The brief
The home in Yapral was already finished and lived in. The owners wanted lights, fans, air conditioners and curtains controlled from switches, phones and voice — but did not want walls broken, floors covered in dust or rooms repainted.
Why Zigbee
A wired system would have meant chiselling into finished plaster. Zigbee smart switches and in-wall modules fit the existing switch boxes and communicate wirelessly with a local hub, so the retrofit was clean and fast. Every mains-powered device also acts as a repeater, so the mesh reaches every floor of the house.
What we automated
- Lighting: every room on smart switches, with dimming on living and bedroom circuits.
- Fans and ACs: speed control and AC scheduling so bedrooms are cool at bedtime.
- Curtains: motorized tracks in the living room and master bedroom.
- Scenes: “Good Morning”, “Away”, “Guests” and “Good Night”, each combining lights, fans, ACs and curtains.
- Voice: Alexa and Google Home control for the whole family, including the elderly parents.
Survey details that mattered
Before ordering, we checked every switch box for depth and the availability of a neutral wire, confirmed load types on dimmable circuits, and planned hub placement and repeaters so the signal held up between floors. These checks avoid most of the problems people associate with wireless automation.
Security add-on
The family added Ajax door and motion sensors to the same project, so the household’s “Away” routine covers both lights and security. See our home security page for details.
Result
The retrofit was completed with the family living in the home. Switches were labelled clearly, scenes were tuned to the household’s routine, and we returned after the first weeks of use to adjust timings.
Comparing approaches for your own home? Read Wired KNX vs. wireless Zigbee for Hyderabad villas.