HOW TO CONVERT YOUR STUDIO APARTMENT INTO A SMART HOME

Living in a BIG CITY, usually means you live in a small apartment, and for some a studio apartment. And more often you are living in a rental! So how can you balance your desire to have a smart home, one that is plug and play, so that when you move you can take your ‘smarts’ with you so that your next home doesn’t have to be a cave-dwelling.

The first thing to do is pick an assistant. I started out with Siri on my iPhone back when I shared an apartment with a roommate. Apple was much slower to the smart home game than Amazon and Google. So, when it came time to smarten up my home, I knew I had to find a better option, preferably one that existed as a smart speaker.

First thing, start with a voice assistant like the Amazon Echo Show (i like the Echo Show 8)or a Google Nest Hub Max. I’ve had the opportunity to test both the Amazon Echo and Google Home, and after some time, Alexa won me over and became the head of my household.

That doesn’t mean you’re restricted to just one ecosystem though. You can actually have both Amazon and Google products and use them almost equally. Once you’ve set up a smart speaker, you immediately have the ability to do things like set timers and alarms, ask for the weather or your upcoming appointments. And, of course, play music from a connected service.

But a connected speaker alone does not a smart home make. Your home becomes truly smart when you start connecting your appliances so you can control them from anywhere or, even better, without even getting up from the couch. This is where it gets a little tricky since it depends on what your building management will allow.

You can get started with the lowest-risk, minimal investment options: light bulbs. There are a bunch of connected bulbs available, with Philips Hue being the most popular and established. If you enjoy colorful mood lighting, a Philips Hue light strip is a good option, while single-color bulbs are better for those who just need illumination. Lights are also a great mood elevator, so shine them bright.