Alwoodley

Yet another client found us through YouTube, already deep into their smart home journey. They had set up a Home Assistant Green as their smart home processor and were using a SMLIGHT SLZB-06 as their Zigbee coordinator. After extensive research and tinkering, they discovered our podcast, The Smart Panel (which we do alongside The Home Automation Guy), and decided to reach out for expert guidance.

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As always, we began with an in-person consultation at the client’s home to dive into their vision. This is one of our favorite parts of the process, brainstorming ideas, exploring possibilities, and helping clients realise just how limitless Home Assistant can be. Their excitement was contagious, and, as often happens, we even walked away with a few new ideas ourselves!

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For this project, the focus was on two core elements of any smart home: lighting and security. We recommended Reolink cameras for outdoor security, along with a video doorbell for the front entrance. Reolink offers exceptional quality for the price and integrates seamlessly with Home Assistant, allowing access to detailed attributes for automation and monitoring.

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For lighting control, we opted for SONOFF Zigbee relays. Since the client already had a Zigbee network in place, these relays were the perfect choice, affordable, reliable, and compact enough to fit behind existing switches, making them ideal for a retrofit project. However, in the Television Room, the client wanted dimmable lighting, so we installed a Shelly Dimmer 2 instead. This device is a Luxeia favourite, thanks to its robust features and the manufacturer’s top-tier support.

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Beyond lighting and security, the client also wanted smart sockets to automate kitchen and utility room appliances, such as the slow cooker and water heater. These also provided peace of mind, allowing the client to check and turn off appliances remotely if left on by accident. We used the Click Smart+ Zigbee range, a high-quality UK-based brand that offers a variety of styles to match any décor.

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Once everything was integrated into Home Assistant, we populated the devices onto our custom Luxeia dashboard. However, this handover was a little different, since the client was already well-versed in Home Assistant, they wanted full control of their system after we left. We were more than happy to oblige, leaving them with a fully optimised smart home that they could continue to tweak and refine on their own.