Hey all, just wanted to share what I’ve been up to lately with my Aqara setup. I’ve gone maybe a little overboard… but I’ve basically automated my whole apartment using custom scenes. Thought I’d drop some ideas here in case it helps anyone or sparks some cool convos.
Quick context: I’m more of a smart home enthusiast than a pro dev or anything. Started with a few sensors and now it’s a whole vibe.
What’s cool:
- I’ve set up a “Movie Time” scene that dims the lights, closes the curtains (via the Curtain Driver E1), and puts my TV & soundbar into play mode. All that from a tap on the Magic Cube (flipped twice, for that extra drama).
- “Out the Door” scene triggers when the door contact sensor closes AND no motion is detected inside for 5 min. Kills the lights, lowers the AC, and sends me a push just in case I forget to lock up.
- “Weekend Wake-up” is tied to weather via a third-party integration—if it’s sunny, it slowly opens blinds at 8AM; if rainy, stays cozy ‘til 9. Wife thinks I’m some wizard.
What I’ve learned:
Simple triggers are your best friend. Don’t overthink it (guilty). And test stuff at night when you can break it without annoying anyone else in the house (again, guilty).
Gotchas:
Sometimes scenes crash or feel delayed if you jam too many actions together. I started breaking longer chains into mini-scenes that link. Seems smoother that way.
Anyway, anyone else gone full automation mode? What kinda scenes have you built that just make you smile every time they run? Looking for inspo or maybe just some validation that I’m not totally alone in this home-automation rabbit hole.