How to Elevate Your Home With Smart Home Ideas

Once you’ve decided to add a smart home setup, take the time to learn about the various kinds of devices you can install. While new devices may be developed as time goes on, there are several common ones people start with to create a full-featured smart home.

• Speakers and displays for voice control
• Bulbs and lighting systems for personalized ambience
• Power strips or plugs to remotely control appliances
• Thermostats to save energy and maintain comfort
• Locks and doorbells to improve home security on a budget
• Cameras for indoor and outdoor monitoring
• Sensors, including motion detectors and window/door sensors, for an added layer of security and automation.

When choosing your core devices, keep in mind that many will be part of a major brand’s ecosystem. The individual devices are designed to work together seamlessly. However, you can mix and match brands as long as you make sure they’re compatible. Manufacturers understand that customers often prefer this, so they are often designed to work with other brands.

A central hub for operating all of your devices, whether or not they’re the same brand, can help you run your smart home more smoothly. Investigate the best method for your situation, whether it’s apps on your smart phone, a system that works with multiple brands or an ecosystem hub that only works with one brand.

You may want to start small with just a few devices or with lower investment brands to keeping affordability in mind.

Focus on the most important devices for quick convenience:

• Use smart plugs or outlets to control and schedule regular devices, like lamps or fans
• Choose a smart speaker or display for voice control
• Choose lighting strips if you aren’t ready for a major lighting system
• Start with smart locks or a few key sensors instead of an entire home security system

Save energy to manage your investment:

• Lower heating or cooling costs by using smart thermostats that run on schedules
• Schedule smart lights to turn on or off at certain times
• Automate routines with certain apps or services that connect devices without the need for the larger investment of a hub

Upgrade and invest in larger, more advanced systems when you’re ready for a bigger investment:

• Smart cameras, smoke detectors and monitors
• Multi-room lighting systems
• Smart appliances
• Custom automations and advanced routines for a fully connected living space

While there are several ways to get started setting up your smart home, here are a few basic suggestions for several setups.

Setting up a smart speaker:

• Place a hub in a central location.
• Use the voice assistant to control devices, play music and manage routines.

Installing a smart thermostat:

• Mount a smart thermostat and connect it to WiFi.
• Set schedules for automatic temperature adjustments to save energy.
• Link it to a hub for voice control.

Using a smart plug for everyday convenience:

• Plug a smart plug into an outlet.
• Connect a normal home device like a lamp, coffee maker or fan to control remotely.
• Schedule automation such as turning on a lamp at sunset.

Installing and using a smart lock:

• Install a WiFi-enabled smart lock on your front door.
• Set up facial recognition, fingerprint access and a keypad code.
• Control entry remotely via an app on your smart phone.

Demonstrating a smart glass privacy door:

• Install a smart glass privacy door for added security.
• Adjust the transparency or lock the door remotely.
• Connect it with a smart home assistant for seamless control.

Controlling smart lighting with a phone or tablet:

• Install LED smart light strips and pair them with a smartphone.
• Use the app to adjust brightness, change colors and set schedules.
• Control lights with routines like dimming for movie night.

Smart home features can cover more than just the basics. Use some of these creative ideas for your smart home.

• Lighting for different activities, like studying, partying or holiday display shows
• Watering plants and yards on a schedule
• Windows and blinds can be opened and closed remotely and on schedules
• Baby monitors can be integrated into your system
• Smart toilets can be great for mobility issues and more

Creating a smart home can also be a fun hobby because there are so many different ways to automate everyday tasks.

Tip: Make sure you know how to operate key devices manually so you don't have to rely on the system you’ve installed. This is especially important for things like locks, lights and garage doors.

Once your smart home is working the way you want it, be sure to keep it properly maintained. Keep up with software updates to ensure it stays secure and performs as expected. From time to time, review your setup to see if you need to add new things or replace parts. Cleaning your devices, according to manufacturer’s instructions, will help keep everything working properly for longer.

Tip: As you install and update your devices, especially if you’re connecting them to each other or to a hub, take notes about how you did it and the steps you took. The documentation you create may be extremely important when you update your system.