5 Smart Home Solutions That Kept Us Going Through 2020

This year was one for the record books, and it certainly did not develop as we all thought it would when we sang "Auld Lang Syne" and clinked our glasses to usher in 2020. Luckily, this year's happenings have given us all a chance to reflect on the people and circumstances we are thankful for and allowed us to connect with our loved ones in new ways. We don't know about you, but we certainly see our families and friends more than we did last year, thanks to technology solutions!

Read on below for five smart home solutions that got us through a difficult year and will help us bring in 2021 with an added layer of comfort and convenience in our Austin, TX homes.

SEE ALSO: Enjoy the Holidays in a Whole New Way

Home Networking

The modern workplace has shifted dramatically this year, with many employees moving to remote working in their Austin home. To effectively make the shift to work-from-home life, an upgraded high-speed network solution was necessary to keep you, your partner, and the kids connected to their online workspaces. Once the workday was over, though, you used the network to stay in touch with family over socially distanced holidays, with friends for online happy hours, or to binge-watch your favorite TV shows.

Safety & Security

A home security system ensured your Texas property was safe and secure, and it improved your peace of mind, so you had one less thing to worry about. Smart locks guaranteed the entry doors were never left unlocked. Surveillance cameras kept an eye on the perimeter, and video door stations ensured porch pirates kept away from your package deliveries. Let’s face it, we all did a bit more online shopping this year than in years past.

Smart Lighting

Since many of us spent more time indoors, keeping our homes well-lit with energy-efficient LED bulbs that were easy to control was imperative. With Lutron Ketra tunable LED lighting, you were able to support your wellness and natural circadian rhythm. Cool, blue-tinged white light in the early afternoon kept you focused and on task, and warm, orange-tinged white light helped you wind down in the evenings and sleep better. Outside, your landscape lighting was synchronized with an atomic clock and turned off at sunrise and on at sunset to save energy.

Whole-House Music

The year gave us unprecedented amounts of time with our family, and whole-house music gave us the impromptu dance party and easy listening by the pool that we needed. Preparing dinner while listening to podcasts on high-performance architectural speakers or playing board games with the kids and a pop station streaming from bookshelf speakers all became normal activities during 2020.

Home Theater

The tap of a button on a smart device awakened entertainment central in your smart home. Smart lighting dimmed to prevent glare on the screen, a high definition 4K display blew you away with stunning colors, and an immersive audio experience placed you in the middle of the action of your favorite films and TV shows. Nothing brought the family as close together as the weekly movie night in 2020.

Some people say technology makes humans more distant, but we disagree. Smart home technologies have brought Texans closer than ever this year. Connect with us using our online form for a no-obligation smart home consultation. We can’t wait to help you!