Going home for the holidays? We talked to a Miami Beach mom whose spirits are bright knowing her connected home is secure with smart technology.
Remote Home Control
The holidays are right around the corner and that means travel. I love this time of year, and I’m so excited to celebrate with family and friends. During this season, houses without proper security are vulnerable, but luckily, the only worry I’ll have is getting some over-stimulated kiddos to bed. My smart home gives me peace of mind while my family and I are away.
Safe and Sound
With Nest, safety is at my fingertips. Nest products like Ring and Spaces reveal activity at entry points and in individual rooms. Individual camera feeds are viewable in the Nest app and shareable with secure password-protected livestream links. An alert to my phone makes me aware of someone coming by my home and outside lights automatically turn on, letting the unexpected visitor know they are being watched. The app also alerts me to any deliveries, which greatly reduces my anxiety over special gifts getting snatched.
My Savant home system ensures that I don’t have to rely on old plug-in timers that can only turn lights on and off at set times. Now, I can automate my home so that pre-programmed “scenes”, a feature of the system, turn lights on in various rooms throughout the evening, and schedule TVs to come on or music to play from speakers–giving the impression that someone is home. It will even turn my husband’s twinkle light display on at dusk and off by eleven.
Smart Savings
Not only do I feel confident in the security of my home, my energy costs will actually decrease while my family is away (good news any time of year, but especially during the holidays!). My smart shades are programmed to lower during the brightest, hottest parts of the day. Nest’s Away Routine manages the thermostat so the heat only comes on if the temperature inside gets chilly enough to trigger it, and not because little toes are cold.
It also automatically turns off my smart plugs; power surges and electrical fires aren’t a concern. Water sensors, like these from Ring, will alert me if moisture is detected. This way, I can call someone immediately to take care of the issue, rather than come home to damaged floors and an unexpected expense–not the way anyone wants to end a fun trip. And my automated system allows me to easily open gates and unlock doors, granting access to service technicians with a simple tap.
Merry and Bright
En route from the airport, all I need to do is pull out my phone and pull up my apps. While my kids snooze in the backseat, at home the thermostat increases to a cozy temperature, floor lamps illuminate to a soft glow, shades rise to reveal the lovely evening outside, and the twinkle light display glitters in its full glory. As soon as we step up to the front door, a welcoming light turns on to greet us. Ahh. Travel is good, but home is even better.
Responsive Living, the term coined by Acoustic Architects founders, Aaron Flint and Spencer Hauldren, is the concept of seamlessly enhancing the client’s unique lifestyle using smart home technology. Responsive Living allows you to interact with your space via touch input, voice command, and predictive automation, placing you in full control of your home.
If you would like to learn more about integrating new systems into your smart home system, feel free to connect with us. We will be happy to schedule a demo with you.
For more information, visit acousticarchitects.net.
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