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| Steven Montgomery, Managing Director of Somfy UK and Ireland |
Spring may not quite have sprung yet, but it’s never too early to think about a good clean-up and de-clutter. Most homes get grubby around the edges and accumulate unnecessary clutter over the winter months, and a spring clean can quite literally be a breath of fresh air!
And whilst a vacuum and a bottle of bleach will always be a good starting point, the latest smart home technology can help you streamline and straighten up your home in truly intelligent ways.
A helping hand - Robotic vacuum cleaners were something of a gimmick when first developed, but the technology has come on in leaps and bounds. The latest devices can undertake multiple different types of cleaning, respond to voice commands, integrate with smart speakers like the Amazon Echo or Google Home, and run for an hour or more on a single charge. If you have lots of hard floors, a robotic mop could be a better choice – or why not invest in a robot window cleaner?
Wonderful windows - On the subject of windows, a pair of tongs, rubber bands and an old pair of socks make for a surprisingly effective blind-cleaning contraption, whether your blinds are horizontal or vertical. And don’t forget to consider the timings of your window coverings – as the days get sunnier, it’s important to avoid UV damage to your furniture and artwork if you forge to close your shades. Motorised window coverings can be automatically scheduled to shut out the light at the brightest times of day.
An integrated approach - From music to movies, gaming to online learning, most homes today incorporate countless devices for consuming media. Speakers in particular can be a real source of clutter – and yet smaller smart speakers, including in-ceiling installations, have never been more effective. There is no longer a need to compromise on sound quality whilst also making your home media more discreet.
Centralise your technology - Technology clutter is a growing problem in modern homes – not just from smartphones, tablets and media devices, but from an array of more specialist smart home technologies too. It might seem counterintuitive to streamline this with yet more technology but placing your various smart home controls under a single automation hub can have a dramatic impact. Not only will you eliminate multiple remote, control panels and apps on your smartphone, but you will gain a single centralised tool for controlling multiple aspects of your home, from heating and lighting to home security.
Let there be light - Little has a greater effect on the ambience of a home than the lighting – and once you’ve gone to the effort of cleaning or even redecorating, the right lighting will make all your effort worthwhile. Smart lighting systems enable you to programme in a wide array of looks and feels, which you can adjust in line with the time of day, how much natural light your rooms receive and which activities are taking place, from home working to hosting a dinner party. Combine these with smart shutters or curtains and you can even automate a natural light wake-up call every morning.
Lock it up - Once you’ve gone to the trouble of deep-cleaning your home, it’s wise to give a thought to securing it. Consider your doors and windows, and whether it is appropriate to add extra shutters or even motion detectors which can alert you to any break-in attempts. Smart locks can enable you to lock or unlock doors at any time and from anywhere via your home – a godsend for those of us who sit at our desks panicking that we left the front door open. Smart doorbells connected to camera systems enable you to see who is at the door and even speak to them if you are not at home, whilst connected cameras allow for remote monitoring – even if just of what your pets get up to during the day.
Somfy can help homes to become Smart ....
Somfy’s leading smart management solutions for homes and buildings have been improving people’s daily lives for over 50 years.
Developed with comfort, ease of use, security and sustainability in mind, our innovations automate and connect rolling shutters, curtains and blinds, gates and garage doors, lighting and heating, alarms systems and more. Somfy are committed to creating useful solutions that are accessible to all, designed for today and beyond.
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