Ickenham

This client discovered us on YouTube while researching ways to automate the lighting in their new home. Having previously lived in a Control4-equipped house, they were familiar with smart home automation but hadn’t realised just how flexible and unrestricted Home Assistant could be.

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After a 30-minute phone consultation, complete with a quick demo, they knew Home Assistant was the right platform for them. With that decision made, we shifted our focus to selecting the right hardware and scheduled an on-site visit.

Once on-site, it was clear that the client had a well-thought-out vision for each room, including an incredible bathroom setup featuring automated lighting and a built-in TV at the end of the bath, perfect for relaxing evenings.

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Since this was a retrofit project, the client took advantage of ongoing renovations, incorporating custom-built furniture and new electrical components. This allowed us to run new Cat 6 cabling throughout the home, ensuring a rock-solid network foundation. Fortunately, they reached out just in time—we were on-site during the "messy works" phase, which made tasks like modifying switch positions much easier, especially with a decorator on hand to perfect the finishing touches.

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The home's existing lighting circuits relied on conventional dimmers, while the bathrooms used standard switches. To achieve dimming everywhere, we installed Candeo dimmer modules. For two-way switch setups, we repurposed the wiring to support retractive switches at both ends, enabling full dimming control from multiple locations. Something not possible with traditional dimmers! For non-dimming circuits, we used Sonoff Zigbee relays, while Candeo LED drivers handled LED strip features.

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One great example of our seamless integration was in the kitchen. The undercounter LED strip, gifted by the client’s electrician, wasn’t originally smart. By adding Candeo drivers, we enabled smart control, but we still needed a physical switch. A spare position on a 3-gang kitchen dimmer provided the perfect solution, as we installed a dummy dimmer with a Sonoff relay, allowing a simple press to turn all feature lighting on or off. With a bit of clever programming, this worked flawlessly with Home Assistant while maintaining a sleek, unified look.

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In the master bedroom, the headboard featured LED accent lighting. By adding a smart driver, we made it Home Assistant compatible. The existing single switch controlled the main room lighting, but by upgrading it to a grid switch, we seamlessly incorporated a Candeo Kinetic switch alongside the retractive switch. By tucking the kinetic module away with the LED power supply, we enabled full automation of the headboard lighting. All without compromising the aesthetics of the switch layout.

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One of the most exciting features was a surprise for the client’s wife, a TV built into the wall at the end of the bath. We took this setup to the next level by adding waterproof LED strip lighting behind the bath and upgrading the standard light switch to a two-gang model. The first switch operated the main bathroom lighting, while the second triggered an immersive relaxation scene: dimming the overhead lights, activating the LED strip with a calming pink hue, and powering on the TV, tuned directly to Netflix.

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Beyond the lighting, this smart home was further enhanced with integrated CCTV, a robust Wi-Fi network powered by Unifi access points, and intelligent heating controls, all seamlessly managed within Home Assistant via the Luxeia dashboard.​