5 cool uses for automated smart lights
James O’Connor
STACK Writer
Good lighting is a fundamental comfort of a nice home, and automated smart lighting can give you control over how you light up your life. Here are some tips for setting the mood and getting the most from your smart lights.
Set up sunrise and sunset routines
Between daylight saving, daily routines, and the TV backlogs we're all trying to catch up on, going to sleep and waking up at a sensible time can be a real challenge. But what if your home's lighting eased you into bedtime?
Automated smart lights can be set to gradually dim as bedtime approaches, and slowly brighten as the new day dawns. You can simulate that nice feeling of being woken by the sun, regardless of how much natural light you actually want getting into your bedroom.
Use motion sensors creatively
A motion sensor light can turn on when you enter a room, or go off when no motion is detected. You can also get creative and have a bit of fun with them.
Want your Halloween party to glow bright red whenever a new person arrives? You can do that. Want a light to alert you when your sleeping child has woken up and is moving around? That's possible! A light indicating if the toilet is or isn't occupied? Why not?!
Those "wouldn't it be fun if…" scenarios are possible with smart lights.
Set the mood for your entertainment
Many smart lights can be programmed to automatically change the tone of a room based on your activities. This could just mean that the lights dim when a movie begins, but some lights let you go deeper.
A smart light synced to a PC RGB system can simulate a game's colour palette in your computer room as you play it. Some lights may be able to change depending on the tone of the movie or show you're watching. You can even tinker to find the ideal lighting for a reading nook.
This is a great way to feel more immersed and connected to the media you're enjoying.
Set "welcome home" lighting
A sensor light at the front of the house is a pretty common security feature, and automated smart lights can also effectively extend that welcoming glow throughout the house.
What if it wasn't just your front porch that lit up when you arrived? What if you entered your home to soft hallway lighting, a pleasant glowing path leading from the front door to the couch? You'd feel like your home was welcoming you back.
And if you have a smart speaker, you can queue up a favourite song and make sure that you're coming home to a perfect mood.
Pretend you're home when you're out
Before leaving on vacation you'll usually want to turn all the lights off. Of course, a house that has not had a single light on for several nights in a row could make a more appealing target for thieves, and you don't want to worry about that when you're on a distant beach.
By setting up routines for your home lighting, you can give the illusion of an occupied house without simply leaving the lights on 24/7. That's one less thing to worry about while you're trying to sort the currency conversion to AUD.
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