The term “Smart” gets thrown around a lot lately. We all know what smartphones are but what does it mean in terms of your home? In the days of yore, it was a fancy intercom system so you didn’t need to yell down the hallway to tell the kids dinner was ready. The Jetson’s had a lot of ideas of what it would mean as well. But, where does that leave us today?
It turns out that the answer is not so simple. Home automation, also known as a ‘smart home’ can mean a number of things. Home automation systems today are being designed today to be modular and programmed by the 
homeowner. The Aterra Designs team was recently invited to visit the beautiful HGTV Smart Home 2017, here in Scottsdale, Arizona (Which is set to be given away, along with an electric Mercedes SUV and $100,000 in cash!) to discover how HGTV defines a smart home.
The Impressive HGTV Smart Home
Upon arrival to the home, our initial impression was awe. Our team has seen a number of beautiful homes in our line of work, but this one was in a league of its own. The garage came well equipped with a charging station that is perfect for the shiny new electric Mercedes that is part of a smart homeowners lifestyle. As we walked through the front door we also noticed the digital lock that can be opened with an app, or using the keypad and code installed beside the door.
Throughout the house were numerous remote controlled and solar powered skylights, which help lower energy costs by letting the ample Arizona sun light the home during the day. A wireless security system protected the home – but not just your average security system. This smart security system is equipped with pet-smart motion sensors that won’t be set off by your furry family members! The system also monitors your doors and windows, as well as contains water sensors in the laundry room and garage that can alert you to a plumbing leak via your smartphone. The house had numerous voice-assisted smart televisions, and a remote controlled fireplace for when extra ambiance or heat is required.
Favorite Smart Home Features
One of our favorite features was the smart dimmers that work with a hub and can be controlled via app. This allows the homeowner to modify scenes through the app and add more dimmers if they choose. There were two tablets in the home for controlling all the features. We found one tablet charging on the modular under cabinet system that had lighting, speakers and various outlets.
Each of the three bedrooms of the home were beautifully decorated and had electronic, remote controlled blinds to control the amount of light in the room. And let’s not forget that a bathroom can be smart too! Bathrooms of the house each held various smart toilets, with features such as motion activated lifting lids, integrated cleansing, touchless flush, and even fresh-scent releasing abilities. The master bathroom even had a digital controller for the shower and a bath with pre-set temperature controls. Even the elegant freestanding bathtub had speakers in it!
Another impressive feature was the WineStation located in the wetbar. Homeowners can program it to keep wines at different temperatures and serve different serving sizes while being able to protect against unauthorized users.
A Smart Solution for Every Room
Overall our team was impressed by HGTV’s Smart Home 2017. Their version of smart was able to find solutions for every room without the home feeling too ‘smart home’ forced or too overly automated. The warmth that the decor provided offset the high-tech interior in a way that made the entire house feel livable and comfortable. We can’t help but feel that this is a positive direction for home automation and look forward to what is yet to come in smart home living.