Design Your Dream Smart Home: A Detailed Example

Are you one of the people who think home automation is out of reach? Many believe it’s too expensive, too complicated, or simply not for them. But what if I told you that with some planning and the right approach, you could create a home automation system tailored to your lifestyle and budget?

In this article, we’ll explore an abstract case study of a couple who designed their own home automation system. We’ll walk through the steps they took to transform their home into a smart and efficient space. By the end, you’ll have a clearer understanding of what’s possible and how to start your own home automation journey.

Introducing Our Characters

Let’s meet our fictional couple, Max and Julia, a relatable case of many households in Europe and North America. Both in their early 30s, they work in the service industry, balancing the demands of their jobs with personal hobbies and aspirations. They live in a rented 85 m² (900 ft²) apartment in a large city, and they have a pet cat. Recognizing the importance of conserving mental energy for what truly matters, they are committed to making long-term investments for a better quality of life.

Dreaming of a Smart Home

They imagine a home where everything is seamlessly connected, and daily tasks are automated. Upon arriving home, they want the lights to turn on, music to start, and the temperature to adjust to their preference. They aim to feel safe, comfortable, and have more free time. Additionally, they want a smart pet feeder and a way to monitor their cat when they’re away.

To achieve this, they plan to automate their lights, install a security system, integrate their audio system, control their heating, and set up a pet feeder. They’ve been saving money for the project and estimate their budget at around €1,000.

Existing Infrastructure

The first step towards their home automation system is to document the existing state of their home. They will write down all the rooms, doors, and windows, as well as all the related devices, organized into groups.

Rooms:

• Entrance Area: Main door
• Small Hallway: 4 doors connecting to bathroom, bedroom, office, and living area
• Open Living Room, Kitchen, Dining Area: 2 windows, 1 balcony door
• Bedroom: 1 large window
• Office: 1 window
• Bathroom
• Small Balcony

Infrastructure:

Lights:

• Entrance: 1 switch for 1 ceiling light
• Hallway: 2 switches for 1 ceiling light
• Kitchen: 2 switches, 1 for 1 ceiling light, 1 for under cabinet LED strip
• Dining Area: 1 switch for 1 ceiling light
• Living Room: 1 switch for 1 ceiling light, 2 additional lamps
• Bedroom: 1 switch for 1 ceiling light, 2 bedside lamps
• Office: 1 switch for 1 ceiling light, 1 desk lamp
• Bathroom: 1 switch for 1 ceiling light and 1 mirror light
• Balcony: 1 switch located in the living room for 1 light
• No neutral wire available for light switches

Security:

• No preexisting security alarm system or wiring
• 1 IP camera on the entrance

Heating:

• Central system for the whole building
• Radiators in each main room (4 total)

Cooling:

• Fans with RF remotes
• No air conditioning

Shading:

• Curtains and blinds (manual)

Multimedia:

• Smart TV
• Bluetooth speaker

Daily Routines

Their next step was to document their daily routines in detail, from waking up to going to sleep.

Max’s Daily Routine:

• 06:00 AM: Wake up.
• 06:15 AM: Get out of bed, brush teeth, and take a shower.
• 06:45 AM: Feed the cat and clean the litter box.
• 07:00 AM: Prepare a light breakfast for himself and his partner.
• 07:30 AM: Eat breakfast.
• 08:00 AM: Tidy up from breakfast.
• 08:15 AM: Return to his bedroom to get dressed for the day.
• 08:30 AM: Leave for work.
• 05:00 PM: Commute back home.
• 05:30 PM: Arrive home, change into more casual attire, rest while waiting for his partner.
• 06:00 PM: Prepare dinner, while listening to music or a podcast.
• 06:30 PM: Eat dinner with his partner.
• 07:00 PM: Clean up after dinner, ensuring the kitchen is tidy.
• 07:30 PM: Feed the cat and spend some time with his pet.
• 08:00 PM: Spend some time with his partner.
• 09:00 PM: Set aside time for hobbies.
• 09:30 PM: Tidy up the living space, ensuring everything is neat and organized.
• 09:45 PM: Bedtime routine.
• 10:00 PM: Read a book or spend some time on his phone.
• 10:30 PM: Turn off the lights and go to sleep.

Julia’s Daily Routine:

• 06:00 AM: Wake up, get out of bed, brush teeth.
• 06:15 AM: Morning exercise.
• 06:45 AM: Take a shower.
• 07:30 AM: Eat breakfast.
• 08:00 AM: Return to her bedroom to get dressed for the day.
• 08:15 AM: Leave for work.
• 05:00 PM: Commute back home.
• 05:45 PM: Arrive home, change into more casual attire.
• 06:00 PM: Prepare dinner, while listening to music or a podcast.
• 06:30 PM: Eat dinner with her partner.
• 07:00 PM: Household chores.
• 08:00 PM: Spend some time with her partner.
• 09:00 PM: Set aside time for hobbies and relaxation.
• 09:30 PM: Tidy up the living space, ensuring everything is neat and organized.
• 09:45 PM: Bedtime routine.
• 10:00 PM: Read a book or spend some time on her phone.
• 10:30 PM: Turn off the lights and go to sleep.

Weekends:

Weekends are less structured. They wake up later, do chores in the morning, and then go outside or visit friends. In the afternoon and evening, they spend time on their hobbies or watch a movie together.

Detailed Requirements

After documenting their routine, they moved on to creating a detailed list of requirements. They reflected on any other aspects of their daily life that caused inconvenience and the things that often preoccupied them. They were thorough, spending enough time to focus on details and actions related to their home, such as lights, heating, TV, music, and other electrical devices.

Here are the refined requirements:

• Hallway Lighting: The hallway does not get natural light and they usually leave the hallway light on after sunset. The switch is in an awkward spot.
• Living Areas: They spend most of their time in the kitchen, living room, and office.
• Kitchen: They leave the under cabinet and dining lights on while cooking and eating.
• Living Room: They typically use a floor lamp and a tabletop lamp, reserving the ceiling light for guests or specific tasks.
• Office: They use both the ceiling light and the desk light.
• Bedroom: They use the ceiling light only a couple of times a day when needed.
• Entertainment: They use a Bluetooth speaker daily for music and podcasts. They do not use the TV daily and do not leave it on in the background.
• Cooling: They use fans when needed in the summer, one in the living room and one in the bedroom. They sometimes leave a window slightly open for natural cooling.
• Security: They currently use an IP camera at the entrance, monitored via their smartphones, but would like a better security solution. They prefer security-related notifications that are noticeable but not disruptive. They are mindful of the cat triggering security systems.
• Curtains and Blinds: They interact with curtains and blinds daily, opening them for natural light when available and closing them in the evening for privacy and darkness.
• Pet Care: They fill the cat’s bowl twice a day and clean the litter box every morning. They ensure the cat has fresh water and monitor her activity levels.
• Energy Consumption: They are mindful of their energy consumption and strive to use resources efficiently.
• Heating: They decided not to automate the heating system. The existing central infrastructure and the fact that they are renting do not allow for any options that will provide new benefits. Simple, non-smart thermostatic valves for the radiators will be sufficient to regulate the temperature to comfortable levels.
• Bathroom: They will not automate the bathroom lights since the switch is in a convenient location and the small benefits are not worth the effort and cost of automating.
• Ceiling Lights: They will not automate the ceiling lights in the bedroom and living room because these lights are used infrequently and sporadically.

Drafting Ideas

With their detailed routines and requirements in hand, Max and Julia created an initial list of automation ideas. To make the task easier, they organized their ideas according to the time of day, starting with mornings and moving towards evenings.

• Simulated Sunrise: 30 minutes before the alarm goes off, simulate a sunrise with the bedroom lights to gently wake them up.
• Open Curtains: Automatically open curtains in the bedroom and living room for natural light when waking up or at sunrise.
• Turn Off Bedroom Lights: Automatically turn off bedroom lights at sunrise.
• Hallway Motion Lights: Install hallway motion lights. They should operate at half brightness after bedtime.
• Automatic Pet Feeder: Automate the pet feeder to ensure the cat is fed two or three times a day.
• Kitchen and Dining Area Motion Lights: Install motion lights in the kitchen and dining area.
• Kitchen Music: Play music in the kitchen in the morning to set a pleasant atmosphere.
• Reminder For Departure: Set a reminder when it’s close to departure time for work.
• Turn Off House After Leaving: Automatically turn off kitchen, bedroom, hallway, and entrance lights, and music after leaving for work.
• Activate Security System: Activate the security system in away mode, excluding motion sensors in areas where the cat is allowed.
• Close Curtains in Summer: If it’s summer, automatically close curtains and blinds to keep the house cool.
• Monitor Cat: Use a camera in the living room to monitor the cat.
• Entrance Lights: Turn on entrance lights when the main door is opened.
• Deactivate Security System: Deactivate the security system when returning home from work.
• Play Music Upon Arrival: Automatically start playing music after coming back home from work.
• Turn On Fan: Turn on a fan in the living room if the temperature exceeds a certain threshold after returning from work.
• Outside Temperature: Receive a notification if the outside temperature is more comfortable than inside, suggesting to open a window.
• Living Room Lighting: At sunset, turn on the floor lamp and tabletop lamp in the living room.
• Close Curtains and Blinds: Automatically close curtains and blinds at sunset.
• Easy Way to Turn Off Music: Create an easy way to turn off music after dinner.
• Office Presence Lights: Install presence lights in the office.
• Bedtime Routine: Create a “bedtime switch” that turns off living space lights, TV, and fan, activates the alarm in home mode, turns on bedroom lights, and turns on the bedroom fan if needed.
• Notification for Open Windows: Send a notification if any window is left open, other than the bedroom one, at bedtime.
• Alarm System Triggers: If certain sensors are triggered and the alarm is armed, activate a siren and lights.
• Alarm Notification: Send a smartphone notification if the alarm is triggered while in away mode.

Detailed Automation List

After finalizing their ideas list, they wrote down all the automations they would need to program into their system. This list also helped them identify all the sensors and other devices they would need. To ensure consistency and ease of programming later, they used this format:

• Triggers: what initiates the automation
• Conditions: if any specific criteria are met
• Actions: the tasks the system should perform

Here is the final list with all their automations:

Simulated Sunrise

• Triggers: 30 minutes before wake up alarm time
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions: Transition bedside lamps brightness from 0% to 100% slowly over a period of 30 minutes.

Open Curtains 1 (when sunrise is before wake up time)

• Triggers: Wake up alarm time
• Conditions: Is it after sunrise?
• Actions:
  • Open bedroom and living room curtains
  • Open all blinds

Open Curtains 2 (when sunrise is after wake up time)

• Triggers: Sunrise
• Conditions:
  • Is it after wake up time?
  • Are the curtains and blinds closed?
• Actions:
  • Open bedroom and living room curtains
  • Open all blinds

Turn Off Bedside Lights

• Triggers: Sunrise
• Conditions: Is it after wake up time?
• Actions: Turn off bedside lamps

Hallway Motion Light On

• Triggers: Motion detected in hallway
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions:
  • Is it between 6:00 AM and 10:30 PM? - Turn on hallway light at 100% brightness
  • Else - Turn on hallway light at 30% brightness

Hallway Motion Light Off

• Triggers: Motion not detected for 30 seconds in hallway
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions: Turn off hallway light

Pet Feeder

• Triggers: 6:30 AM & 2:30 PM & 10:30 PM
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions: Activate pet feeder

Kitchen Motion Lights On

• Triggers: Motion detected in kitchen
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions: Turn on under cabinet lights, kitchen ceiling light and dinining table light.

Kitchen Motion Light Off

• Triggers: Motion not detected for 5 minutes in kitchen
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions: Turn off under cabinet lights, kitchen ceiling light and dinining table light.

Kitchen Morning Music

• Triggers: 07:00 AM
• Conditions: No one is sleeping
• Actions: Play this playlist on the kitchen speaker

Departure Reminder

• Triggers: 08:00 AM
• Conditions: Workday
• Actions: Play reminder on the kitchen speaker

Turn Off House Away

• Triggers: No one is home for 10 minutes
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions:
  • Turn of all lights
  • Turn off all fans
  • Turn off music
  • Activate alarm in away mode

Close Curtains in Summer

• Triggers: 9:00 AM
• Conditions:
  • Is summer
  • No one is home
• Actions: Close all curtains and blinds

Entrance Light On

• Triggers: When main door opens
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions: Turn on entrance light

Entrance Light Off

• Triggers: Main door closed for 3 minutes
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions: Turn off entrance light

Deactivate Alarm

• Triggers: When main door opens
• Conditions:
  • Alarm is activated in away mode
  • One of our smartphones is connected to the home Wi-Fi
• Actions: Deactivate alarm

Turn On Living Room Fan in the Afternoon

• Triggers: When main door opens
• Conditions:
  • Living room temperature above 23oC
  • Between 5:00PM and 6:00PM
• Actions: Turn on living room fan

Dinner Music

• Triggers: Motion detected in kitchen
• Conditions:
  • Between 5:30PM and 6:30PM
  • Music is not already playing
• Actions: Play this playlist on the kitchen speaker

Outside Temperature

• Triggers:
  • Outside temperature between 20oC and 24oC
  • Living room temperature lower than 20oC or higher than 24oC
• Conditions:
  • There is someone home
  • No one is sleeping
  • Between 7:00AM and 10:00PM
• Actions: Send notification to open a window

Sunset Routine

• Triggers: 20 minutes before sunset
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions:
  • Turn on living room lamps with warm light
  • Close all curtains and blinds

Office Lights On

• Triggers: Office door opens
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions:
  • Turn on office ceiling light
  • Turn on office desk light

Office Lights Off

• Triggers: No presence detected in office for 15 minutes
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions:
  • Turn off office ceiling light
  • Turn off office desk light

Stop Music

• Triggers: Button 1 pressed
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions: Pause/Play the music on the kitchen speaker

Turn Off House Night

• Triggers: Button 2 pressed
• Conditions: N/A
• Actions:
  • Turn off living space lights
  • Turn off TV
  • Turn off living room fan
  • Turn on bedside lights
  • If any window sensor other than the bedroom is open - Send notification with the window that is open
  • If temperature in bedroom above 20oC - Turn on bedroom fan
  • Activate alarm in home mode after 15 minutes

Alarm Trigger

• Triggers:
  • Any window and door sensor goes from closed to open
  • If in away mode and any motion sensor activates
• Conditions: Alarm is active
• Actions:
  • Turn on all lights in the house with 100% brightness
  • Wait 15 seconds
  • If in away mode send notification to the smartphones
  • Play siren sound on speakers

The Required Components

Using their automation list and ideas, they identified the types of devices and sensors needed to implement their automations. Based on their automation list, a couple of additional requirements arose:

• Motion sensors must be placed in a way that the cat cannot trigger them.
• Presence sensors should be used instead of motion sensors for the living room and office due to low movement, which often causes false readings.

Ecosystem

They selected a home automation hub with the following criteria:

• It can work without internet access.
• It is privacy-oriented.
• It is compatible with many brands.
• It offers extensive customization options.
• It is designed to last for a long time without needing upgrades.

They decided to use Zigbee devices and sensors because they are easily available and affordable.

Device Types

Sensors:

• Motion Sensors: 3 total
  • Hallway
  • Bedroom
  • Kitchen
• Presence Sensors: 2 total
  • Office
  • Living room
• Contact Sensors: 7 total
  • Main door
  • Balcony door
  • All 4 windows
  • Office door
• Temperature sensors: 2 total
  • Living room and kitchen area
  • Bedroom

Controllers:

• RGB Light Bulbs: 4 total
  • Living room floor lamp
  • Living room tabletop lamp
  • 2 for the bedside lamps
• White Light Bulbs: 7 total
  • 4 for the kitchen and dinining room ceiling lights
  • 1 for the hallway
  • 1 for the office ceiling light
  • 1 for the entrance light
• Switches: 1 total
  • 1 for the under cabinet LED strip
• Wireless buttons: 1 total
  • To trigger music and bedtime routine in the kitchen or living room
• Sockets: 1 total
  • Office desk lamp
• RF Controllers: 1 total
  • To control the two fans
• Curtains Controllers: 2 total
  • Bedroom
  • Living room
• Blinds Controllers: 4 total
  • One for each window

Other Devices:

• Living room camera
• Smart pet feeder
• Smart speaker

Device Compatibility

To find the necessary devices, they first visited three online stores in their area to see what was available. They prioritized devices that used the Zigbee protocol, aiming to build a strong, reliable network. After compiling an initial list, they checked for compatibility with their hub. They used a Zigbee compatibility list on the internet to ensure that each device they selected was compatible. They were able to find a compatible Zigbee device for each of the categories they had identified earlier.

Cost Breakdown

With the device and automation plans in place, they moved on to estimating the total cost of their project. They carefully listed the cost for each component to see if they are within their €1,000 budget.

Hub:

• Hub hardware: €120
• Zigbee usb stick: €40 Sensors:
• Motion Sensors (3 for €25 each): €75
• Presence Sensors (2 for €50 each): €100
• Contact Sensors (7 for €20 each): €140
• Temperature Sensors (2 for €20 each): €40

Controllers:

• RGB Light Bulbs (4 for €20 each): €80
• White Light Bulbs (7 for €20 each): €140
• Switches (1 for €20): €20
• Wireless Buttons (1 for €20): €20
• Sockets (1 for €15): €15
• RF Controllers (1 for €50): €50
• Curtains Controllers (2 for €100 each): €200
• Blinds (4 for €150 each): €600

Other:

• Living Room Camera: €50
• Smart Pet Feeder: €120
• Smart Speaker: €150

They decided to leave automating curtains and blinds for later due to the high cost involved. Additionally, they would like to replace the blinds completely with better ones and will need to have a discussion with their landlord first.

Total Cost Without Curtains and Blinds: €1,120

After carefully reviewing and calculating the costs, they found that the total expense for their home automation system, excluding curtains and blinds, comes to €1,120. This is slightly above their initial budget of €1,000, but they feel it’s a worthwhile investment given the benefits. They will also explore potential savings by comparing prices between stores and waiting for potential discounts for these items.

Bringing Your Vision to Life

For the final step, they followed the guides in the hub’s documentation to bring everything together and create the home automation system.

Initializing the Hub

They started by initializing the hub by connecting the power and network cables, creating users, and performing necessary updates. They created separate users for each of them and installed the relevant smartphone app. Then they connected their smart devices to their home automation system, allowing them to manage them from a central place.

Organizing the System

Next, they created relevant rooms, groups, and scenes in the app. For example, they grouped the two living room bulbs together so they could control them as one light. They did the same for the kitchen and dining ceiling lights. They also created dashboards to easily monitor and control their devices from their phones when needed.

Programming Automations

Finally, they programmed the automations using their previous list that included triggers, conditions, and actions. This process made it easy to transfer the automations from paper to the software. They tested everything thoroughly and made slight corrections as needed.

Continuous Improvement

After the first few days and weeks, they noticed areas where the system wasn’t optimal. Whenever they encountered something that didn’t meet their expectations, whether it caused discomfort or simply didn’t align with their daily routine, they took note of it. At the end of each week, they reviewed their notes and made any necessary adjustments.

The Ideal Smart Home for You

Creating a smart home automation system was a comprehensive process that involved documenting daily routines, identifying requirements, selecting appropriate devices, and meticulously creating automations. Each step was carefully planned and executed to ensure that the final system would seamlessly integrate into their daily lives.

While this scenario is based on common situations and requirements, it may not fit exactly with your own. No two home automation systems are the same, as no two people are the same. You can take inspiration from this process and consider how you can apply similar strategies to your own home.

Whether it’s starting with a simple automation or a full-scale renovation, the key is to begin by understanding your daily routines and requirements. By doing so, you can embark on your own smart home journey, tailoring your system to suit your unique needs and preferences.

Photo credit: Blue Bird from Pexels