Step into the future with a smart home

The modern home is one of convenience and comfort, and cutting-edge smart technology is precisely what you need to ensure your home delivers these two vital concepts.

If this is your first foray into the wonderful world of the automated home, let us introduce you to some of the most exciting life-enhancing products currently available.

Smarter bathrooms

The convenience of domestic automation should of course extend to the bathroom, and the modern homeowner can now enjoy controlling water levels, temperature and even a particular fragrance, all at the touch of a button.

If you have a spare £20,000 or so to spare, invest in a Bathler 005 bath tub which can be programmed to remain consistently warm for long periods of time, has an inbuilt waterproof flat-screen HD television, automated surround sound, and many more incredible features that will make bath time the highlight of your day.

Cheaper alternatives to this high-end bath are easily discovered, with luxury spa baths available from an assortment of retailers for around £1,000.

Entertainment in every room

Although the Bathler 005 may be completely out of your price range, this next product offers an affordable and more realistic way to modernise your home.

It is not unusual for most main bedrooms to feature a television, but to enjoy this concept in its most modern form, you will want to experience an all-in-one entertainment and relaxation solution, exactly like this TV bed from Bedstar.

The TV bed is yet another brilliant idea to bring you closer to a fully automated modern home. It saves space by storing the television in a custom-built compartment at the foot of the bed and saves you time by being electronically controlled by a remote control or button situated within arm’s reach.

Lighten the mood

A bone of contention in many households is that some members of the family are prone to leaving lights on, wasting electricity as a result. It is also highly annoying to have to get out of bed to turn off the lights when you have just reached the pinnacle of comfort beneath your duvet.

Yet, worry not, for help is at hand in the form of remote control lights. By purchasing specialist light bulbs such as the Philips Hue range, which are accompanied by a base station to be connected to your iPhone or iPad, and by downloading the appropriate app, you can control your home’s lighting without having to leave the comfort of your bed or sofa.

Smart security

With so many fabulous new features in the home, you will want to invest in the ultimate protection from intruders, and fortunately, recent advancements in security technology have produced designs which are certain to give you the peace of mind you need.

Home security cameras such as the Samsung Smartcam indoor camera not only provide HD video streaming directly to your smartphone, but also boast motion and sound sensors which, when triggered, will send notifications to your phone via an easily downloadable app.

At the higher end of the price scale, the Netgear Arlo home security system provides yet more reassurance by being suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, and relies on infra-red technology to capture high quality images even at night, which again can be streamed to your mobile.

With so many options available it is entirely dependent on your individual budget and requirements which security system you choose to protect your smart home from not-so-smart intruders.

Photo credit: Kevin Phillips