SPECIAL SECTION: Spring Home Renovation Guide a switch or remote. After your smart outlet adapter is plugged into the wall, appliances can be plugged into the adapter and controlled from a smartphone.
Bedroom— Adding motorized drapes to your bedroom allows for an easy way to adjust lighting and privacy without leaving the comfort of your bed. Properly adjusting drapes, which is easy to do with smartphone control, can also help manage energy consumption by regulating solar heat.
Kitchen— Wake up to your favorite morning beverage without drowsily scooping and pouring. A smart coffee maker can make the right amount of coffee at just the right time through simple settings on your smartphone.
Family Room— Cue the movie setting with dimmed lights, blinds lowered and the TV powered on. Hosting a party? Count on your custom entertaining setup with lighting in all your guest-friendly rooms, lively music playing on your whole-home sound system and a lower temperature to keep things cool as the party heats up.
most likely have entertainment and audio equipment, offers plenty of obvious benefits, but also look at the kitchen, for example. Did you forget to start the dishwasher on your way out the door? Initiating a wash cycle remotely will let you come home to clean dishes.
3. Prioritize what you install.
When it’ s time to begin the actual transition to a smart home, it’ s a good idea to start with the most important products first. For most homeowners, those are the devices that you use every day.
Opening and closing the garage door is so much a part of your daily routine that it is often hard to remember if you closed it on the way out. Products such as the Chamberlain MyQ Garage upgrade kit, or Chamberlain garage door openers with built-in MyQ technology, put peace of mind in the palm of your hand. This technology allows you to control and check the status of your garage door from anywhere, at any time, so you know if your garage was left open or if it’ s being opened while you’ re not home. The innovative technology works with numerous smart-device brands and their devices, such as NEST thermostats and Xfinity home security products.
With the all-important lead-in to your home covered, you can turn your attention to devices that help manage your home’ s operation and efficiency. Thermostats that auto-adjust to designated climate settings are a popular option for many homeowners because they bring immediate returns in reducing your overall energy usage. Irrigation systems and power management products are also wise investments when it comes to optimizing your home’ s use of natural resources.
Crossing the threshold to a smart home may feel like a big step, but once you get settled and experience the convenience and control, you’ ll likely find yourself exploring ways to incorporate smart technology every place you can.
Bathroom Upgrades for Style
Makeover ideas to spruce up a small bathroom or plan a full renovation.
Home upgrades are all about adding comfort, convenience and beauty, and the bathroom is no exception. It may be the smallest room in the house, but these ideas for enhancing the most functional features of your bathroom are sure to make a big impact.
Whether your goal is a spa-like oasis or simply bringing a new level of sophistication to this all-important room in your house, there are a few key areas to focus your attention.
Sink: More than just a bowl for capturing water when you wash or brush, the sink can actually be a statement piece within your bathroom. More traditional options range from decorative self-rimming to sleek undermount styles, while vessels in all shapes, sizes and materials lend an artistic flair. Wall-mounted sinks reflect a trend toward floating vanities and today’ s pedestals are anything but boring.
Toilet: Keeping a sparkling clean bathroom is now easier with the new American Standard ActiClean self-cleaning toilet, which also offers stylish design and affordability. The ActiClean combines the power of revolutionary VorMax flushing technology with a fully integrated self-cleaning system, eliminating the need for in-bowl or in-tank cleaning solutions. A convenient flip-up door on the tank’ s top
Smart Devices for Every Room
The number of devices that can be integrated into a smart home is growing at an accelerated rate, but not all are complex gadgets and gizmos. Some of the simpler options for every room in your home include:
Living Room Outlet Adapters— walk into your home late at night and flip on the lights, the TV or both without searching in the dark for
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