Nov. 29, 2022 - A home automation platform such as the Crestron Home® OS can bring all manner of cool (and useful) features into your home and can be customized to fit the holiday season — and beyond. The list below is quite literally the "tip of the iceberg" when it comes to smart home functionality and fun. You can talk to a Crestron pro to learn more, but here are eight ideas to get you started.
Your home automation system can:
Find the Perfect Holiday Music for Your Whole Home Audio System
The right audio system can bring classic carols and pop hits to a single room or the whole home. The best types of audio solutions (also referred to as "distributed audio"), such as a Crestron DM NAX™ system, support music services with great holiday playlists. Some examples: "Happy Holidays" from Spotify® streaming service includes a variety of genres and quick links to classic albums such as Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas," and SiriusXM® streaming service offers holiday channels that are already jingling. Don't get overwhelmed by options: this playlist from Tidal (a service with higher-quality audio than most) really leans into the familiar stuff. Plus, it's eclectic: They include everything from Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" to Run DMC's "Christmas in Hollis."
Showcase Seasonal Video and Digital Artwork on Any Display
A system that allows you to send video to any screen — such as Crestron's DigitalMedia™ technology — will allow you to see holiday content anywhere you like. That might include everything from The Grinch to a "burning yule log" loop. But you can also display video artwork throughout the home, whether you're sending pieces to a big TV or a custom digital canvas from Blackdove.
Natural scenes seem perfect for the holiday season: like the northern lights or this snowy scene.
Set Your Tunable LED Lighting for the Right Mood — or Outdoor Display
Do you want to bring "warm" light into the home all day long over a long holiday weekend? Or do you need party settings? Every imaginable option is available with tunable LED light fixtures and Crestron control. You can even automate exterior lighting, including holiday displays. And, of course, the right shading solutions can complement any lighting scheme.
Control Your Fireplace Along with Your HVAC
Fireplace control has been part of home automation since the dawn of the gas models, but today's systems can also link those functions to a home's HVAC. Bringing up the flames in the living room? How about automatically dropping the heat a few degrees in that part of the house as well?
Bring Home Automation into the Great Outdoors
If you're in warmer climates — or if you've got an outdoor spa that keeps you warm in more northern lands — there's a wide variety of home automation options that turn outside spaces into holiday entertainment "rooms." Pool control, hot tub options, lighting, and outdoor music systems can all be integrated into a Crestron Home OS and programmed for the season.
Make Full Use of Your Video Doorbell
They're so common that we take them for granted, but think about how helpful two-way door communications can be during the holidays: Does Nana need a hand with the packages she's brought? Or do you need to tell Cousin Eddie to go back into the RV and put some pants on before he comes to dinner?
Program a Whole Home Holiday Scene
Of course, taking all the above into account to create a one-touch solution that dims the lamps and brightness, lights the fire, brings up a holiday playlist, warms the home by a degree or two — all these functions can happen with a single tap of a Crestron Home Quick Action button. You can even customize your touchscreen backgrounds to fit the season.
Give You Peace of Mind If You're Away
For those visiting others or traveling during the holiday season, vacation scheduling mimics normal daily routines when the homeowner is away. Vacation mode makes it look like you're home — and that makes the house a much less attractive target for the bad guys. When that function is part of a larger security system — one that can both provide security and alert a homeowner to maintenance issues — then you've created a solution that can really help you relax when you're away.