How technology is transforming the way we live, creating a smart and efficient home

Welcome to White+Grey, the interior design studio that combines the elegance of white with the sophistication of gray! Today I want to talk to you about how you can create a smart home with the latest in technology .

In today's era, technology is constantly evolving and has penetrated almost every aspect of our lives, including the way we design and inhabit our homes. As homes become smarter, they are also becoming more energy efficient and more personalized to fit your specific needs.

Here we will provide you with a practical guide on how you can create a smart home with the latest technology. From the installation of smart thermostats , home automation in blinds and irrigation , intelligent lighting and high-tech appliances, to the integration of state-of-the-art security systems . We will help you understand everything you need to know to make your home more autonomous and in line with your lifestyle.

Additionally, we'll provide you with tips on how you can control lighting, temperature, and other aspects of your home from the convenience of your smartphone or tablet, saving you time and energy by not having to deal with manual switches and traditional thermostats.

What is a smart home?

A smart home, also known as home automation , is an integrated system of devices and technologies that allow you to control and automate lighting, temperature, security, appliances and much more, from a single place, creating a better environment. efficient, comfortable and safe. Smart homes use sensors, actuators, controllers, communication networks and mobile applications, in addition to other devices, allowing you to remotely monitor and control various functions such as lighting, air conditioning, security, appliances and other home systems. With the ability to control and program home devices and systems from anywhere and at any time, you can adapt the environment at any time.

In addition, a smart home helps save energy by optimizing electricity and water consumption. For example, smart lighting systems can automatically adjust the intensity of lights based on available natural light, while smart thermostats can regulate temperature efficiently, adapting to usage patterns and occupant preferences.

What is needed for a smart home?

To turn your house into a smart home, you will need a combination of devices and technologies. In general, you will need the following items:

• Smart devices : sensors, smart thermostats, security cameras, electronic locks, smart speakers, automated blinds, remotely activated awnings, humidity detectors... the list is endless! Sensors are devices that capture different types of information from the environment and send it to the central controller. There are different types of sensors used in home automation, such as motion sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors and brightness sensors. For example, motion sensors can detect when a person enters a room and automatically turn on the lights, while temperature sensors can adjust heating or air conditioning based on the room temperature.
• Home network : A high-speed Internet network that can handle the load of all your connected devices. Here we recommend the installation of a network - or mesh - that provides coverage to all your smart devices that are part of what is called “ internet of things ”, also known as “IoT”, referring to the collective network of connected devices and the technology that facilitates communication between devices and the cloud, as well as between the devices themselves.
• Home automation controller : a control center that can connect and control all your smart devices. It is a piece of hardware - “little gadgets” - that is normally installed next to the light panel, being the true brain of the entire home automation system in the home, coordinating and controlling all the other devices on the network. Through the central controller and an app or physical screen, different home automation scenarios can be configured and programmed, for example, programming the lighting to turn on and off automatically depending on the time of day or the presence of people. in a room. It also allows the integration of different devices and automation systems.
• Application : an application that allows you to control and program your devices from your smartphone or tablet. Here, the apps from the home automation controller manufacturer are normally used, used together with other third-party apps that end up controlling the rest of the IoT-enabled devices.

What is home automation?

Home automation is the set of technologies that allow you to automate and control different systems in the home such as lighting, air conditioning, active and passive security, among others . The term "home automation" comes from the combination of the words "domus" (Latin for home) and "automatic", which reflects the ability to automate tasks and functions in the home environment. Home automation can use technologies such as artificial intelligence , automation, and connectivity to create a smarter, more efficient home. For example, there are thermostats that “learn” from how you normally use the temperature in each room, automatically adapting the temperature without you having to activate – or specifically program – the thermostat every time you want to adjust the temperature.

Through home automation, it is possible to control and manage a wide range of aspects in the home, such as lighting, air conditioning, blinds, security systems, appliances, audio and video, among others. These devices and systems are connected to a home network and controlled through user interfaces, such as mobile apps, touch panels, or voice commands (the latter is super useful!).

Home automation in the home offers numerous benefits, such as the ability to program personalized scenarios according to the needs and preferences of users, optimizing energy consumption through efficient device management, improving security through integrated surveillance and alarm systems. , and facilitating everyday life by allowing remote control and home monitoring from anywhere.

What is needed to make a home automation house and what are the 3 basic devices that home automation uses and what does each of them do?

As we said before, to make a home automation home you will need to install a home network -or mesh-. and acquire smart devices. Your home network must be fast enough to handle the number and load of all your connected devices. You can easily have more than 100 connected devices once you automate your home! Additionally, you will need a home automation controller to connect and control all your smart devices, as well as an app for your smartphone or tablet that allows you to control and program your devices.

We give you some examples that we always try to recommend to our clients at White+Grey when we work with them:

• We have already talked about smart thermostats , which “learn” from your room usage habits and automatically adjust the temperature according to your usage patterns. In addition, they optimize energy consumption by default, creating significant savings.
• Motorized blinds : you can raise or lower the blinds at a certain time of day automatically, or operate them remotely from the app on your mobile, saving the tedious journey around the house by raising or lowering them manually.
• Humidity detectors : as soon as the sensors detect humidity, the master water tap in the house is closed, preventing flooding when you are not at home.
• Light control : as in the case of blinds, you can control the turning on or off of lights in the entire home from your mobile, or by creating “personalized scenes” where the lights in the house are automatically turned on or off. or certain rooms; The same applies to exterior lights. And once you try turning lights on or off by voice, through any Alexa, Google or Apple device - for example -, there is no turning back! 🙂
• Irrigation control : is the temperature rising due to a heat wave and you are traveling? Without problem, remotely control the activation and duration of your garden's irrigation.
• Appliances : activating the washing machine, dishwasher, oven, from outside the home at the times that best suit you is no longer an inconvenience...

These basic home automation devices work together to create an intelligent and automated system, in which different actions can be programmed depending on your needs and preferences. With the central controller, sensors and devices, we can enjoy a more comfortable, safe and energy-efficient home.