How to Create a Smart Outdoor Living Space

From controlling areas of your home remotely to making your property securer than ever – smart technology never ceases to amaze. But why stop there? Once you’ve kitted your home out and transformed it into an automated retreat, head out into the garden and turn it into a nifty little smart space too.

With summer on the way, it’s time to gear up for BBQs, alfresco dining, and garden parties. But how prepared is your garden for the months of outdoor entertainment that are about to ensue? If your garden is in need of a little TLC, we have plenty of outdoor living space ideas to prepare you for the warmer months ahead. Your guests will be wowed, your property will have value added to it, and above all, your outdoor space will be elevated like no other.

Outdoor Shelter

In summer, you won’t want to spend all your time cooped up inside, but instead lounging in the garden, soaking up the rays. And if you’re the entertainer amongst your friends and family, you’ll want to be able to use your garden as a space to host parties and BBQs too. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways smart technology can facilitate this – a motorised patio awning or pergola is the answer to your prayers.

Smart Patio Awning

Do you want to enjoy your outdoor space at all times of the day? And do you want a hangout space that’s covered but its awnings open and close without you having to do it manually? Well, look no further than an electric patio awning. They have roof-like covers to provide protection and shelter for your deck or patio, they ramp up the style of your outdoor space, and thanks to them being automated, you can enjoy endless comfort and convenience.

You can control your smart patio awning remotely. So, if you’re at home and you’ve just got comfy on the sofa, or you’re catching a tan on a beach abroad, just one tap on your smartphone and you can open and close the awnings automatically. Sound too good to be true? That’s the best part – it’s not!

If you’re an eco-conscious homeowner (and if you want to save a few pennies), your smart patio awning can even respond automatically to the weather. All you need to do is further enhance your electric patio awning with climate sensors. Imagine this picture-perfect scene – the sun is beating down, and you’ve got a sun sensor like the Sunis Wirefress RTS fitted – depending on the intensity of the sun, it’ll automatically open or close your awning. But that’s not the only climate sensor available! There’s also temperature sensors on the market like the Thermis Wirefree IO, and on a sizzling summer day, not only will it wirelessly notify you but it’ll automatically close your awning to keep your garden cool as a cucumber. Don’t worry though, we’ve not forgotten that the UK can get pretty windy at times, and that’s where the Soliris RTS comes in. You get the best of both worlds with this clever gadget because it’s not only a wind sensor but a sun sensor too! It’ll extend your awning as the sun peeks out from behind the clouds and it’ll retract your awning when wind speeds exceed a preset value (from 10 to 50 kph).

And there’s more where that came from! If you want to learn more about patio awnings, our selection guide will swot you up in no time.

Smart Pergola

If you’re looking for something more resistant than a patio awning but that’s still easy on the eye – welcome an electric pergola into your life or motorise an existing one. Transforming your garden with a pergola will add both shelter and shade, and you’ll be able to have your summer soirees in a stylish space that will be the envy of your guests.

If someone in your family has a summer birthday, what better way to celebrate than outside on your pergola? Set the scene with a voice command or from the palm of your hand with your smart device, and before you know it, the pergola slats will close, the lights will turn on and your favourite tunes will begin to play.

Your comfort is key, so when you’re working from home on those warm and bright sunny days, you won’t have to stay cooped inside, as our electric pergolas have built-in sun sensors. These trigger the slats to tilt and close the roof. And in winter, we’ve also got you covered, because the sun sensor triggers the slats to open when the sun makes an appearance. What more could you want than your pergola responding automatically and effortlessly adjusting to the weather, even when you’re not at home?

Heating and Lighting

Smart Heating

You’ll be more than familiar with smart TVs and smart blinds, and you probably use a smartphone every day, but did you know you can have smart heating too? But do you want to be able to control the temperature in rooms that don’t have central heating? Don’t worry – there are ways around that and it’s all thanks to plug-in thermostats.

Plug-in thermostats are fantastic for areas where you use electric radiators but still want control over how they warm up the room. For example, if you’ve converted the shed in your garden into your personal hangout space or office, a plug-in thermostat will make sure all the important things you keep in there, won’t get damaged by the frosty weather in winter. Setting up a smart thermostat like this means that your smart heating control systems won’t just be a box on the wall, but they'll also be on an app. So, you can control your heating all from the palm of your hand – ease and convenience at its best!

If smart heating sounds like your cup of tea, our selection guide has all the need to knows to get you started.

Smart Lighting

Decorating your garden with smart outdoor lighting is one way to brighten up your patio awning, pergola or any other area that’s in need of a lighting makeover. Smart plugs and outlets allow you to connect your smart device to a light fixture via Wi-Fi, so you can switch them on and off from wherever you may be – even when you’re not at home! If you’ve already got outdoor lighting, Wi-Fi-enabled smart light bulbs work in the same way. But if you want to make life at home even easier, link your smart outdoor lighting to a smart home system so you can give voice commands.

Using smart outdoor lighting as décor for your patio awning or pergola is both chic and functional, and smart technology makes it all the better. Try dimmer bulbs to create romantic ambiance, or if you’re an eco-conscious homeowner, opt for automated solar lighting. And if you want to ramp up the security of your garden, welcome motion sensor lights for the ultimate safety and security. With the added convenience of a sensor-activated lighting system, not only will you never have to worry about watching your step in the dark again, but if you get any unwanted visitors, your lights will alert your smart device, and it may even send intruders packing. With these nifty gadgets, you’ll also be doing your bit for the planet, as they conserve energy, switching on only when somebody approaches your garden.

Lights, Camera, Action! Our selection guide has everything you need to know for sprucing up your garden with smart lighting.

Smart Security

When it comes to your outdoor living space, the last thing you want to become is complacent. Of course, it’s much easier and simpler for burglars to target your garden than break into your actual home. Even if you’ve gone all out and bordered your garden with a fence or gate, or hidden it with decorative shrubbery, unwelcome intruders could still pry their way in. Securing your outdoor living space will not only keep your garden valuables safe but it could also reduce your garden insurance premiums too – and we won’t say no to a little bit of money saved!

Smart Outdoor Camera

All hail the smart outdoor camera – not only is it a fantastic way to keep an eye on your garden but it also monitors those hidden corners where trespassers could sneak through. Even the presence of a camera is enough to keep unwelcome visitors away from your home. But, if you want to pull out all the stops to keep you and your family safe, with a smart outdoor camera, you can sleep easy at night knowing that you’re safe and sound, and if something where to happen, you’d have all the evidence recorded.

Smart outdoor cameras are nifty little gadgets. They’re fully equipped with a range of useful features to keep your garden secured, from night vision sensor to a built-in siren. But don’t forget that it’s actually a lot more than a simple security camera. It’ll also send an alert to your smart device as soon as anyone comes near your home – smart outdoor cameras have got your back! Plus, you can even connect it to your outdoor lights, and then you’ve got double the protection to warn off intruders.

Electric Conservatory Blinds

If you’ve got a conservatory to worry about as well as your garden, don’t worry because electric conservatory blinds are here to save the day and keep trespassers away. And if you want to lower the risk of intrusion even more, install a smart alarm system and then pair it with your outdoor lighting and electric conservatory blinds (providing you have a smart home system). When the alarm is triggered, the outdoor lights will turn on and the conservatory blinds will close automatically – so you can say adieu to those pesky intruders!

Why Create a Smart Outdoor Living Space

As you can see a smart outdoor living space will not only spruce up your garden’s look, but it also brings with it many benefits, including:

• Adds value to your home – a nice, well-kept outdoor living space can add 20% to the value of your property.
• Further extends your living space – in the summer months, you’ll be able to enjoy outdoor space for everything from BBQs to making it your hangout space when working from home.
• Benefits the environment and your pocket – smart technology such as smart lighting can not only help you conserve energy but save you and your family money too.

Go Further with Somfy

Creating a smart outdoor living space, whether you go all out or start with a couple of automated devices, means optimised energy usage, potential money savings and a beautiful garden worth shouting about. Not to mention the ultimate convenience, comfort and peace of mind that comes with smart gardens. So, what are you waiting for?