The world of home lighting has drastically changed
In the last 10 or so years, we have all switched from using traditional incandescent lighting to energy efficient lighting, and many of us are still learning how to select the right light bulbs for our home. While this lightbulb revolution has been underway, demand for smart lighting for the home has significantly grown. Smart lighting offers many new advantages, yet it can seem like a daunting task to figure it out. The good news is it can be easy to do with the help of professional advisors.
What are the benefits of smart lighting?
Smart lighting positively transforms the way we live, especially when it is included in construction drawings before a new home remodel or new home construction begins. When smart lighting is built into the wiring of your home, it places everything into one system so you don’t need to control everything through numerous devices and apps.
The benefits of smart lighting are:
- Sleep and health Smart lighting can improve your sleep and general health. Our bodies are made to follow a daily circadian rhythm, following the cycles of the sun. Your lights can be programmed to mimic the sun’s color and light intensity throughout each day. In the morning, the light can be brighter. In the evening, it can be a warmer, softer light, getting your body prepared to ease into bedtime for a good night’s sleep.
- Works around your lifestyle From just one light fixture, you can set up different settings based on your activities. For example, you can have your kitchen lighting set at the brightest level used by professional chefs, and then switch to ambient lighting when dinner has been prepped. Your makeup mirror can automatically give you a daytime and evening time setting. Each room can be programmed to offer different light settings based on how you use the room at any given time.
3. One switch can manage more than just lights. As mentioned with our previous Smart Home blog, you can have one command that controls many home functions, customized to you. As one example; through the touch of one button in your bedroom, you can ensure the outside doors are locked, shades are turned down, any entertainment or key lights are turned off throughout the house, and your thermostat is turned down.
4. Aesthetics When smart lighting is included in the design of your home construction, the aesthetics are just better. No longer do you need lots of light switches lining your walls, adding to a more serene, calm, and simplified space.
5. No need to learn the technology When smart lighting design is installed by a quality smart home integrator, you do not need to learn and manage the technology! You can get the benefits without knowing all the details. Our trade partner Protech Solutions has earned our trust as a first-class integrator for smart home solutions that you can depend on. They set it up to your lifestyle, and can program changes as your routines or needs change over time.
How does smart lighting work?
Smart lighting without construction If you are not considering a home construction project with new wiring, it will be a lower cost solution. This option will not include the cost of electrical services nor a control system that is programmed to your choices through the services of a smart home integrator. Instead, you would need to individually select different products, available through major retail sellers such as Home Depot, Amazon and Smart Home. The downside to this approach; you need to learn, manage, and keep updated many devices and software applications.
Smart lighting through construction When you are considering home construction, your best choice is a platform that connects many functions together, not just for lighting. The first step is choosing your “platform”. When you choose this centralized control system, again, so many home functions can be included: not just your lights, but also your music, doorbell, garage, thermostat, smart blinds, entertainment system, heat and cooling, motion sensors, security, outdoor lighting, sprinklers, or whatever combination of your home that you choose.
When you build smart lighting into your home construction, no longer do you need to concern yourself with managing all the many apps and devices available to you. Your integrator will customize how you want your house based on your lifestyle.
The best type of smart lighting works through wall “control switches”, or “keypads”, replacing your traditional light switch through remote devices. Again, these keypads are designed into a new home construction project. You can also control it through voice commands as well.
How to choose smart lighting fixtures
Choosing your smart lighting fixtures can be a joy. The key is making sure you choose a quality fixture that has versatility in its lighting. New advanced technology for lighting has taken off, enabling a homeowner to take advantage of a bright 3000 Kelvin lighting for tasks around the home, or 4500 Kelvin lighting used by professional chefs. But when our tasks are done, we all want softer lighting. Until recently, these LED lights did not dim well into warmer ambient lighting. The good news: there have been incredible technological improvements in light bulbs, even just in the last couple of years. Our partner, Protech Solutions, especially likes Lutron lighting for its new versatility.
Smart outdoor lighting
When you are in the design phase of your new home remodel or new construction, it’s wise to also consider your outdoor space. There is so much that can be done to create your backyard into a beautiful oasis in the evening. You can choose to highlight your landscape with colors that speak to you and change from one color to another over hours, days, or months, such as green to red to amber. Also, having lit pathways enhance the mood and ease of walking once it gets dark. These pathways can be programmed to turn on or off manually or using a schedule that reflects seasonal daylight changes.
Tell us about what’s important to you.
At Hamish Murray Construction Inc., we seek to build each project on schedule and on budget, and always with top-notch quality results. We solely work with independent architects and designers, and we build long-term lasting relationships. If you are planning on home construction and are wondering about smart home products, we would be happy to answer your questions and set up an appointment with our trade partner, Protech Solutions.
Contact us
We’d love to meet you. Contact us or call us at (503) 460-7203 with questions you have, or ask us about our philosophy, experience, or any other question that is on your mind.