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Set Up Smart Home: How Does It Work?
Smart home devices are interconnected and linked to the cloud, allowing precise control over lights, blinds, power outlets, heat pumps, air conditioning, heating, and photovoltaic systems.
Leading providers of smart home systems include:
• Amazon
• Apple
• Samsung
• Bosch
Designing a Smart Home: Added Value for Home and Garden
When setting up a smart home, a multitude of components can be integrated. For instance, special bulbs can emit cool or warm light, or even RGB colors, creating ideal lighting conditions for different times of the day. Great extra for bathrooms or home spas in red, green, yellow, or blue light. Learn more in our other article about how to create the ideal lighting for your home office. Intelligent household appliances, like washing machines, dryers, and TVs, can also be controlled through smart home systems, enabling tasks such as automatic coffee brewing. Outdoors, smart devices can handle garden watering and security systems, providing convenience and safety.
Another aspect is alarm systems and digital peepholes, which are easy to integrate. They protect the home from thieves and unwanted visitors. The features are numerous. In principle, you can check on any arriving persons via your mobile phone. Many models are equipped with intercoms, and some can also have small monitors installed. As the video system is part of the smart home, you can access it even when you're away, which is a real advantage when absent, to give instructions to the delivery person. With special locks, you can open and close doors via mobile phone or with your fingerprint. Some alarm systems can also be connected to a paid security service, which will be on the scene immediately in case of an alarm.
Set Up Smart Home: For the Sake of the Environment
Smart homes are suitable for private homes, rental apartments, and commercial spaces. They can be implemented in new buildings or during renovations. Despite the initial investment, smart home technology contributes to environmental conservation by optimizing the use of light, heat, and electricity, leading to energy and cost savings.
In Smart Home Living, Safety Takes Priority
Smart home devices, connected to the internet, collect and process data continuously. Leading providers ensure data protection and GDPR compliance, safeguarding personal information. They continuously collect, store, and process a wealth of data. For those new to smart home technology, starting with a few devices like smart lamps or thermostats is a good way to ease into it. Control is typically managed via smartphone apps, with voice command compatibility through virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, and Microsoft Cortana.
If you're unsure about smart home living, you can start with only a few tech improvements. A few steps are enough to retrofit existing home technology. This works for individual lamps as well as for heating thermostats. Often all control is consolidated onto a smartphone, tablet PC, or laptop. The end device, with a suitable app, becomes the control center, usually connecting via Wi-Fi or in some cases Bluetooth.
But operation can also be simpler. Many systems are compatible with virtual assistants from Amazon, Google, Apple, and Microsoft. Then, you give instructions through voice commands. Another option is the Zigbee network, controllers, and remote controls. While the range is limited, the solutions comfortably cover the living area.
No personal data goes to the cloud – setting up provider accounts is not necessary. Therefore, smart home living is advantageous even in a motorhome, as this type of networking doesn't require Wi-Fi. If the internet connection is patchy on the go, you can manually configure, turn on and off the heating, lighting, or alarm system.
Tip: In the smart home, nothing runs without a control unit since you have to make all the settings somewhere. With many providers, this is only possible through an end device such as a mobile phone. To allow multiple family members access, the smart home system should be set up to allow different accounts to be created and used.
Set a Up Smart Home with AI
Smart Home 2.0 introduces AI to enhance the functionality of smart homes. AI can optimize operations by accessing calendars, locations, and weather reports, and making adjustments based on real-time data. For example, an AI-powered system can manage heating based on occupancy and weather conditions, compile fridge contents, and adjust lighting conditions, offering a more intuitive and responsive living environment. If, for example, a frosty weather front is coming and no one is home because of an after-work meeting and the kids are at gymnastics, AI turns on the heating only when necessary. Theoretically, AI could be used to compile the contents of the fridge, the TV program, or the lighting conditions. We are excited to see the impact AI will have on smart homes and interior design styles.
Designing Connected Living: Planning Is Key
Setting up a smart home is accessible to everyone, not just tech enthusiasts. After initial setup, the system operates seamlessly in the background. To maximize benefits, planning is essential. Interior designers and smart homes experts work together to help create a holistic concept tailored to your needs. Already in the planning phase, you should use the advantages of an interior designer and rely on experts like Upscale Interior designers who make the process seamless and support you with your wishes from the beginning to the end. With us, interior design and consulting go hand in hand. You get a holistic concept tailored precisely to your living needs.
Set a Up Smart Home
Upscale offers much more than just the conception of your home design. We offer attractive design packages that make living and working easier and more enjoyable.
Also, check out the Upscale Style Quiz. There you will find a lot of inspiration and useful information about interior design.
