Transform your space — 6 easy ways to create a smart home

1. Start with a smart hub

The backbone of any smart home is a central hub that can control and communicate with all your devices. It's the control center that links together every bulb, lock and playlist within your home.

Options include the Amazon Echo Show for visual control, the Google Nest for seamless integration with Google Assistant, and the Apple HomePod for high-fidelity sound with Siri. These hubs use AI to manage your smart devices and provide personalized recommendations.

2. Use voice assistants

Voice assistants are crucial for a smart home setup. The software carries out everyday tasks by recognizing our voice. Speak and it shall be done.

Alexa is an asset for any smart home. As a virtual assistant, Alexa's capabilities feel endless, with over 100,000 skills available. It can schedule a meeting and play music, connect with your Fitbit or control your thermostat.

Another great option is Google Assistant, where you can use commands to get the most out of your Google Home smart speaker, smartphone, or tablet. Or more commonly, Siri for iOS users which can be integrated into devices like Apple's HomePod.

3. Incorporate smart lighting

Lighting and ambiance is super important to any living space. Smart lighting offer advanced control features, providing you with total customization. By connecting these lights to your smart home, you can use voice commands or your tap your phone to alter the atmosphere.

Philips Hue lights are easy to set up and reliable. You can control light brightness, color, and scheduling through voice assistants such as Alexa. Phillips has an extensive range and the bulbs are responsive and can integrate easily.

4. Add a smart thermostat

The best smart thermostats learn your preferences to optimize room temperature to keep you comfortable. By intelligently heating and cooling your home, it's a fantastic way to be more cost-effective. Smart thermostats can detect when you're home and when you're not. It will reduce the heat when you're out and have it warmed up for when you're back.

The Ecobee smart thermostat is also an Alexa-compatible device that includes a remote sensor, built-in smart assistants, and air quality monitor. Outside of setting your home's temperature, the thermostat can play music, order for you, or anything else Alexa can do.

5. Protect your home with a smart doorbell

You can guarantee safety by fitting your smart home with a smart video doorbell. By adding this home protection, you'll be alerted if someone is outside, be able to see them, and talk to them through your smartphone.

The best video doorbells should be easy to install, fit a variety of door types, and provide high-quality images. The Ring Video Doorbell does just that. Ring doorbells provide a great view of outside, can detect packages, and also has head-to-toe video. Other options include the Wyze Video Doorbell Pro and the Logitech Circle View Doorbell.

6. Consider a smart fridge

The integration of AI into smart homes make kitchen tasks easier. Products such as smart refrigerators connect to the cloud, and depending on its features, you can determine from your smartphone what's in your fridge, be alerted if you've left the door open, or have calendar entries pop up on the door's screen.

Two reliable smart fridges are Samsung's Family Hub and LG's Instaview. The Family Hub has the most features, allowing users to view notes on its large display, watch TV, and even look up recipes. The Instaview connects to LG's SmartThinQ app (Android and iOS) and lets you adjust the fridge's temperature, as well as letting you know when the water filter needs replacing.