When Aaron M. purchased his first home, he was excited to use Deako’s smart-home integrations. Meritage Homes drew him in with their smart-home additions. And he loves adding his unique touches to create a home automation setup we’re all jealous of.
Table of Contents
Smart home background
Aaron is a smart-home automation wiz, so he was looking forward to the Deako modular smart-lighting system included in his Meritage home. Meritage’s smart-home additions pair well with its energy-efficient features and high-quality finishes.
“[Meritage homes are] just very well done. And that, coupled with even just a dabble of smart-home automation…that’s is really cool,” says Aaron.
Aaron’s smart home devices
Aaron combined multiple smart-home devices to build a whole-home automation system:
- Samsung SmartThings Hub
- Amazon Echo Speakers
- Deako Smart Switches
- Smart TV
- Smart oven
Looking to use Deako with other smart-home products? Check out our complete list of devices that integrate with Deako.
Aaron’s home automation setup
“I’m the kind of guy that likes to just set it and forget it,” says Aaron. “I just set it up and then program everything into my controllers [so] my scenes and automations kick on and off automatically. And then if I want to talk to the integration, like Echo, I can tell Echo throughout my house to do different things.”
When Aaron gets home, his garage door opens, and the door inside unlocks. All he has to do is bring his phone inside the geo-fenced area around his house. Sensors turn his lights on, his music starts, and his exterior lights go off when his door closes.
Once inside, Aaron uses voice control with his Amazon Echo.
Aaron says, “[The Deako] system makes it very easy. The switches are very easy to integrate, especially as a homebuyer.”
While Deako switches can function as a standalone system, Aaron has shown how they make your life even more convenient when you integrate them with other smart-home products.
Aaron says, “Other people might just see it as a bonus, but it’s the plug-and-play capability that makes [Deako] a great system. That was a big factor for me because, as a home automation guy, I know what it takes to hook up a 3-way or 4-way. And how frustrating that can be—versus just pulling a switch out of the wall and dropping in a smart switch and calling it good.”
Types of light switches
In your home, you probably have a light or set of lights controlled by more than one switch. Think about switches for a stairway or a long hall. The 3-way and 4-way switches Aaron referenced above work where more than one switch controls a light are require special wiring.
Check out our installation basics support page for a deep dive into electrical wiring terms.
Thoughts on Deako
Aaron recognizes that you “have to pay a premium with Deako a little bit,” but sees it as a worthy investment, given Deako’s features that other smart switches don’t have.
Particularly, Aaron enjoys setting up scenes and toggling them from a switch and his phone. Plus, he set up integrations for voice control and automation.
“The home is completely wired for all [Deako] switches … it really is plug-and-play, and it’s very, very easy to move switches around and just toy with it,’ Aaron says.
What does Aaron want to see us develop next? “A low voltage switch because I have a low voltage fireplace switch, [and] it would be really cool for me to just tell Echo to turn on the fireplace.” (His fireplace is the only thing in his home that’s not connected. )
Duly noted, Aaron!
Got an idea for Deako?
At Deako we love to hear homeowner ideas and use them to determine what to build next.
Share your story
We loved hearing Aaron share his Deako story. It’s always great to hear how folks use Deako in their homes. If you love using Deako and want us to highlight your story, let’s chat.
