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What is a SMART Space?

Definition time: a SMART home is a home that has integrated automated systems to control routine functions. SMART homes use systems to control security, lighting, entertainment, and appliances. A SMART business is the same, but it's a commercial property rather than a personal dwelling.

We could get way down in the weeds and list every system/automation that might be found in a SMART space, but what we’d rather focus on is this: a SMART space should work for you. It should make your life easier, should make you feel safer and more at ease in your space, should be easy enough to navigate that you’re not frustrated—but advanced enough that it can either save you time, money, or aggravation.




Some of the most popular SMART space features include those at your entry points (you know…the video camera doorbells that people use to see who’s on their porch), those for entertainment (Alexa, play Bruce Springteen’s new album), and those that work across the home, like lighting and climate control.


Like cell phones, you set up a SMART space on a platform—you know, how you go to iTunes if you have an iPhone but to Google Play if you have a Pixel. This is important because you want those SMART functions to talk to each other. When they talk to each other, you use a hub to control everything—meaning, you can use Google Home, for example, to turn the lights off in a room you’re not in.




Pretty cool, right? It can be easy to get caught up in wanting all the newest things just because they’re the newest things; but when it comes to your home, it’s more than that. It’s not always about just having the trendy thing—it’s about building a space that works for you. So if you love to entertain but don’t really care to cook, your SMART plan might look different than someone who cooks every holiday dinner from scratch for an extended family of 20.


Which means that it’s smart to talk to your general contractor and your designer about which SMART features are available, which will be most beneficial to your lifestyle, and how those can be integrated into your design. The experts you trust to create a gorgeous space you’ll love spending time in are the same folks who can ensure that your SMART home elements are featured as part of your design plan—or worked into your design to be less visible but still completely effective.


Oh—and remember that offices and business spaces can also incorporate SMART elements. Some studies even show that SMART offices benefit from increased productivity and innovation when compared to traditional offices.



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