As we modernize most aspects of our homes, even the most luxurious spaces tend to fall behind in one aspect: home lighting control. If you ask people how they control the lights in their home, the resounding answer is still traditional wall switches. Why not upgrade one of the most important components in your Kenilworth, Illinois home? Find out how a smart lighting solution can change the way you interact with your technology.

Upgrade the Traditional Switchers on Your Walls

Modernizing your lighting control system doesn’t have to mean abandoning the way you like to do things, simply improving it. Whether you’re using a Crestron, Control 4 or Lutron system, you still have the option of accessing your lights from switches on the wall. What changes is the amount of control you can get from those switches.

Dimmers, for example, allow you to pick out the perfect amount of light for an activity. What if one button on the wall could make multiple changes? Install keypads with pre-set scene buttons. These ‘scenes’ control multiple fixtures simultaneously and can even incorporate video, security and more.

Streamline Control With Pre-Set Scenes

How to Enhance Your Home Theater with Smart Cinema Room Lighting

Home theater design is all about adapting your room to enhance your new speakers, projector, and screen. Every aspect of the space can be adjusted to give you the best audio and video quality possible. For the latter, much of the focus is on creating the right lighting environment. Through blackout shades, stylistic adjustments, and smart control, we help you design a viewing experience in your Wilmette, IL home that mimics the one in a commercial theater.

Although a lot of the information on smart home automation systems focuses on the convenience factor, smart technology can also have a significant return on investment. Through efficient use of all the technology in your Glencoe, Illinois home, you can reduce your carbon footprint and monthly energy bills. From lighting control to smart thermostats, here are some ways we can help you go green this year. 

SEE MORE: 3 Reasons to Upgrade to a Smart Home System

Change the Default Settings on Your Lights

With centralized control from a touchpad, tablet or smartphone, it's easy to make widespread adjustments. Except for some rare occasions, you don't need to have all the lights in your home at 100 percent intensity. You can dim each fixture from 100 to 90 percent to significantly cut down on your monthly energy use.

Take Advantage of Natural Light

Another way to give your artificial lights a break is to embrace natural light. You can install photo sensors to gauge the amount of sunlight throughout the day. During the brightest times of day, your shades rise and your lights dim so you're not wasting energy.

Install a Smart Thermostat

Whether you’re trying to keep a large home cool in the summer or cozy in the winter, it takes a lot of energy for your thermostat to adjust the temperature. Smart technology helps in a variety of ways. For one, it’s easy to change the temperature in each room so you can spend fewer resources on those that aren’t being used. Turn up your thermostat when you’re not home and alert it when you’re on the way back so it can have the right temperature ready when you return.

Making the winter bearable in Lake Forest, IL is all about being well prepared. Everyone knows to don a few more layers of clothes when they leave the house and makes sure their cars have the necessary snow tires. Now you can also use your home automation system to prepare your household for any weather. Through intuitive control of your technology, it’s easier to keep your family safe, comfortable and entertained this winter. A smart home helps you get through the dipping temperatures and darkening days with the following features:

SEE MORE: Host the Perfect Holiday Party With Smart Control

Stay Safe with Smart Lighting Solutions

Now that the days are getting darker, it's important to make sure your home is well-lit at all times. Schedule your lights to turn on as soon as the sun sets and turn off once the sun rises. You can also have lights linked to photo sensors to make sure landscape lighting is on as needed during inclement weather; photo sensors ensure artificial lights only go down when there's sufficient natural light available.

Snow, sleet, and ice can cause even the most experienced of Chicagoland residents to have nasty falls. Diminish the risks by having pathway lights on all the main walkways. Install motion sensors at the start of walkways so they light up as you walk past, making it easier for you to see if there are any wet patches up ahead.