Smart Home · Simplification

How to automate a home without making it complicated.

2026-09-25 · Obsidian Audio Video · Houston

The biggest mistake in smart home automation is automating everything. Every automated device is another thing that can break, another app to learn, another setting to adjust. Good automation is invisible. It does what you expect, when you expect it, without you thinking about it.

Automate the big five

1. Lighting: Scenes and keypads (Lutron RadioRA 3). One press changes the whole room.
2. Shades: Automated shades on an astronomic timeclock. Up at sunrise, down at sunset.
3. Audio: Whole-home audio with zone control. Music in every room from one app.
4. Climate: Smart thermostat integrated with the automation system.
5. Security: Door lock, doorbell camera, and motion sensors integrated with lighting.

One platform, one app

The most important simplification: use one platform. If you have Lutron lighting, Control4 automation, and Sonos audio, you need three apps — and they don't talk to each other. Choose one platform (Crestron, Control4, or Savant) and integrate everything into it.

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