After years of upgrading and fine-tuning an older home with smart technology, I’ve finally reached the point where I get to start from scratch. No more working around existing limitations or finding creative ways to make things fit. This time, we’re building the smart home we always dreamed of—purpose-built, from the ground up.
We’ve spent years testing, tweaking, and learning what works and what doesn’t when it comes to home automation. Now we’re putting all of that experience into practice on a clean slate project where nothing is an afterthought. Everything is designed with intent—from the placement of sensors and cables to the automation logic that brings it all to life.
This new home won’t just be smart. It will be aware. We’re outfitting it with a wide range of sensors to monitor both the environment and its occupants in real time. From mmWave presence detection, BLE tracking, LiDAR, and PIR motion to climate, light, fingerprint, door and window, leak, and power sensors, everything is designed to provide detailed, room-level awareness.
Each room will feature ceiling and corner mounted presence sensors capable of tracking multiple occupants, enabling automations that adapt to real behavior without the need for switches, apps, or routines. Lighting, climate, blinds, security, appliances, and energy use all respond automatically.
Beyond sensing, the system integrates with a broad ecosystem of smart technology. This includes lighting, locks, blinds, appliances, actuators, garage doors, security cameras, and even robot vacuums and mowers. With a mix of CAT6, fiber, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, Matter, and Bluetooth, every component is selected for performance and seamless interoperability.
Privacy is a top priority too. Everything that can run locally will. We’re minimizing cloud dependence and taking full control over our data and how it flows within the system. Add to that a focus on sustainability with solar, battery storage, and automation that actually responds to energy use in real time, and we believe this could be a blueprint for what smart homes should be.
We’ll be sharing every step of the process in a new blog series—from the earliest planning stages to real-world implementation. If you’re thinking about building your own smart home, or just want to see what’s possible when you don’t have to make compromises, we hope these upcoming posts will inspire you.
Check out the first piece that kicked it all off:
We’ve already completed our first build as part of this journey: a fully custom DIY doorbell with a built-in fingerprint sensor:
And just to be clear: we’re not doing sponsored reviews or selling anything. Everything we build or design—whether it’s code, 3D-printable files, or detailed hardware lists—will be shared for free. Our goal is to inspire and support others in building smarter, more capable homes of their own.
We literally just launched our social accounts today—so if you like smart homes or just want to follow a nerdy passion project in real time, give us a follow or toss us a like. We’re building cool things and trying not to talk to ourselves online. You can find links to our socials on our website.
Are you also building your dream smart home from scratch? Or have you already done it? We’d love to hear about your approach, your setup, and the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Feel free to share your thoughts, questions, or ideas—we’re always excited to connect with others on the same journey.
— The SmartHomeGeeks team
