways to implement these technologies into our own homes. I truly believe smart homes are the wave of the future, and that sometime soon, I'll be designing spaces with a lot of these features in mind. Heck, we've already got a few devices in our home, and I'm sure more will make their way into our lives in the coming years!
So without further adieu, here's Smart With You!
Have you heard about home automation? It's is the modern trend of incorporating cutting-edge technology inside your homes and apartments.
With these smart devices, home owners and renters can remotely automate certain actions right through a computer, a tablet or a smartphone. For example, can you imagine coming back home after a long day at work, have the lights turn on automatically when you walk in, the news switch on on your TV, and the A/C set to the perfect temperature?
But, the impact of smart home technologies goes beyond comfort and convenience - it can lead to cheaper energy bills and insurance deductibles. (Chaney here, piping in! Who wouldn't want to save some money?!)
Smart products are easy to include when redesigning a room or your house. Home control, lighting, and sensors are the three examples we'll share today.
HOME CONTROL
Home Assistants:
A home assistant can be controlled with voice commands and it will simplify your life almost immediately. With the Amazon Echo (below), ask Alexa about the weather forecast, your house temperature or to turn on your lights. Echo comes in black or white, and its sleek modern design can easily fit into your interior.
Gesture Control:
The Fibaro Swipe is an example of gesture control technology. Once installed, Swipe interprets your gestures. For example, you can move your hand up to turn on your lights and rotate your hand to dim them. Raise your hand and swipe it to turn your music volume up. You can either disguise the device as a picture frame (just remove the front panel to display your favorite one!), or you can hide it behind a wall, under a desk, or the kitchen counter. The device will detect your gestures through those surfaces.
Watch the video below to learn more about Swipe!
LIGHTING
via Amazon
Smart Controllers:
Smart controllers allow you to control your lights remotely and can be installed behind your existing switches. You can also automate them in certain scenarios: for example, automatically turn off your lights when you start watching a movie.
Colored Bulbs:
It is also possible to set up nice atmospheres in different rooms with smart bulbs. Light up your furniture or ceilings with customized color, or switch your lighting's color according to your mood.
SMART SENSORS
via Notion
Smart sensors provide an additional way to monitor and secure your home. They be installed on your doors or windows and notify you when they are opened or closed.
Sensative strip, for example, is so thin that it can be hidden between your door and your door frame. Another example is the Aeon recessed sensor that can be installed inside your door. Those sensors add an extra level of security to your home. They can send an alert if someone tries to break into your home and can also come in handy if you're not sure you've closed the windows when a sudden storm comes up!
Are you interested in making your home smarter? Wanting to start with a few products? Needing more information? We are happy to help you. Go to www.smartwithyou.com/design to design your smart home with our easy online tool and get an estimate of your project. You can also contact us at contact@smartwithyou.com to chat about your home automation project.
Thanks so much, Annelyn and Matt! Wasn't that so helpful? Doesn't it make you want to make your home just a little bit smarter? We have an Amazon Alexa, but after reading this post, I realize we're hardly scratching the surface when it comes to the things we can automate with her.
Make sure you go check out Smart With You's website and try their free tool!