• Serena smart blinds: pricey but super dependable and Apple homekit compatible. I chose battery-powered roller shades with architectural fascia and an inside mount. Super easy to add remote controls later.
• Kasa plugs: easiest way to make any appliance or light wifi-controlled.
• Lutron dimmers and smart switches: clean and elegant way to make house lights wifi-controlled. Also really nice to set these to “vacation mode” when we leave, to randomly turn lights on and off.

Dumb home items

Sometimes a fully configurable and wifi-connected device is overkill. I think these devices strike the perfect balance of “smart enough”.

• Casper Glow night light: these gentle night lights have the perfect glow, gradually increase brightness in the evening, and have a motion sensor to increase brightness when you walk closer.