Smart home upgrades for each room
It’s the dawn of a new, technology-driven decade. Is your home ready for the future?
When you’re planning upcoming renovations and home upgrades, consider how you can embrace the automation and machine learning that will make your life easier. Here are the best smart home upgrades for each room in 2020.
Kitchen
The majority of smart upgrades in the kitchen will take place via replacing appliances. However, there are a few changes you can make that will improve the overall flow and feel of this high-traffic area.
Instant Pot Smart Wifi
Instant Pots have become a must-have item for food prep, for both full-time workers and homemakers alike. This device has the functionality of a slow cooker with the speed of hands-on cooking.
The Instant Pot Smart Wifi takes this convenience to the next level with an app that allows for monitoring of your cooking status, as well as giving you an endless bank of recipes to try. You’ll love the live notification that tells you when dinner is served.
Streamline Your Workflow
Consider the organization of your kitchen. Traditional kitchens were designed with two major design flaws: prioritization of the sink being near the window and useless corner cabinets. In 2020, it’s time to eliminate both.
Consider your kitchen workflow using the trifecta method— three main areas comprising of refrigeration, cooking/prep, and cleanup. Design your kitchen so that during food prep, you aren’t having to go back and forth across the kitchen. Ideally, people can be doing various tasks, even in the smallest of kitchens.
Electric Assist Cabinets and Taps
Automatic or electric-assist cabinets and taps help you keep things moving when you have your hands full. Electric-assist cabinets open and close with a tap of the foot while the faucets allow you to wash meat residue off your hands without spreading germs.
Bathroom
When you update an old bathroom, consider how you can transform it into a private-spa like escape in your home.
Temperature Control Faucets
Find the shower temperature you like and click to it, rather than struggling to find the right balance with a tap. With some temperature control faucets, you can even have a preset for everyone in the family.
Smart Mirror
Start your morning feeling like James Bond with a smart mirror. These mirrors have integrated lighting that you can adjust for applying makeup as well as live updates.
Get a mirror that analyzes your skin and makes recommendations for your skincare routine or one that provides you with schedule and news updates. The options are endless.
Bedroom
Sleep quality plays an integral role in your overall health and wellness. You can rest easy with these fantastic bedroom upgrades.
Smart Bed with Lights
If you don’t have an adjustable bed, you’re missing out. These ingenious devices are ideal for people with apnea, runners, or couples who have different sleeping styles.
Smart beds can be set with an alarm to lift you in the morning for a peaceful awakening. Invest in one that has motion-sensor lighting around the base, so that you can take those late-night trips to the bathroom without tripping or blinding yourself with light.
Wemo Lights
Wemo lights offer a lot of benefits. You can schedule a wake-up alarm that simulates the sunrise and ditch the snooze button for good. You can also use this device to randomly turn lights on and off when you’re away to deter would-be burglars.
Put these in your children’s’ rooms to help with mornings or set strict bedtime limits.
Overall Living Space
In addition to specific rooms within the home, there are plenty of upgrades you can make to improve the overall living space. Here are some of the best smart features to add to your overall home.
Nest Thermostat
The Nest Thermostat is well worth the investment. It adapts to your schedule and makes slight adjustments to the temperature to cut back on your consumption while keeping you comfortable. Using the Nest app on your phone, you can adjust the temperature remotely.
Over time, the system will collect data and present information to you about your consumption and opportunities to save money. In other words, this is an upgrade that will quickly pay for itself and increase the value of your home.
Smart Locks
You want to keep your home as safe as possible. A smart lock can help you do just that, and eliminate the risk of locking yourself out. Parents of teenagers who are starting to come home alone love the functionality of smart locks.
Depending on the type you get, you can get a bio-scanner lock on which you program thumbprints (similar to an iPhone). Alternatively, you can get a lock that has motion-sensing fobs, similar to those on modern vehicles. In addition to these convenient features, you can use an app to remotely lock and unlock the door to let people in as needed.
By adding these smart upgrades to your home, you can save time and money, increase your resale value, and live in comfort and style.