The term “smart home” feels cold and distant—like something from a science fiction film imagining the unfeeling future of the human race. I love, however, that in reality, smart technology actually adds warmth to the home. These installations support you, free your mind of clutter, and make your life that much simpler. In this environment, you no longer have to remember to put butter, eggs, and fresh flowers on your grocery list. You can simply speak your order aloud, and have the items in-hand within hours. Think about how much time and energy that act alone can save you, leaving time for you to simply breathe, exist, and appreciate the now.
On demand assistance.
One of the most popular smart home features is a virtual assistant—the most popular being Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Assistant, and Apple Home. These sleek devices offer impeccable design featuring smooth contours in neutral color pallets that effortlessly blend into any design scheme. Simply setting up a hub in your kitchen or office and smaller, connected devices, like Amazon’s Echo Dot in other high-traffic areas of your home can make your life simpler, allowing you to simply speak commands, including additions to a grocery list, setting timers, reminders and more. Listening to music, radio and podcasts is also simple, enriching even the most mundane activities.
Connecting the dots.
Once you have an assistant in place, it’s time to make connections. One of the simplest ways to do this is to use Apple’s Home Kit, which allows you to control lights, outlets, thermostats, sprinklers, and more right from the apple device of your choice. The best part is that you don’t have to sacrifice your design concept because it’s the lightbulbs you install, and the clean, sleek devices placed into your space that facilitate connectivity. This doesn’t only save you stress at home, but rids you of anxiety when you leave, placing continuous control of your homestead in your pocket or purse. One of my favorite things to advise high-anxiety clients is to turn up the ambient temperature to around 70 degrees in their home, lower the lighting, and start playing some meditative music about 30-minutes before they enter. This guarantees entry into a serene, spa-like atmosphere.
Dialing up security.
As we push toward a future that places greater control at our fingertips, it should go without saying that our homes will become safer too. And what better way to facilitate relaxation than to increase your feeling of safety? The ADT Smart Home system offers many of the same benefits as Apple’s Home Kit, but places a greater emphasis on security. This allows you to set or deactivate your alarm whether you’re home or not, control cameras inside and outside the house, and switch lights on and off while you’re away, creating the illusion that someone is in the house. Finally, smart lock technology eliminates any worries that you didn’t lock a door or properly close the garage.
Loving the planet.
We think a lot about how our homes nourish us. How they lift our spirit, enrich our souls, and generally make us feel good. But we have the capability to use our homes to make the planet just a little bit cleaner by installing clean technology.
Solar panels.
These are some of the best-known appliances that generate renewable energy. However, traditionally big and bulky, these panels have been all but completely shunned by those who embrace beautiful design. Thankfully, a new solution is taking the design world by storm. Tesla’s Solar Roof has revolutionized the way we harness solar energy, using solar tiles that turn sunlight into electricity while maintaining impeccable architectural aesthetics.
Energy-saving appliances.
Converting your home to one that runs on solar energy takes time and patience. However, in the meantime, nearly every appliance in your home can be replaced with one that uses less energy. From washers and dryers to televisions, lamps, and more, Energy Star can help you find the most efficient electronics to suit your personal style.
As a holistic designer, I value advancements in technology and how they have not only made life easier, they’ve eliminated a massive amount of clutter. Now, piles of lists and papers and mail have been replaced by sleek, clean objects that actually participate in your life. The best part? This is just the beginning.
