What is Home Automation? - Everything You Need to Know

Through home automation, people can make life easier, safer, more energy-efficient, and fun. But what do people mean when they talk about home automation?

At Design Innovation, we specialise in all aspects of this exciting world. Allow us to help you understand exactly where, what, and why home automation design is the future of home life. We’ll look at the control of lighting, heating & a/c, audio & TV distribution, blinds & curtains, security, access & entry amongst others.

Home automation refers to the concept of improving how you can control any element of your home, giving you more control of your home and integrating multiple control tools and Apps into a single, integrated system.

For example, lights that turn on and off when a sensor is tripped; distributing music and TV all over the house; controlling the temperature of your home on a room by room basis; automatically watering the garden when the soil is dry – unless it’s forecast to rain of course – curtains & blinds that close automatically when too much light is flooding into the room. And all of this can be voice-controlled with tools like Alexa or Google Nest.

Lighting control is one of the first aspects of home automation that people think of when they think “smart homes”. Smart bulbs that you control from your phone or digital assistant have been around for a few years, but only recently have we been able to create seamless bespoke lighting systems. These systems allow you to create unique, variable lighting for different rooms at different times of the day and for different uses of the room. All with a simple voice command or touch of a button.

Whether it’s warm soft lighting at a dinner party, bright light in a home office to keep you energised, some funky party lights for your barbecue, or cinema lighting for movie nights at home. You can even connect your lighting to specific music playlists or sync it with automated curtains and blinds to create a rich ambience for any occasion.

Along with making home life more dynamic, lighting control can also mimic your actions when you’re away from home. Automated lighting can learn your typical usage of lighting and then mimic that when you’re away, turning lights on and off at the times you usually would, making it seem like someone is home even when you’re not. This gives you added security and peace of mind. Paired with our advanced security systems, lighting control can help you protect your home, family, and belongings.

You can only enjoy your home if you feel comfortable. In winter we all want a warm, cosy space to escape the elements. In summer, we all want to bask in the sun and feel soft breezes cooling the skin. Design Innovation’s automated environment control systems simplify environmental controls with state-of-the-art systems that can alter individual room environments at the touch of a button.

Design Innovation’s systems can automate your heating, air conditioning, windows, curtains and blinds to fit your needs and creature comforts. You can make the most of bright daylight with blinds and curtains that open during sunny hours or set warm lighting and heating to come on when grey clouds set in.

These futuristic systems have several benefits for home life. They make life simpler (which everybody needs), let you spend more time enjoying your home with friends and family, and save you money on energy costs in the long run. It also lets you show off your James Bond gadgets when friends come to visit.

Home automation is not all futuristic fancies and time savers. It can also protect you and your family from would-be criminals. CCTV, Infra-red sensors, movement sensors, gate & door control, and even special audio warnings and lighting that set off when someone walks onto your property turn your home into a haven; whether you’re at home or not. This level of security is unmatched and offers modern homeowners peace of mind.

Controlling who can and can’t get into your home is the first line of protection. Our experienced designers can help you create video doorbells and intercoms which you can access from touch screen devices in your home, or remotely from your smartphone allowing you to easily identify who is at the door, even if you’re not home. You can also remotely lock doors and gates so if your little one gets home and forgets to lock up, you can do it for them. You no longer need to rush home or worry about your kids while you’re at work.

Security is a concern that’s close to our heart and our designers and engineers help clients with cutting-edge security systems that are easy-to-use, robust, and non-intrusive to everyday life.

Entertainment and home automation are a match made in heaven. When you’re on the couch, ready to settle in for a movie marathon, the last thing you want to do is have to get up to close the blinds, turn down the lights or find three remote controls! The same goes for entertaining guests. Maybe you’d like to put on a playlist to get people dancing, or set the tone for a Murder Mystery evening. TV distribution, audio distribution, and even bespoke home cinema and entertainment systems can be engineered to fit your lifestyle and home.

Our centralised entertainment systems allow easy control of music from anywhere in the home. You can even set specific music for individual rooms or have the music follow you as you go from room to room.

Hide all the “black boxes” away in a cupboard/comms room and distribute any source (SKY, Virgin, Netflix, Blu-ray etc) to any TV throughout the house.

All aspects of the home can be tailored to your needs. Whether its security, entertainment, or just automating a few chores so you can spend time doing the things you love, home automation is all about making your home life as idyllic and enjoyable as possible.

Human beings are visual creatures and our moods are often influenced by our surroundings. Automating your home can go a long way to making your space not just a room, but an escape from the outside world. Live out your designer dreams and we’ll automate your home so you have less “wall acne”, like light switches and heating controls. You can also declutter rooms and impress guests by hiding speakers in walls and ceilings. You can also ditch multiple remotes and control your home with touch screens, tablets, smartphones – or single remotes if you wish.

As you can see, home automation is not just about smart devices and appliances. It’s about the freedom and control it gives you. Home automation allows you to control your home life for ultimate comfort, convenience and security.

We hope you’ve found this article informative and can’t wait to hear your ideas for your own home automation. If you would like to know more about what we can do, or if you want to get started on creating your dream home, contact us now and we’ll help you bring your home into the 21st century.