In the pursuit of creating a truly smart home, we embarked on a journey that blends cutting-edge technology with thoughtful design and practical usability. After extensive experience with smart tech in our previous residence, this new home represents a refined approach—keeping what works, ditching the unnecessary, and strategically integrating innovations that enhance daily living. Here’s a deep dive into the smartest tech features that define our modern home, revealing insights and lessons learned along the way.
A Smarter, Streamlined Internet Backbone
The heart of any smart home is its internet infrastructure, and we refused to compromise here. Our previous house had multiple tech towers cluttered with devices that didn’t always play well together—leading to frustrating delays, like doorbell cameras taking 20 seconds to notify us of visitors.
This time, we worked with Alta Labs to install a more advanced, strategically planned internet system. Instead of multiple towers, we have one sleek rack housing a high-performance setup that ensures consistent, fast Wi-Fi throughout the entire house. Key to this success is the use of Ethernet cables running through the attic to multiple base stations positioned in rooms including the piano room, London’s room, and even the garage.
This eliminates the common weak Wi-Fi spots found in many homes, which is vital when uploading and downloading content daily, streaming videos, or updating multiple Tesla vehicles parked in the garage. The system’s app provides real-time monitoring of 72 connected devices, bandwidth use, and even allows control over content access—perfect for managing a busy household.
Takeaway: Investing in a well-planned, wired internet backbone with strategically located access points delivers seamless connectivity and future-proofs your home for the increasing number of smart devices.
Elevating Privacy and Convenience with Smart Shades and Doorbell
One feature we refused to compromise on is the smart shades. Unlike the blinds of the past, these “shades” are electronically controlled for both light filtering and blackout options, depending on the room. They integrate with an app and are poised to include voice control, offering effortless privacy and ambiance control at the touch of a button.
On the security front, we opted for simplicity and reliability over complex, expensive systems. Instead of a costly smart home control system that struggled with doorbell notifications, we selected the Rio Link doorbell and security cameras. These devices are affordable, widely available, and crucially, they work flawlessly. The doorbell alerts us the moment someone approaches—not after they’ve walked away—enabling proactive communication.
The security camera system, managed via a dedicated app, offers robust coverage without overwhelming complexity. We installed multiple cameras around the property, balancing security needs with privacy concerns, and avoided the pitfalls of overly complicated integrations.
Takeaway: Sometimes simpler, proven solutions outperform expensive, overly complicated systems. Reliable, user-friendly security and privacy tech should be a priority.
Thoughtful Smart Gate and Outdoor Audio
Our custom gate combines style with smart functionality. It unlocks via code or an app, closes slowly to prevent slamming, and provides an impressive sense of privacy and security. The gate serves as a welcoming yet secure entrance to our courtyard, which is one of the home’s most cherished spaces.
Complementing this is an innovative outdoor audio setup. We’re pioneering the use of planter boxes embedded with speakers and subwoofers—technology that only recently hit the market. These matte black, 7-foot-long units blend seamlessly with the landscaping while delivering immersive sound for our courtyard and backyard areas. Using a music streaming service integrated with voice assistants like Alexa, we can control the whole home’s audio experience effortlessly, whether relaxing in the spa area or entertaining guests outdoors.
Takeaway: The marriage of aesthetic design and smart tech enhances outdoor living spaces, making them more functional and enjoyable without sacrificing style.
Advanced Energy Management with Smart Panels and EV Chargers
Energy efficiency and management are critical in a modern home. Our garage features multiple Tesla wall chargers, capable of supporting several electric vehicles simultaneously. We also installed SPAN smart panels that connect directly to the internet, allowing us to monitor and control every circuit breaker remotely.
This setup is essential for managing power during outages or when running on a limited battery supply from the Cybertruck or solar panels. We can prioritize critical loads like refrigeration while scaling back non-essential systems, maximizing battery life when it matters most.
Takeaway: Smart energy panels and EV chargers are game-changers for sustainable, efficient home energy management, especially as electric vehicles become the norm.
Immersive, Invisible Audio Throughout the Home
Our audio journey took a sophisticated turn with Origin Acoustics speakers—leaders in seamless, high-quality sound systems. Unlike bulky, obvious speakers, these are flush-mounted and can be customized with magnetic art panels or wallpaper prints that camouflage them perfectly. This allows the sound to envelop the space without compromising interior design.
A sound engineer optimized speaker placement and directionality to ensure uniform sound coverage, so music sounds equally vibrant whether you’re close to the speakers or far away. We also installed powerful subwoofers and directional sound bars that balance volume and subtlety, offering an immersive audio experience without dominating the room’s aesthetics.
Takeaway: High-quality, architecturally integrated audio systems transform home entertainment while maintaining a clean, polished look.
Smart Comfort: Thermostats, Sauna, and Heated Floors
Comfort tech spans from smart thermostats to luxury wellness features. We chose EcoB thermostats for reliable, user-friendly climate control without the unnecessary complexity or cost of premium all-in-one systems.
Our sauna is a smart addition with app control, allowing preheating and management from anywhere—a welcome feature after workouts. Heated floors, installed beneath tile, promise cozy warmth during colder months, eliminating the shock of icy bathroom floors in the middle of the night.
Takeaway: Thoughtful integration of comfort tech enhances daily living, combining convenience with wellness.
Smart Kitchen and Home Maintenance
Our kitchen appliances, including dishwashers, stove, oven, refrigerator, and freezer, are all connected via the SKS (an LG brand) app. This integration allows us to monitor appliance status, adjust temperatures, and receive notifications—a modern convenience that streamlines household management.
We also invested in smart faucets from Coler with app and voice control, as well as voice-activated showers with preset temperature and water flow settings. This level of automation brings luxury and efficiency to everyday routines.
A robotic vacuum with integrated water and sewer lines automates cleaning with minimal intervention, a feature we plan to include in every custom home build.
Takeaway: Smart kitchen and maintenance devices reduce hassle and improve home hygiene, freeing up time for what really matters.
Air Quality, Water Safety, and Energy Efficiency
Beyond gadgets, we focused on home efficiency and safety through commercial-grade doors and windows, air sealing tests, and an advanced water filtration and softening system. Our smart water pressure valve monitors and adjusts water pressure, preventing damage and ensuring consistent flow.
Water leak detection sensors connected via Wi-Fi can automatically shut off water supply in case of leaks—an invaluable safeguard against costly damage.
We also flushed a traditional water heater to reveal the buildup of hard water deposits, underscoring the importance of filtration and maintenance for long-term appliance health and water quality.
Takeaway: Smart home technology extends to essential infrastructure, ensuring safety, efficiency, and wellness.
What We Skipped and What’s Next
While this home incorporates extensive smart tech, we did omit some features from our previous residence—most notably smart lighting controls. Though pre-wired for future upgrades, we opted for standard switches to manage budget and complexity, leaving room for future enhancements.
We also miss having dedicated spaces like a movie room and a golf simulator, and while we don’t have a pool, the reduced maintenance and cost fit our current lifestyle better.
Takeaway: Smart home design is a balance between technology, budget, and lifestyle preferences. Prioritize what delivers the most value and plan for future upgrades where possible.
Final Thoughts
Creating a smart home is an evolving process that requires thoughtful planning, strategic investment, and a willingness to learn from past experiences. By focusing on reliable, well-integrated tech rather than chasing every shiny gadget, we’ve built a home that is both cutting-edge and genuinely livable.
Whether it’s the invisible sound system, the smart energy management, or the voice-activated showers, each feature contributes to a seamless, comfortable lifestyle. Most importantly, the technology works for us—not the other way around.
If you’re embarking on building or upgrading a smart home, consider these insights and prioritize systems that enhance your daily life while respecting your design and budget goals. Smart living starts with smart choices.
