Hello, Smart Home: Daniel

If the walls in this home could talk, they’d have some pretty great stories to tell. Built in 1760, the colonial farmhouse predates the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, and the Boston Tea Party–which took place just a few miles down the road.

And while the home is still held together by birch beams and iron from wagon wheels, its latest owner, Daniel, has breathed new life into it by adding home automation. With more than 60 connected devices that seamlessly talk to one another and automatically react to his family’s preferences, Daniel has finally given this home a voice.

Take off your shoes and step inside what might be the country’s oldest smart home!

Check out the other videos in the Hello, Smart Home series.

Fun fact: The home’s original owner, Captain Goodwin, is buried in a cemetery three blocks away from the home he built. After shooting, we visited to pay our respects.

Want to recreate Daniel and his family’s smart home setup in your home? Here’s how:

How to: Control & Automate Your Home’s Temperature

Whether you have a modern HVAC or an antique steam-based heating system, you can easily control and automate your home’s temperature from anywhere using SmartThings. In addition to helping you and your family stay comfortable year-round, having the power to adjust your thermostat from another room or another country is a great way to save money on energy.

How to: Get Alerts to Prevent a Small Leak from Causing Major Damage

By placing a SmartSense Moisture sensor in areas of your home that are prone to leaking (like under an old pipe, in a basement, by a washing machine, etc.) you can receive an immediate alert on your smartphone if there’s water detected where it doesn’t belong. This early warning can go a long way in helping to protect your home and belongings from major damage.

How to: Control & Automate Your Lights

While the link above offers an introduction to managing your lighting with SmartThings, there are really dozens of ways to control & automate your lighting–and all of them are easily customized using the free SmartThings app.

If you’d like to make it look like you’re home when you’re not, you might consider turning your lights on and off on a schedule. If you’re looking for added convenience, you might want to set a light or set of lights to automatically turn on when something opens (like your front door). And for both security, convenience, and energy savings, you might want to set your lights to turn on and off when motion is detected and when it stops being detected.

How to: Stay Connected to Loved Ones

While it wasn’t shown in the video, Daniel and his wife also use SmartThings to stay connected to their two daughters. There are a few ways to do this: one is by giving people a SmartSense Presence sensor (great for young kids and pets), and another is to use your smartphone as a presence sensor (great for adults who carry smartphones).

However you choose to set this up, there’s something very comforting about knowing when your children get home from school, when a spouse is home from work, or when your dog leaves for his regular jaunt with the dog-walker each day.