Home automation has now become so popular that nearly half of all people who are updating their home incorporate it into the design, in some form or another. The technology for home automation has become so sophisticated that people are asking for more along these lines, so that they can continue to enjoy the benefits that home automation gives them, such as convenience, extra control over their environment, and up to date technology. Home automation is expanding to cover many options in the home, particularly now that the Internet of Things is becoming more prevalent, but it still covers the basics of security, heating, lighting, and lifts.
The lifts themselves are used in a variety of forms, though most use a 12v actuator as the most appropriate size and shape for the job. These lifts include TV lifts, chair lifts, table lifts, and can also be used on drawers and shelves, all to ease the lives of homeowners.
Transitional Living
Transitional living refers to the increasing trend of people designing and modifying their houses to blend the outside and the inside through the use of sliding doors, technology which works inside and outside the house, and living spaces which are more open that they ever have been. Home automation has been added into this mix in order to make transitional living more achievable than ever before through a combination of the various types of technology which are now available. Technology which works through walls is perhaps the highlight here, as it allows homeowners to continue to control their entire space from one device.
Energy Efficiency
The use of home automation is known to help preserve energy, particularly when it comes to heating and lighting (the use of remote devices to control these means that no one ever needs to worry about leaving lights or the boiler on again), but as well as the possibilities inherent in that, and in the use of smart technology to show homeowners which appliances are the least energy efficient, allowing them to make changes and even change the appliances themselves to ones which are more efficient.
Energy efficiency runs hand in hand with home automation, as they can save homeowners time and money, and also gives them better control over their own homes.
Lighting Design
A new option in home automation has come out of the ability to control the lights from a remote location – instead of the basic idea of turning lights on and off, and of being able to put a timer on when different lights came on. Lighting design allows homeowners to go one step further and create actual set pieces for their homes. They can also allow for lighting paths to be created through a house, which can either function as emergency lighting, or simply to guide people through the house to various appropriate areas.
With lighting design, homeowners can create entire scenes in their homes, and entirely new ambiences. They can create a relaxing bathroom\spa suite which mimics a salon, or they can create something which resembles a disco. Lighting design (particularly when combined with the coloured lightbulbs which are becoming more and more widely available, can really change the way a house looks on a day to day basis.
Featured image by: Wicker Paradise
