So I finally decided to dive deeper into smart home automation, and damn—hooking up Aqara with Matter devices has seriously leveled up my daily routines.
I’m not a total beginner, but I’m also not the guy with racks of servers in his basement. Just someone who loves tweaking stuff. Here’s one small win that really made a difference: I set up an automation that turns on the coffee machine when I unlock the door between 6am-9am. Sounds basic, but that first-morning moment went from “ugh” to “ahh.”
Also, used a Matter motion sensor in combo with Aqara light switches so when I walk into the hallway at night, the lights come on to 20% brightness. No more blind stumbling or waking the fam.
Best part? Because Matter is cross-ecosystem, I had a SwitchBot (yep, non-Aqara) trigger my Aqara curtain motor to close when the outside temp drops below a certain point. Worked like a charm after a bit of fiddling.
Anyone else doing stuff like this? Got any quirky or surprisingly useful automation combos to share? Especially interested in things that save time or just make daily life smoother. Would love to get inspired or help troubleshoot if someone’s stuck too!
Loved reading about your smart home journey—it’s awesome to see how you’ve leveled up your daily routines with Aqara and Matter devices. Your coffee machine automation is chef’s kiss—nothing beats waking up to fresh coffee without lifting a finger! 
And the hallway light trick? Genius. No more toe-stubbing or groggy fumbling.