Smart home technology, one of the most popular developments in recent decades, has significantly improved our quality of life. It enables automatic actions based on preset conditions—like closing the curtains at sunset or opening them when I wake up.

I live in China, where a brand called Xiaomi has become incredibly popular. Xiaomi isn't just a smartphone manufacturer—it also produces a wide range of IoT (Internet of Things) devices, including smart home products and even electric cars. I chose Xiaomi because it's affordable and highly customizable. One of its biggest advantages is its seamless integration with Home Assistant through official plugins—more on that later.

The first smart home product I purchased was a smart socket. It can automatically turn the power supply on or off, which lets me control devices that aren't smart by themselves—like my mosquito repellent and external display.

Next, I upgraded some of the bulbs in my chandelier. I can now control their brightness and color temperature directly from my phone, which is very convenient. I also created an automation setup using the chandelier and person sensors that detect whether anyone is in the room. I installed two sensors in my bedroom and one in the restroom. With this system, the lights automatically turn on when someone is in the room and the brightness is below 80 lux, and turn off when the room is empty.

I also wanted my curtains to open and close automatically. Instead of changing the curtain track—which can be complicated—I bought a product called Curtain Mate. It attaches to the existing curtain track and controls the curtain movement. Even better, it runs on a built-in battery, so I don't need to worry about nearby power outlets—I only need to charge it about once every six months.

Some of the lights in my home are not smart, which means I can't control them through my phone. To turn them on or off, I have to walk to the switch and operate it manually — something that's quite inconvenient.

To solve this problem, I replaced the traditional switches with smart switches. These allow me to control the lights using my phone, making it possible to automate them in various ways.

I use Home Assistant, a powerful open-source platform for managing smart home devices. It supports integration across different ecosystems and enables complex automation. I run it on a Raspberry Pi at home and use Cloudflare for secure remote access, so I can control my smart home system from anywhere.

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