If Colin Hamdon, founder of Calgary-based home-automation company Om, had his way, you’d never touch another light switch again. You might even put turning on a light in the same bygone category as rewinding a VHS tape or sending a fax. The average person turns lights on and off hundreds of thousands of times over their lifetime, but Hamdon’s clients aren’t living in average homes.
Automated homes, also known as smart homes, are equipped with functional technology designed to enhance the living experience. Automation covers both small tasks, like lights that magically turn on upon entry, and more comprehensive projects — such as a home theatre that intuitively adjusts temperature, drapery, lighting and volume, and flashes the security feed from your front door on the screen when food delivery arrives. “My home will react to you, rather than you having to react to it — it’s very context-aware,” says Hamdon.
For Hamdon, home automation started as a personal hobby, but as he developed more refined solutions, and friends and family took notice of his tech savviness, it grew into a business.
Customizing your home to your lifestyle
Om and other Calgary companies like it are literally lighting up the home-automation industry. The high-tech homes they’re outfitting incorporate security systems, window treatments, audio/visual tools and more, but insiders say the real beauty is in how invisible it all is.
Rachel, an Om client, calls her automated home “effortless.” Her Scarboro dwelling features lighting set to match a circadian rhythm (the latitude and longitude of the home are used to calculate the optimal brightness and light temperature 24/7), a remote temperature-control system that uses her phone’s location (the heating/cooling shuts off when she leaves the house and turns back on as she approaches, which is known as “preconditioning”) and Sonos speakers in every room to keep the tunes she loves flowing. Rachel works in the health and wellness space and her automated home aligns with all her priorities. “It feels very customized to my life, and a little more luxury than I thought just lighting and music would be,” she shares.
And, no personal data ever leaves the Om system, located entirely in the home, as maintaining privacy is a top priority for both the company and its customers.
More security, energy efficiency and accessibility
A home that seems to think and act on its own may feel straight out of the future, but the reality is less sci-fi and more secure and sustainable, according to Blair Deault, smart home technology consultant for Calgary’s Jayman Built. Deault explains that smart locks, video doorbells, floodlight security cameras and automated lighting (giving the appearance that someone’s home) are included in all of the company’s projects. You can also add on features like smart leak and smoke detection. No more fretting about whether you closed the garage door or turned off the stove.
“Smart-home technology packages contribute significantly to energy efficiency by optimizing how and when energy is used,” Deault adds. No energy (and no money) is wasted through lighting or heating unoccupied rooms.
While automatic lighting has evolved well past devices like The Clapper, it’s also addressing needs far beyond convenience, luxury or simple laziness. Courtney Gay, co-owner of Bright Home Systems, emphasizes how automated homes can also incorporate life-changing accessibility features. One of the Calgary company’s most memorable projects was for a homeowner who had a medical condition that caused temporary blindness during extreme changes in brightness. Thanks to automatic, gradual, human-centric lighting, the homeowner can easily and safely navigate his home. “We were able to help him live independently,” Gay explains. She says that, while “the sky’s the limit” when it comes to home automation, there are plenty of small-scale projects that simply make life a little easier, like putting motorized shades on upper windows that you can’t reach.
Beyond practicality, there are also safety benefits. In 2021, Health Canada implemented regulations prohibiting window coverings with long cords in order to limit the risk of strangulation, particularly to children and pets. But that makes reaching high window coverings tricky. “For high windows where you’d need a ladder [to open or close the blinds], obviously motorized blinds make a lot of sense,” Gay says.
For Hamdon, the smartest home technology is intuitive and inconspicuous. It’s not a remote full of buttons or a labyrinth of wiring. “My design philosophy is to not let technology get in the way of the homeowner.” he says. “Things just happen automatically, dependably and reliably.”
Smart home automation is ultimately about minimizing effort for maximum comfort and peace of mind. This can even include your morning caffeine — Om’s smart homes can have a cup of freshly brewed espresso ready the precise moment you step into your kitchen. Needless to say, switching the coffee machine on or off is not required.
DIY Automation
Smart technology isn’t just for lavish custom homes or new builds. Here, experts offer advice to level up your living spaces with products you can purchase and install yourself.
Invest in excellent home internet
Courtney Gay of Bright Home Systems points out that many home-automation devices require Wi-Fi, and even the top-of-the-line tools won’t work if your service sucks. “Make sure you have a decent network throughout the entire house, with no dead spots,” she advises.
Change your light bulbs
“It can be very easy to achieve a ton of functionality in just a few steps,” says Blair Deault of Jayman Built. He recommends a smart-security system or doorbell camera as a beginner project, but adds that simply switching basic light bulbs to smart ones is an automated accomplishment.
Keep design in mind
Colin Hamdon with Om says DIY smart tech can result in some clunky and ugly experiences. So think about how the tech will fit aesthetically into your home before buying. “The best technology is something you don’t see or have to interact with,” he says.
