Our favourite smart home integrations

Smart home intergrations

Smart devices have become an everyday part of many households. Whether its a smart TV that enables us to watch our favourite shows on catch up, or a smart thermostat that automatically adjusts our heating to suit our schedules, most homes have at least one connected device. However, if you want to have more than one or two technologies, smart home integrations are the best way to enjoy a cohesive and intuitive system.

With operating systems like Control4 you can integrate different devices, enabling them to complement each other for enhanced convenience. Here are some of the best and most practical smart home integrations to consider.

Smart blinds and smart lighting

Smart blinds and smart lighting are the perfect duo for enhancing your home’s aesthetics and improving your quality of life. In terms of convenience, operating the two with the same system makes controlling the overall lighting of your home simpler, and enables you to balance the natural and artificial light levels with ease.

This particular integration can enhance your wellbeing too. Natural light is vital to maintaining a healthy sleep/wake cycle and elevating our mood. Your automation system can respond to natural light levels, ensuring you get the full benefit of sunlight during the day and seamlessly transitioning to artificial light as night draws in. Your lighting temperature can be adjusted too, illuminating your property with bright, cool light during the day and switching to warmer, yellow light in the evening. This ensures you don’t experience sleep issues due to the effects of bright light before bed.

Smart lighting and security

Smart lighting and security may seem like two entirely separate features, but they can work together to create a safer home environment. Smart home professionals are often asked to integrate the two in order to deter trespassers. At its most basic level, automated lighting can be set up to follow your regular routines, providing convenience when you are home and giving the impression that your property is occupied when it’s not. Called ‘mockupancy’, this provides an extra layer of protection for your peace of mind.

Should there be a break in – or even some suspicious activity within your grounds – you can set the colour of the lighting to change when motion sensors or cameras detect unusual activity. This alerts you to a potential problem and enables you to act without necessarily tipping off the intruder.

Finally, integrating lighting and security can offer a simple solution to getting you and your property ready for bed each night. Instead of manually turning off lights, locking doors and setting alarms, you can do all of these simply by pushing a button or issuing a voice command. Your Control4 specialist can show you how to set this up and make adjustments to the parameters should you require them.

At New Wave AV, we are a certified Control4 installer with a wide range of projects behind us. If you’re looking for cohesive home automation and intuitive integration of your systems, our experts will be happy to help. We work with some of the world’s leading home automation products from brands such as Lutron, Sony, Verisure and Future Automation. Contact us today for smart home installations in Kent, Surrey, Essex, London and Sussex.