LUXURY INDULGENCE: home automation; another word for undiluted sophistication

I recall sometime ago when i was invited by an old friend to his new home. This dude was a 'bragger' (excuse my french) and i knew it. He had just gotten a top notch job at a consulting firm as the GMD so i knew this had to come with a lot of goodies. we got to the house located somewhere on the Island. He brought out his phone. my thought was that he wanted to call a security guard to open the gate; i was wrong. The gate opened and we drove in. Just as we got into the yard, all the lights came on. i could swear no one pulled a switch. i was wowed. Not that i was new to this, at least i had read about it and been trained with regards to the theorical aspect. i folded my arms with discreet amazement, not wanting him to know i was carried away with this charade. i didnt realise the show had just begun. we got in and the same thing happened .The lights came on, the drapes bared themselves and Burna boy's' like to party' started playing from the Bang & Olufsen dvd player......hmmmn....let me spare you the rest of my story.....i recall every detail of that moment as if it were yesterday...maybe its because im an interior designer or a lady who adores class; it doesnt matter. what matters is you tapping into that sort of luxury indulgence!
 Every gadget freak with a lot of money in his pockets wants the James Bond reality in the comfort of their homes but don't know where to start.This is where we start though:
I'll start with what you can do with an automated home:

• Control your air conditioning
• Access video cameras inside and outside your house
• Control your home theater system
• Control your lights
• Pipe music, your TV's audio or your voice into different rooms
• Interface with your home's security system
• Turn any appliance off or on
• Open doors, windows, blinds, curtains, and other motorized entry/exit components, like your garage door

..and you can do this all...

• From your phone
• From a computer
• From touchscreen panels or fancy light switches or iPads
• From outside your house
• Automatically, based on a schedule
• Automatically, based on other "events" that happen, like doors opening, or motion sensors being set off
• One at a time, or all together

The basics of home automation is that one thing needs to tell another thing to do something, usually without you physically standing up and going over to that second thing. Also, the closer you are to the first thing, the better and more "automated" it is. Eventually you'll just be yelling out random commands in your home, and a system of microphones will pick them up and translate that into actions. But not today.

Today, these pieces need to talk over some kind of network, using some kind of protocol. It can be Bluetooth, it can be through your electrical system, over your home's Wi-Fi network or the cell network, for communications while you're outside.
Automating your home may cost you from N2,000,000 to N 50,000,000 ; depending on the kinds of technology and appliances you intend to use, as they come with variations. Though surely expensive, there's no more pleasant way to bring luxury to your home than this.
 we could say its like working magic with a modern twist. With some features, you could walk in and have the light come on while it goes out when you go out. or imagine clapping your hands and have your curtains open or close. you also dont want to have unauthorised persons in your home so you can have the finger print scanner at your doorstep or peharps your bedroom door. security now goes beyond having cctv or alarm systems as you could have infarred on your windows that detects when someone gets too close to your windows.
     I could go on and on about the inherent benefits of this technology that hasnt really been tapped into in this part of the world. It offers you convenience , security , undiluted sophistication as well as fun. for more info, do send me an email via luxuryease@live.com or simply post a comment here.