Estate Living Magazine New Beginnings - Issue 37 January 2019 | Page 56

L I V E
GET
S M A R T
SMART
Smart homes are becoming increasingly mainstream,
helping millennials and other home owners keep a
finger on the pulse of innovation and convenience.
Home automation was, until recently, the stuff of fantasy and sci-fi
movies. The ability to monitor the goings-on inside and outside your
home while on holiday, warm up the oven while stuck in traffic, even
the ability to heat up a toilet seat in winter, was a case of ‘if only!’
The idea of drawing the lounge curtains or switching on lights when
you’re late leaving the office, too, was a flight of fancy.
Today, smart or automated homes are on our doorstep and an
integral part of something called the IoT – the Internet of Things: the
concept of connecting everyday devices to the internet and to each
other without human intervention.
Increasingly accessible, affordable and user-friendly, home
automation or smart homes are ‘becoming positively mainstream’,
says Veronica Motloutsi, founder and Chief Executive of Smart-
Digital Solutions.
While the most popular smart home features at the moment
include security systems, automated sprinklers, entertainment, and
heating and cooling systems, this is evolving into other more playful
applications, including LED and projection technology to maximise
decor options. Using these advancements, you’ll soon be able
to alter the look of your house by changing paint techniques on a
whim, while mobile projectors will allow you to stream your favourite
Netflix shows on any wall you choose. 
So much is possible, Motloutsi says. ‘Using your phone, switch on
your music and TV before you walk into your home, check your
security cameras from anywhere in the world, or switch on your
lights before you get home,’ she says. ‘You can even manage your
water and electricity usage by checking which component of your
house is using up the bulk of these.
‘Technology also makes it easy to monitor and analyse any insurgent
behaviour,’ she says.
Certain products can also reduce power consumption by
automatically turning off lights and appliances when they aren’t
being used.
Motloutsi says the demand in South Africa has no specific class
or segment. ‘It’s coming from mainly tech-savvy people in new
developments and estates who can incorporate the technology
into their architecture, and want to monitor their home remotely,
integrate all their entertainment (like movies and music) onto one
device, and take advantage of the peace of mind, convenience and
time saving this brings.’