Category: Smart Home
-
Turning my apartment into a smart home, part 1: Fundamentals and lights
(Read more...)For the longest time, I’ve resisted the urge to make my home smart, because I’ve always heard how difficult it was and how it made no sense unless you owned your home. The examples I’d seen were not at all that impressive either. I’ve visited supposed “smart” homes that involved shouting “Okay Google, turn on the lights” when entering, and having my lights be dependent on someone else’s servers being up,1 as well as having a device listening to every word I say, simply didn’t appeal to me.
Finally, in 2026, I decided that I was sick of manually controlling my lights. Why should I have to use my phone as a flashlight after turning off the bedroom lights every night? Why should I have to turn on the lights when I am working in the middle of the day and a storm comes? Surely, there must be a better way…
Thus, I did some research and quickly learned that most of the supposed difficulties were overblown. With less than a $200 investment and a day’s work, I was able to control all my lights at will, with lights automagically turning on depending on my presence, the availability of sunlight, and whether I’ve decided to sleep. Instead of having to ask Google or find the light switch, I can simply walk into a room, and if it’s dark, the lights just turn on.
And naturally, it’s more than just lights that could be automated. With a bit more investment, I’ve managed to automate fans, air purifiers, and perhaps created the world’s first offline smart bed. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and instead start with the lights.