Smart gadgets and tips for today's modern home
How to furnish, design, and equip a connected Home 2.0
In 2021, I pulled the trigger and joined the post-pandemic exodus from New York City to Florida.
This, after a decade of living in New York, and spending the last two of those years ruminating about leaving.
But somewhere in between, I found myself a sanctuary.
In a new home in my hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, close to family.
This home offers the familiar comforts of “real America,” suburban charm, and growing up in the south.
It also offers creative space to furnish and decorate in ways not possible in 700 to 1,000 sq. feet of Manhattan studio and one bedroom apartments.
Now that I’m older, and after living, working, and traveling the world, it’s also been quite fun to have a space for my objets d’art and travel souvenirs.
New furniture purchases are done so with the intent that they’ll last.
New Yorkers know all too well the fleeting nature of furniture; no matter how expensive or elegant, you can’t get attached.
No item is safe and can land on a kill list with each and every move, hauled to the curb or dumpster, or shuffled off to Housing Works.
As I’m decorating and furnishing, I’m been modern conveniences offered by smart home or “home 2.0” gadgets.
I’m sharing these gadgets with you, along with a few housekeeping tips and hacks.
What I discovered furnishing and decorating my home in 2023
Furniture is deliveries are catching up from supply chain delays
If time is of the essence, then you probably won’t be able to customize your furniture upholstery or material.
My custom West Elm couch took two months longer than its anticipated delivery date, so in total, I waited about four months.
To avoid this, you can purchase in-stock furniture which usually comes in neutral or basic fabrics.
Sometimes you’ll get lucky and discover outlet or in-stock inventory on sale and priced to move.
Other times you’ll get lucky with newer offerings, for example my Crate & Barrel dining table and Restoration Hardware night tables were delivered within a week.
You can furnish your entire home with Amazon
Regardless of how you feel about Amazon as a company, you can pretty much furnish an entire home today with Amazon.
I’m not saying I’ve done that, nor would I recommend it out of the risk your home becomes “AirBnb chic.” (We don’t need block text or script signs reminding us to “EAT” or “GATHER” in the kitchen.)
But I would be remiss if I didn't mention that my entire guest bed setup is from Amazon, from mattress to bed linens.
Like most things from Amazon, the first concern is quality. I researched and tested sleeping a couple of nights in my guest room, and was happy with my sleep quality (and I’m obsessive about getting a good night’s rest).
I suppose I was surprised at how quickly even major furniture pieces (couches, bedframes, beds, home decor, and accessories) are now deliverable to your front door in a day or a couple of days.
Here’s my guest bed setup:
IKEA is no longer the “cheap” option
When did IKEA become the expensive option? Just yesterday, seems like people regarded IKEA as the good-looking and cheap solution, but this is no longer the case.
For example, a monitor stand is $40, and the Lack shelf is $100. Lamps can be well over $70, and the popular and pretty Billy bookcase with glass doors is more than $200.
Shopping around, you can probably find fast furniture options from Amazon, Wayfair, or Overstock, but then the sight unseen quality questions come into play.
The good news is, from my perspective, perhaps the quality of IKEA pieces going up justifies the higher prices.
Home 2.0: Your home is smarter than you
After living in New York City in both full service doorman and non-doorman buildings, you realize the pros and cons of both.
For example, on the plus side, doormen can accept deliveries and groceries, offer a general level of safety and security, and handle basic concierge services and home repair issues.
The cons? Privacy, as they know everything about you, your comings and goings, and will talk about you, too.
You’ll also have to force a smile when you walk through the front doors of your building, or small talk or banter when you are looking or feeling your worst.
More often than not I’d enter/exit alternate or side entrances because I just didn’t feel like socializing or being seen.
Luckily, today’s smart home technologies allow you to equip your suburban home to offer all the conveniences of concierge and doorman services.
Smart garage door
Garage doors can now be connected to the myQ app; it’s one of the best inventions, because you can open your garage door for anyone, from anywhere in the world. You can also receive alerts when your garage door is opened or closed.
This is particularly useful if, say, a family member or someone needs to come by to pick up or drop something off.
Amazon also offers Key Delivery, which syncs with myQ and allows drivers to deliver packages inside your garage.
This is secure and works great unless it doesn’t. For example, if myQ goes offline or a garage door issue arises, then you’re shit out of luck and your garage items will remain exposed until you get home.
Smart locks and keypads
You can save yourself from lockouts or carrying keys by installing one of these on your door. There are many options, like these from Home Depot. They also connect to Hubspace which can control an ecosystem of smart home devices.
You can lock or unlock a door remotely, and easily give out or change unique access codes.
Smart plugs
I remember bulky and awkward lamp timers with confusing dials, so I welcome smart plugs connected to apps like Kasa or Hubspace as the modern solution.
You can command lighting schedules from your phone, or get even fancier by connecting them to voice command assistants from Google Home or Alexa.
Protip: Use a smart plug for appliances, for example to turn on your coffee maker in the morning. True luxury!
Smart light bulbs
I saw these light bulbs in a New York Times Wirecutter article and had to try them for myself.
Smart light bulbs offer a range of colors, scenes, and moods. If you’re a lighting aficionado, then you’ll appreciate different light settings from fixtures around your house.
The ability to make your bedroom mimic a hotel turndown with nightly scheduled lighting is a convenience that screams simple, modern luxury!
New security systems
By now everyone knows about Ring cameras and today, there are many great options to choose from.
No matter the system you choose, there’s just great peace of mind in knowing who’s at the door, when your packages are delivered, and what lurks outside in the neighborhood at all hours of the night.
Protip: Make the effort to create guest Wifi accounts and set up an alternate Wifi address and password for devices only, to keep your personal Wifi address private.
Other housekeeping tips and hacks:
How to clean your gas stovetop grill
A former housekeeper taught me this great tip; you can clean your gas stove top grill and burners by placing them in the dishwasher.
Don’t skimp on buying a stainless steel-specific cleaner, either. It will help preserve the life and shine of your cooktop
Dryer lint balls in lieu of dryer sheets
I don't like dryer sheets because they create waste, and fabric softeners drown your clothes in strong perfumes or chemicals. For a while now I've used reusable wool dryer balls in the laundry. They keep clothes fluffy, reduce static, and are unscented.
Those are my tips for now! I have to say, I’ve enjoyed being a domestic goddess and will share another round of design and housekeeping tips after I’ve accumulated many more. If you’ve got a great one to share, I’d love to hear it!
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Until next time,
Shindy
On Instagram + TikTok
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