It can be a full time job staying up to date on current home trends. Modern HTX will show you what you need now to have the smartest home on the block!
What is your favorite restaurant? Favorite coffee shop? Favorite nightclub? Besides the food and drinks, why do you like these places so much?
Maybe it’s the indie playlist that’s always playing calming and up-beat music. Maybe it’s the chromotherapy style mood lighting that always gets the mood right. Maybe it’s the memories of Summer ’09, drinking bellini’s on the balcony with friends.
Atmosphere describes the way a place makes you feel. It’s the ambiance and energy that surround you and it’s not just for hippies. It’s real.
Smart homes should provide a comfortable atmosphere tailored to your preferences. They should know who is in the house and what they like. They should understand your current mood and react accordingly. Temperature, air quality, lighting, music, furniture and much more contribute to a comfortable and inviting atmosphere.
Lightstrips The most flexible light source imaginable. You can shape, bend and cut them for the application of your choice. Philips Hue Lightstrips are great for under bars and cabinets or behind entertainment systems to create an immersive experience. They are the most versatile smart light sources that will bring your room to life.
So you have the most energy efficient, secure, convenient and comfortable house on the street. Now what?
Have some fun dammit!
What good is the world’s most efficient home if it’s also the world’s most sterile and boring home? Smart homes should do cool things for the hell of it. Smart technology can bring art and entertainment to you in a whole new way.
Host an epic movie night and control the TV with your voice. Throw a dance party and control the music from your touch screen mirror or interactive glass countertops. Make every light in the house match your favorite team’s colors on game day.
Be careful though, these toys aren’t cheap.
Touchscreen mirror with iPod dock Control music with a touchscreen mirror in your bathroom. Modern features in home entertainment.
Interactive Glass Kitchen Island Countertop With Touch Screen
The home is at the center of our lives. Whether it’s a farmhouse in the country, a loft in the city or a friend’s saggy futon, everyone kicks off their shoes and sleeps somewhere every night. Couples have candlelit dinners and listen to jazz. Parents tuck their kids into race car beds. Teenagers run over the shrubs when they’re learning to drive. The home is a beautiful and sacred place, but that doesn’t stop bad weather or bad people from intruding.
Smart homes should keep an eye on things 24/7 so you don’t have to. They should remember intrusions or disturbances so you can review them later. Nobody wants to worry about the security of their home, which is where smarter technology can carry some of the burden.
Security products include cameras, motion sensors, environmental sensors, locks, etc.
Schlage Connect Touchscreen Deadbolt with alarm. Century style residential touchscreen security deadbolt lock from Schlage uses cutting-edge technology to protect what matters most to you.
This is the part where smart homes start to feel like the future. Energy efficiency and security are important elements of the smart home but there are many more activities to be streamlined and automated.
Smart homes should make accomplishing everyday tasks more convenient and enjoyable. They should reduce friction throughout your day and help you get more done.
Everyone has a different opinion of what should be smart and automated. Everyone has even stronger opinions of what shouldn’t be smart. The available products are as diverse as these opinions. The current offerings are hit-or-miss, but I believe this element has the most potential.
ecobee3 Get the smarter wi-fi thermostat with room sensors that deliver comfort to the rooms that matter most.
Our friends at Redfin have this to say about smart home technology.
With all the incredible home automation technology you can integrate to make your living experience remarkable, home ownership is more exciting than ever. Not only do 28 percent of U.S. adults and 47 percent of millennials have smart home products, but surveys show that homes with smart technology are more desirable.
Whether you’re remodeling your home of 20 years or moving into a new build, add these six smart-tech gadgets for a more comfortable, efficient, modern and secure living experience.
A few years ago, voice-controlled speakers could play music at your command. Today, they do so much more. One of the most popular voice-controlled Bluetooth speakers is the Amazon Echo, which also serves as a digital assistant. Alexa, the Echo’s voice service, answers your questions, turns on music, turns off lights and sets alarms — you don’t even need to touch a button or get up from your seat. Add a smart speaker to each main room in your house for ultimate simplicity.
Although underrated and often overlooked, smart lighting is a great perk to have in today’s modern home — especially if you use other smart technology. Smart bulbs, like the Philips Hue, go beyond just creating ambiance in your home. You can monitor your lighting remotely, schedule it to turn on or off at specific times of day and change the light color to match the mood of a movie you’re watching.
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors may seem like unexciting home devices, but they’re necessary for your safety. The Nest Protect makes fire and smoke detection smarter. Its industrial-grade smoke sensor can last up to a decade and silently test itself on a regular basis. You can check on the status of the device at any time through the connected app, and if the sensor detects smoke, it will tell you what’s wrong and in what room using a calm, human voice.
Home security doesn’t have to be boring. Today’s home security cameras are sleek, discreet and packed with convenient features. You can check on your home remotely, review past feeds, receive notifications if movement is detected and feel safer at home and away. Because there are a handful of options on the market, it’s important to evaluate your needs while purchasing an indoor or outdoor camera.
It can seem impossible to settle on the right watering schedule for your yard. With a smart sprinkler, such as Rachio, you can automatically adjust your sprinklers to water when needed, saving time and money. The company claims users can save 50 percent on their outdoor watering bills because Rachio relies on local forecasts, seasons, soil types and sun exposure to create your customized watering schedule and avoid overwatering. Using the app, you can adjust the schedule and monitor usage anytime, anywhere.
Most of us use our smartphones as alarms, but smart alarm clocks may change that. Acting as a personal assistant and using If This Then That (IFTTT) logic, Bonjour improves your wake-up routine. Users can program the alarm to snooze based on weather conditions, use their favorite Spotify playlist as an alarm or wake them up early if there’s heavy traffic. Bonjour also learns your preferences to improve performance over time. The product has met its Kickstarter funding goal, so look for a pilot run of the device in early 2017.
These six devices make your home look cooler, help you feel more comfortable and safe and decrease your utility bills. Best all, they are affordable and painless to install. Just be prepared — with these smart tech features, you may never want to leave home again.
Inspiration for this article by ModernSmartHome.com and Redfin.com
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