It has taken decades to perfect, but the 'smart home' has evolved from concept to reality in the recent years thanks to connectivity and in some cases, artificial intelligence. Communication between machines is now possible with a central neural hub, and controlling it is as simple as tapping on your mobile phone.

It may sound like something out of Tony Stark's mansion, but getting your house future-ready is really not as daunting as it seems. With more and more affordable options popping out on the market, integrating smart devices into regular homes is no longer a pipe dream.

If you are starting out in your quest to build a connected home, here are 5 smart devices that you should know about.

Smart Home Hub

The first thing you should think about is the central system that connects all of your devices together. There are thousands of devices out there in the market, and your smart home hub should be able to 'talk' to all of ones you need. If you are an entry-level smart home enthusiast, you can start with the Samsung SmartThings Hub.

With most smart home hubs, you can control your smart devices with a mobile app, but it will also be able to work with Google Home. Imagine: You can use voice commands to Google Assistant for controlling your lights, entertainment system and other devices.

Smart Lighting

"Let there be light," and then there is light.

When it comes to smart lighting, Philips Hue's smart light bulbs are the most popular in the market and for good reason. Launched in 2012, Philips Hue was one of the pioneers for smart lighting and few were up to par. It was best known for its variety of colours, 'variety' being a little of an understatement with 16 million colors available including several shades of white.

You can set 'scenes' according to your different moods, control the lights remotely, and customize the 'scenes' according to what your entertainment system is playing. Speaking of...

Smart Television

TVs nowadays are bigger, sharper and smarter than ever. Smart technology has enabled connectivity for the TV with mobile apps and other devices for an entertainment experience like never before.

While there are several great Smart TVs in the market, word has it that the LG B8 series is the most popular. The LG webOS is one of the best and most user-friendly smart platforms for TV with more than 200 apps available, and is able to work with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

Smart Speakers

A smart home will never be complete without a smart sound system - or at least we think so. All home audio enthusiasts will know of Sonos, the ultimate home sound system enabled by WiFi to play great quality music across different rooms simultaneously.

The Sonos Beam, a compact soundbar launched in 2018, is a powerhouse that can be controlled by Alexa. Other than providing cinematic sound when it is paired (to your smart TV, of course), it will be able to play music from almost every streaming source available, including Spotify and Apple Music.

Smart Climate Control

It goes without saying that a smart thermostat is essential in every smart home - especially one that automatically adjusts its settings to your preferences like the Nest Learning Thermostat.

Now in its third generation, Nest is one of the best thermostats around with a minimalist design and touch screen interface to change its settings. It is simple to use, easily programmable and 'learns' your habits so you do not have to fiddle with the settings every time. Using a mobile app, you can also remotely control your thermostat to cool down the house right before you reach home on a summer's day.

Do you want to automate your home with a fully customised solution instead of piecemeal smart devices? Give us a call at (800) 878-9705 for bespoke integrated solutions.