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The Advantages of Smart Home Technology

Are you curious about smart home technology and how it can improve your daily life? We spoke with Kim Olsson of Beemer Smart Home to learn about the core benefits of smart home technology and how it can enhance and transform your household.

Emmie Deaton is the Marketing Coordinator at Board & Vellum, an architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture firm in Seattle, Washington.
Emmie Deaton
October 26, 2023

Smart home technology is an emergent home technology that holds seemingly endless potential. But, with this potential comes many questions. What is smart home technology? And is it right for my home?

We were wondering the same! That’s why we sat down with Kim Olsson from Beemer Smart Home Automation to understand what smart home technology is and how it can change your relationship with your house.

Getting started with smart home technologies.

According to Kim, smart home technology has three core advantages.

  1. It can improve the safety of your home.
  2. It can provide and elevate entertainment.
  3. It can make your home more comfortable overall.

We’ll dive into each to gain a deeper understanding of smart home capabilities. But first, let’s discuss the basic first steps and foundations of integrating these features into your home.

What to consider when exploring smart home tech.

There are a few things to keep in mind as you consider what smart home tech is right for you. Kim says, one of the most important first steps in introducing these technologies into your home is ensuring your internet connection is stable and can support the addition of new connections.

There are also certain limitations regarding what’s possible depending on whether you’re remodeling your home, versus building new. Some technologies can only be integrated if they’re designed into a new build, so it’s important to consult a professional who understands smart home technology integration.

And finally, don’t forget that smart home technology can be controlled through an app or other user-friendly control interfaces, like programmable keypads built into the walls of your home. These features can improve accessibility for even the most cutting-edge technologies.

The advantages of using smart home tech.

Now that we understand a bit about the basic groundwork and supporting systems of smart home technology, let’s get into the fun part. How can smart home technology can improve your home and lifestyle?

Safety

We can all agree that safety is a top priority when it comes to your home. Luckily, Kim says smart home technology can help make your home safer, giving you the freedom to come and go with confidence.

The front door of a classic Craftsman home.
A Grand Entrance

Smart home technology features like smart doorbells and motion sensors can help you keep an eye on guests and deliveries even when you aren't at home.

Smart home technology allows you to control and monitor the security systems of your home from the palm of your hand. Features like smart door locks, video cameras, video doorbells, and doorbell audio and communication can be managed through apps on your smartphone.

Additionally, phone notifications can alert you to any notable activity and take home security to the next level. Kim mentioned you can even set up a “mockupancy” feature for extended periods of absence, which automatically turn lights on and off to simulate an occupied household.

Entertainment

Now for the most fun part — entertainment features! Smart home technology can elevate the entertainment systems in your home, making it a place you and your guests love to enjoy.

One exciting feature Kim talked about is whole-home audio. These systems allows you to distribute audio to various rooms throughout your home simultaneously for a cohesive, seamless listening experience. Or, you can play different audios in different rooms — so you can have a disco dance-off in one room and a smooth jazz night in the other.

A home entertainment space with bar seating facing a large projector screen.
Home Theater

Hardwired surround sound speakers and dimmable lighting take movie nights to the next level.

Pretty fun, right? It gets better. Features like invisible speakers can be hardwired into the walls and ceilings, meaning you can ditch the look of bulky speakers and wires. This feature, known as ‘stealth acoustics,’ allows for a clutter-free space where audio is heard but not seen.

But wait — it gets even cooler. According to Kim, other smart home technologies allow for sound in ‘3D.’ Speakers are stealthily integrated into the walls and ceiling to fully immerse you in sound, enhancing the realism of cinema. (Kim specifically mentioned the Dolby Atmos system designed for home theaters.)

You can unveil or stash a projector away with the press of a button, drop blackout curtains, and you can definitely forget about remotes. Smart home technology can easily be synced to other compatible technologies such as your television and controlled through your mobile device, or even by verbal commands.

Comfort

And last, but not least — comfort. Your home should be a personal space of retreat and solace, and Kim says smart home technology can certainly help enhance that.

Imagine this: you program the shades in your bedroom to rise every morning at 7AM sharp. Soft, overhead lighting also turns on, and your favorite energizing tune gently plays from hidden speakers. With smart home technology, you can program, schedule, and customize the lighting, window shades, and so much more to support your daily routine.

In a light green bedroom, with blackout curtains over the window. There is a projector screen down with a baseball game playing on it.
Window Treatment

Programmable and app operable window shades not only provide access to this high-up window, but turn this entire primary bedroom suite into a luxury entertainment experience.

Smart home technology also makes it possible to individually address each light bulb in your home to customize it. Kim mentioned you can choose from various colors and adjust the brightness, as needed. And that you can program your lighting to perform ‘daylight matching,’ which adjusts the lighting throughout the day based on the placement of the sun.

So, there you have it! Now you can imagine just a few of the core ways smart home technology can transform and enhance your home. Customizing features of your home to suit your lifestyle can increase the safety, entertainment, and comfort offered by your home. Talk to your designer about what smart home technology might be right for your project. Your house is yours — make it the best it can be with smart home technology.

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