Remember reading stories when you were a kid about flying cars, talking houses, and not having to lift a finger? Those days are not so far-fetched after all. The future has arrived and it’s right at home. Smart homes are quickly emerging and they aren’t just for the rich and famous. Soon enough, smart homes will be the norm and there are already plenty of smart homes around the world.
What does it mean to be “smart?” A smart home simply makes life easier by increasing the efficiency and the functionality of your home. Smart homes take the guesswork and a lot of the actual work out of your hands. There’s an endless list of reasons why you should jump on the smart home train. Read on to discover the 5 reasons why smart homes are the wave of the future.
1. Maximize Kitchen Efficiency
The kitchen is the heart of the home, but half the time we’re stuck in the kitchen doing a lot of the dirty work like prepping meals, cooking, and cleaning. Instead of focusing on family and friends, sometimes the work we have to do in the kitchen overshadows the memories we make. A smart kitchen will reverse this effect and give you more time with the ones you love. You may be asking how that’s possible, and the answer lies in smart appliances.
There are numerous smart appliances that you can install in your kitchen to take the guesswork out of the annoying jobs like keeping track of your shopping list, or knowing what to do with leftover vegetables. To start, let’s begin with smart refrigerators.
They may cost a pretty penny, but the payoff is beyond worth it. Smart refrigerators come with numerous advanced technology applications that will blow your mind. You can purchase refrigerators that create shopping lists for you and adjust them based on what the fridge accounts for the inside of its doors.
You can use voice-activated commands to add to your grocery lists or add any other important notes and reminders to the LCD screen. The LCD screens on smart fridges are simple to use and look like a giant iPad installed onto the surface of your refrigerator doors.
These fridges are touch-activated, have cameras to monitor food storage inside and even monitor expiration dates. You can use the fridge to control other devices and sync your applications from your phone such as your calendar to keep track of important dates. Smart refrigerators aren’t only for storing food, now they can also effectively store your personal info, pictures, and needed reminders.
Another amazing smart technology appliance is the smart oven. Smart ovens are now being created and sold to customers who wish they didn’t have to worry about the hassle of cooking their food just right. Smart ovens control their own temperature and there is no need for preheating. A smart over can sense with which method to cook your food, whether it’s fresh or frozen, and will cook it to the right temperature and consistency based on its reading. The incredible algorithms that the oven uses eliminate the need to reheat food and reduces wait time.
Also increasingly popular are smart dishwashers and smart sinks. Smart dishwashers now come with voice activation, mobile alerts, and remote controls. Smart sinks are now able to be controlled by the sound of your voice. Want warm water? Let your sink know and it’ll adjust to your perfect temperature. With some smart sinks, you can request that the sink pour you a specified amount of water almost without lifting a finger.
Smart countertops are only beginning to emerge but when they come on the scene full force, they’ll be sure to blow everyone away. While traditional countertops can project a sense of class and sophistication, they can’t hold a candle to the futuristic technology contained within a smart countertop. In a toss-up between countertops vs smart countertops, smart countertops are sure to take the win.
Smart countertops are being developed, and some in use, that can create recipes for you depending on the objects or food items that you place on the counter. This reduces waste because now you can take your leftover, or unused fruits, veggies, and other items and make a great meal out of them.
How so? Smart countertops will not only create recipes for you, but some may also have the ability to show you instructional videos to bring your recipes to life. Another appealing feature of smart countertops is that you will be able to use the surface just like a touchscreen, using your finger to drag shopping lists, recipes, and other notes around the surface. This will eliminate the need for recipe cards, and trying to find space to see the step by step instructions as you cook or bake.
2. Full Potential Bathrooms
Second, to the kitchen, bathrooms are another perfect area for smart technology to transform a space and your daily routines. Voice-activated controls for sounds, music, and lights in your bathroom will make your life easier when it comes time to your daily habits. It’s the worst feeling when you’re stuck in the shower and need to turn down the volume or pick up a call, smart bathrooms will give you the ability to control all of that with the sound of your voice so you never have to skip a beat.
The voice-activated systems in smart bathrooms can also control bathroom lighting to create whatever mood or lighting that you need. If you need natural light to apply makeup you can adjust the lighting to suit that instance, and just about any other occasion. Smart mirrors can be installed that can give you feedback on your appearance, share the news, weather, and other forecasts and alerts.
You can have a completely relaxed bathroom routine each day with a few of these smart changes. Another great feature of smart bathrooms is showerheads that can be controlled with the sound of your voice to adjust pressure and water temperature.
3. Smart Lighting for the Win
Smart lighting is more than just an upgrade from your traditional light dimmers, they can save you money, help you entertain guests, and maximize the security of your home. There are lighting systems you can install for your home that are accessible from the touch of your phone and an internet connection. This removes the need for having the pesky thought about forgetting to turn off the lights if you’re away. Simply open the lighting app on your phone and turn on or off any light you want.
Smart lighting apps in the home also allow you to change the lighting of your rooms by using colored lighting. You can set a mood with these colored lights and control them with your phone or voice. Next time you’re throwing a party; these smart lights will come in handy.
Using smart lighting will allow you to sleep in peace whether you’re away on a trip, or safely in your bed. Lighting apps let you turn the lights on or off while you’re away to scare away potential intruders and let them think you’re home. One of the best parts about smart lighting for your home is that the bulbs typically last much longer, some up to 15 years.
4. Increase Safety and Security
Speaking of staying safe and feeling secure, smart homes are the wave of the future because they are built to keep families safe. There are endless and varying smart security systems that can be installed to stave off thieves and intruders.
These systems can send you alerts and give off alerts to scare away anyone who shouldn’t be lurking. Smart home devices of this sort will give you peace of mind for yourself and your family when you’re home or away.
5. Less Cleaning, More Fun
No one likes a messy home, and smart homes combined with smart home cleaning appliances make life a lot easier and leave room for more fun. Smart homes clean themselves with self-running vacuums that can sense a mess and head to clean it up. There are other emerging self-cleaning features that smart homes will boast so we can have more time for entertaining and fun.
A home is all about where memories are made and cherished. Smart homes allow you the time to make those memories and build those connections. Your house duties can be cut in half with a few smart home installations. The technology is ever-developing and it is time to ride the wave of the future and consider why you may need a smart home.