Creating the ultimate smart home

By day, Julien is a trusted technician for Think Concepts, working hard to provide clients with streamlined services that meet their needs, but when he powers down his workstation for the night, his passion for all things tech doesn't end there. Once home for the night, Julien uses his technical expertise to create the ultimate smart home experience.

We catch up with Julien and discover how he utilises his technical talents to breathe new life into his home, creating show stopping smart home features that are immersive, intuitive and practical.

Pushing the boundaries

Image: Philips Ambilight TV

Julien began experimenting with automation systems in his home in France, but when he moved to Wellington a few years ago, he wanted to push the boundaries of what was possible.

"I started with a Phillips TV, which has an ambient LED light system," Julien explains. "When you are watching a TV show, the LEDs behind the TV mimic the colours and movement of what is on the screen, creating an immersive experience."

But Julien's enthusiasm didn't stop there. Using an open-source platform called Home Assistant, which allows you to access and control all parts of your smart home from one place, Julien added sensors to automate the lighting in his home. These include lights that slowly dim when walking down the hallway at night, creating a wonderful ambience.

Smart home elements

With a touch of creativity, Julien has also added a few smart home elements to assist him in some of the mundane chores we would rather forget. These include a smart plug adaptor for his washing machine that sends him notifications when the load has finished and even an automated vacuum so his home is always tidy.

"I've set up a small robot vacuum cleaner," Julien says. "I created an automation every day at 12. When I'm working, it's doing its stuff. When done, it sends me a notification. It's great! " he adds.

Image: SmartHomeScene home control screen example

Image: Energy usage and distribution home screen example

Cost-effective technology

But these smart home systems are not only great fun. They can also help you track and manage energy consumption, keeping gas heating and electricity costs down. The clever system uses geolocalisation to detect when Julien is on his way home and can automatically adjust the lighting and temperature of his heating system, which is perfect for those windy Wellington days.

Real-time notifications

When it comes to ramping up your home security, smart home systems that provide real-time notifications are the way to go.

"If you've got outdoor cameras, for example, and someone rings your doorbell, even if you have a headset on or are gaming, the system can notify you. You can see the live feed in real-time or even programme the lights to change colour to alert you," Julien says.

Image: Live camera feed examples

Addressing misconceptions

While many people embrace the seamless integration of smart home technology, some are still wary of its power, but according to Julien, they needn't be.

"There are many misconceptions about using advanced technology in your home," Julien says. "For example: I can still use everything if my internet is down, unlike Google Home, Alexa, etc. But even if that happens, you can still do everything manually.”

"My partner doesn't have the same enthusiasm as me for smart home stuff. She likes it, but she wants to use it however she wants. My goal was to make it as user-friendly as possible."

The future is here

As technology advances, the potential for smart home integration is getting easier. While it can bring a lot of colourful fun to your home, Julien has shown that it can also offer plenty of time-saving and cost-effective benefits too.

When it comes to our work at Think Concepts, we are proud to offer our clients expert solutions to all their IT needs and are grateful that our staff share the same passion and enthusiasm in everything they do!