Home, Smart Home

These days, it's not enough to be good-looking. Discriminating homebuyers want brains and beauty-and they're finding both in new "smart" homes, where sophisticated technology means easy living.

Imagine simply pushing "good night" on an LCD touch screen to turn off all but a few lights, activate security, lower the temperature, lock the pet door and play a relaxing CD to help you fall asleep.

In the morning, the blinds automatically raise, the kids each wake to their favorite tune and the dog lets himself out to play.

Then all you have to do is hit a button and hit the shower, which has been heated to the desired temperature.

And you don't have to spend a fortune. If your home is less than 2,000 square feet, you can install a moderate automation system for a few thousand dollars.

Such a setup will typically transmit signals over existing wiring to control two or more subsystems-say, the blinds and the pool. The technology is less than 100 percent reliable, however, and lacks some of the more sophisticated interfaces.

A more reliable choice is wireless technology from Lutron, which can be easily retrofitted in an older home at a cost of $6 to $8 per square foot. That's around $12,000 for a 2,000-square-foot home.

Rapid advancements in technology and a plethora of new products increasingly demand wireless technology, or systems that rely on structured cabling. Fortunately, many homebuilders are making sure the wiring won't be the weak link.

Cardel Homes, for example, is a big proponent of standard structured wiring to help buyers "future-proof" their homes.

"Structured wiring lays groundwork that allows you do whatever you want, right now or down the road, without ripping the walls out," says Jeff Summers, the company's vice president of operations. "Older homes only have maybe two cable and three telephone outlets. That was the standard in this area up until a few years ago, when builders started letting loose a little bit and allowing people more options."

Those options can immeasurably improve a homeowner's quality of life. For the physically challenged, for example, home automation can serve as a virtual extension of the body. Rick Marks, president of Home Smart Central, retrofitted the home of a St. Petersburg woman whose mobility was hindered.

"With limited use of her arms and hands, she can control all the lights in the house and open and close the front door," Marks says. Of course, she'll already know who's knocking thanks to the door cam, which is viewable from her television screen.

As the population ages, automation will become increasingly important, especially regarding health and safety.

"Systems that enable aging in place are going to be one of the big waves of the future," says Karen Davis, president of Onteriors. "Sensors throughout the home can be set up to do anything from transmitting your blood pressure to a nearby clinic to reminding you to take your pills."

Automation can even help a long-distance relative keep a watchful eye on an elderly loved one, perhaps locking doors or notifying a nearby family member that a daily task wasn't performed.

"It takes that 'I've fallen and can't get up' commercial to the next level," says Andy Crouch, Onteriors' senior sales manager. "We can tie in an electronic release so that if a caregiver needs to be let in the house, the resident can open the garage or unlock the front door from wherever he or she happens to be, from any number of devices."

Environmentally conscious homebuyers are also interested in high-tech features, such as automated thermostats, that reduce energy consumption.

"We can introduce an irrigation management system that's satellite controlled with links to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, so it actually knows what the weather conditions are and adjusts irrigation accordingly," Davis explains.

Of course, the more sophisticated the automation, the higher the price. High-end systems can start at $25,000 and reach seven figures, according to Mark Elble, AV systems designer for Stram Electronics Home Theater Gallery.

"I'm working on a project in a technology-based home, very contemporary, with 100 percent lighting and thermostat control," Elble says. "There are wireless touch panels that tap into the Internet in various rooms as well as a number of hardwired, in-wall touch panels that function identically. There's a media room, a family room system, and a plasma TV that's going to rise out of a motorized lift at the foot of the bed."

What makes all this possible without a plethora of wires and boxes is that the ugly, untidy stuff is hidden in a Technology Closet, a centrally located equipment room.

The price tag? "This became a six-figure project very quickly," Elble says. "But when you're talking about a million-dollar home, it's a small percentage of the overall cost."

What you're paying for is the ultimate in convenience.

"Say it's 5:30 in the evening," Elble says. "You're having a dinner party for 10 guests. You're running late and have curlers in your hair. There's food cooking and guests will be there in 15 minutes. By pushing one button, you light the entry walkway, the foyer and the dining room and maybe even turn on your favorite cable music channel."

The curlers, Elble notes, are still your problem.

Andrew Guenther of Advanced Audio Design describes how home automation elevated his quality of life by eliminating a lot of running around.

"I couldn't imagine living in a large home that wasn't automated," Guenther says. "My master bedroom is on the third floor. I can pick up my touch panel and see what the temperature is on the ground floor. If my son cranked the air conditioner down to 50 degrees, I can adjust it so he doesn't freeze out the other kids. The Jacuzzi is also on the ground floor, so I can fire it up and go down when it's ready."

And the lighting control is also outstanding, Guenther adds. Landscape lighting and common areas come on and dim to lower levels throughout the night and turn off automatically at sunrise.

"This is accomplished with an astronomical clock that knows what time it gets dark every day of the year," he says.

In a Tampa bayfront home automated by HomeSmart Central, one feature saves both time and the upholstery.

Nine blinds automatically close two hours before sunset to temper the intense sunlight that pours in through west-facing windows. The blinds then raise 15 minutes before sunset so the homeowners can enjoy nature's nightly color display.

Does it take an engineering degree to figure out how to use all this stuff?

"No, that's the main point. The actual control system is very intuitive," says Elble, who uses AMX as manufacturer of choice. "This technology is new to a lot of people, but the touch screen keeps it consistent. It's extremely user-friendly."

Many of today's systems actually began as advanced security systems.

"A well-designed system will keep the user informed," says Marks. For example, he can install an "alarm notification module," which describes in full speech the alarm type and location. "In the middle of the night, it can be a lifesaver to know precisely where an alarm was activated," Marks adds.

One main component of security systems-the camera-has become a seasonal resident's best friend because homes can be monitored from afar.

"We've got a very high percentage of residents in some of the communities, such as MiraBay, who are here only six months out of the year, and they want to be aware of what is happening with their home," says Crouch.

From any Internet-access location, they can log into their home and, depending upon the number of cameras, peek in every room and around the perimeter.

"If they have a housekeeper who's supposed to come in once every two weeks, an e-mail will verify that she was there," Crouch adds.

Some systems will even record the day's activities. For example, a home­owner can log in the next morning, rewind and see how the home fared during an overnight storm.

A host of other new products make home life easier. And the most practical may be aimed at busy or traveling pet owners.

For example, a programmable pet feeder can dispense food at specific times throughout the day, while an automatic drinking fountain continuously circulates and filters water.

To prevent unwanted critters-or even undersized burglars-a special collar embedded with a radio or infrared transmitter will trigger an electronic pet door to open for whoever is wearing the collar.

The kitchen, however, is inspiring the majority of high-tech gadgets. The "Counter Intelligence" group at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is working on several projects, including one dubbed "Kitchen Sync."

In this Jetsonesque kitchen of the future, everything will be connected: the fridge, counter, microwave, dishwasher-even the kitchen sink-and each will know its contents and be able to act, physically and digitally.

Want to make a dessert? The refrigerator and cupboards will check to see if you have all the ingredients, the oven will preheat and the counter will know how much sugar you've poured into the mixing bowl without your having measured.

Until that space-age scenario is perfected, however, smart appliances can lend a hand. For example, the Beyond line lets you scan a bar code from a food package and the appliance does the rest. No pushing buttons or setting timers. If you burn the dinner, blame the oven.

So what's next? It's anybody's guess. But builders and consumers are increasingly taking advantage of today's innovative technology to create homes with higher-than-average IQs.

In the future, automated homes may be so commonplace as to be unremarkable-but in 2006, they're members of Mensa.