As I embark on my smart home journey, I’ve stumbled upon an interesting challenge—and opportunity—hidden in plain sight. During a recent repainting project, I rediscovered a junction box located 11ft up my living room wall, smack in the middle of a major intersection in my home. This box, which I’ve never utilized before, now seems like the perfect spot to integrate some smart home tech.
The location is prime: it sits in the heart of my home, with the bathroom, linen closet, and bedrooms all within close proximity. On the same wall, I have my entertainment setup, including a TV, Apple TV, light bars, a Raspberry Pi (for HAOS), and my router. Across the room, there’s a large sectional sofa. With all that in mind, I’m curious to know what device would provide the most utility in this central spot.
I’ve considered a few options. A smart camera could keep an eye on the hallway, while a smart speaker could serve as a central audio hub. A smart plug could be useful for controlling a lamp or other devices. But I’m also open to more creative ideas. What would you put in this box?
On a related note, I’ve been experimenting with creating scenes to save the state of my lights. For example, when the doorbell rings, I want the lights to flash twice and then return to their original state. However, I’ve run into an issue where the scene doesn’t work if the light is off—it creates a blank scene, which then sets the lamp to the notification color and brightness. I’m wondering if there’s a way to only create the scene if the lamp is on.
Another project I’ve been working on is setting up a pink gaming room. It’s been a fun way to experiment with RGB lighting and smart switches. I’d love to hear others’ tips for creating immersive gaming environments.
Lastly, I’ve been troubleshooting a Third Reality Smart Button that’s not registering presses. Despite multiple resets and re-pairs, the button doesn’t seem to trigger any actions. The debug logs show activity, but no successful commands. If anyone has experience with this device or similar issues, I’d appreciate any insights.
Smart home integration can be both exciting and frustrating, but it’s always great to hear from others who are navigating the same waters. Whether you’re sharing tips, tricks, or just your latest project, the community here is invaluable. Let’s keep the conversation going!