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By Kathy A. Johnson
kathy.johnson@interiordecoratingschools.net
Interior Decorating Schools Columnist

The blinds open when it's time to get up. The coffee begins to percolate when you walk into the kitchen. You tell your heating system to warm up the house while you drive home from work. Sound like a fantasy? Maybe not for long.

A "smart home" is one that is specially wired to allow residents to program and use home electronic devices with portable controls or other high tech methods. Smart home technology usually must be part of new home construction, but at least one company is developing products that people can use in their existing homes.

What Does It Do?

Lighting, energy, and security are the most commonly automated features of smart home technology. Wiring put in during construction allows lighting to be programmed to match needs and heating and air conditioning to be programmed for maximum energy efficiency. With security cameras throughout the house, you can see who's at the front door while you're in the kitchen, or check on your home via your computer--or even your cell phone--while you're out.

Who Will Use It?

The appeal of the smart home goes beyond Generation Xers and others looking for the coolest new technology. "When you think about it, our increasingly aging population will likely enjoy the conveniences that smart homes can afford, not to mention the importance for adult children who want to keep abreast of their aging parents," reported Alyce Lomax in a column for the Motley Fool website.

Lomax's column goes on to state, "According to research from ABI, the home automation market is a $1.5 billion business right now, and the prognosis is that it could more than double by 2008." With new options becoming available all the time, smart home technology could become a big part of new home design.

About the Author:

Kathy A. Johnson has written articles on health, fitness, and many other topics in her career as a freelance writer and editor. She lives in Florida, and is the features editor of Forum, a bimonthly publication of the national mothers group, Mothers & More.

Sources:

"Home, Smart Home"
The Motley Fool

"The Wired Home"
Money Magazine CNN

"Smart Homes: Your Wish Is Their Command"
MSN House and Home

Posted on July 22, 2005 at 04:52 PM