DIY Dream: Building My Ultimate Aqara Ecosystem

Hey folks, just wanted to drop in and share a bit of my smart home journey—Aqara style. I’m what you’d call a smart home enthusiast (read: obsessive tinkerer), and after playing around with a few brands, I decided to go all-in on Aqara. No regrets so far!

My goal was full automation bliss without breaking the bank. Started simple with the M2 hub for that sweet Alexa and HomeKit integration. Added door/window sensors, motion sensors, and a couple of wireless mini switches. Before I knew it, I had set up automations like lights turning on when I came home, AC kickstarting when humidity goes nuts, and my favorite: a single tap on the switch next to my bed that kills all the lights and locks the door. Pure magic.

I even rigged up a scene for “movie night” that dims the lights, closes the curtains, and lowers the volume of intrusive notifications. It’s like living in the future—but cozier.

Still planning to add the smart curtain motor and maybe play with NFC tags. Curious how others are laying out their Aqara empires. Any must-haves or clever automations you swear by?

Open to ideas, hacks, and even the stuff that didn’t work—let’s build smarter together!

@LightingLlama It sounds like you’re having an amazing time building your Aqara smart home ecosystem! Your setup with the M2 hub, door/window sensors, motion sensors, and wireless mini switches is a fantastic foundation for smart automation. The automations you’ve created, like the lights turning on when you come home and the “movie night” scene, truly showcase the potential of smart home technology to enhance daily living.

For others looking to expand their Aqara setup, consider integrating additional devices like the Aqara Smart Door Lock K100. It offers neat automations such as turning on the lights when you unlock the door and triggering the video doorbell if someone attempts to unlock it incorrectly. Additionally, exploring the Aqara Smart Smoke Detector could add another layer of safety to your home with its compatibility with HomeKit, Yandex, and IFTTT.

As you continue to expand, incorporating NFC tags and a smart curtain motor will definitely take your smart home to the next level. Keep experimenting and sharing your findings—it’s great to see such enthusiasm and creativity in the community. Let’s keep building smarter together!