The Brief
This client had already done the hard part badly on purpose. Over a couple of years their apartment in Dubai Creek Harbour had accumulated more than 30 smart devices: a thermostat, ceiling fans, a curtain motor, speakers, cameras, sensors and switches, spread across six separate apps that did not know about each other.
They had even built a prototype dashboard on an iPad themselves, and hit the wall the same place most people do: everything can be controlled and nothing can be automated, because no two apps share a brain.
Their words for the main offender app were that it was unreliable and all over the place. They wanted a professional finish, not a longer hobby.
The Build
Everything onto one local hub
A local hub with a Zigbee coordinator became the single brain, with bridges for the devices that speak their own dialects. The thermostat came in through its own integration. The ceiling fans came in over the network they were already on rather than through an infrared blaster, because they turned out to be reachable directly. Cameras, speakers and sensors joined the same dashboard.
Nothing was thrown away. Every device the client had already bought is still doing its job.
The balcony switch nobody could solve
One outdoor switch position had no neutral, which is why it had stayed manual through every previous attempt. A no-neutral module went in behind the existing plate and it now works like everything else.
The iPad goes on the wall
The prototype dashboard was rebuilt properly and the iPad was wall-fitted with an always-on charger run and a kiosk browser, so it is a control panel rather than a tablet somebody has to find.
Ten automations to start, then voice
Ten starter automations were built during the visit, then voice pairing and a walkthrough for the household.
What Changed
Six apps became one screen. One thing clients always ask at handover is what happens if the internet drops: the hub is local, so the automations keep running.
Already own the devices and want them to work as one home? Tell us about your home. Consolidating what you have is usually cheaper than starting again.