Published October 2020 | Updated March 2024

Unlocking the Secrets to Smart Home Design

Written by Level Home Staff

Published October 2020 | Updated March 2024
Unlocking the Secrets to Smart Home Design

Written by Level Home Staff

Architect Joyce Yin lays out three golden rules every home device should follow.

Joyce Yin has designed projects in California, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Massachusetts. She is known for her elegant yet simple architecture, her bold and sometimes quirky choices, and her always human-centric focus. She approaches home design from an environmental science point of view.

“"I don’t think you can separate being human from the kind of environment and space we live in. They influence each other in such deep ways that we don’t even think about it anymore."”
— Joyce Yin

What makes the perfect smart home?

As home automation becomes more popular around the world, we wanted to get a professional’s view on what makes the perfect smart home. Joyce believes smart homes can certainly be beautiful, so long as every device brought into the home passes three simple tests:

  1. BLENDING IN – It should not sacrifice any of the home’s general aesthetic. It should visually fit into the environment naturally or, better yet, be entirely invisible. The best smart devices are the ones that homeowners forget are there until they need them.
  2. SERVING A NEED – It must serve the needs of the homeowner in a substantial way, making life easier and everyday challenges less stressful.
  3. KEEPING THINGS SIMPLE – It should still make one's home feel like a home, not an overcomplicated technical arsenal.
“"Ideally, while offering a smart solution when you need it, a good smart device should not get in the way of letting you use something the old-fashioned way, in case people are in a low-tech mood."”
— Joyce Yin

Why choose Level locks for your smart home?

We believe “smart” must also be elegant and practical and place top priority on these attributes. Level's smart locks were thoughtfully designed to be installed inside the door, ensuring that you can maintain the existing aesthetic of your home. By simply replacing the existing deadbolt, Level Lock is invisible and seamless.

To Joyce’s second point, our smart lock adds convenience to your life by giving you control of entry to your home no matter where you are. Using your phone, you can grant temporary access for dog walkers, house sitters, housekeepers, babysitters, or even party guests. And the Level Home app allows you to manage and monitor who comes and goes, giving you more control, more possibilities, and more peace of mind.

As for keeping things simple, Level locks take less than 10 minutes to install and require only a screwdriver, nothing to wire or drill. Once installed and synced with the app, your Level Lock can automatically unlock when you approach and lock when you leave. It also satisfies Joyce’s caveat that the low-tech solution remain intact as well – if you prefer, you can still use your key to open the lock the old-fashioned way.

We all shape the look and feel of our home around what matters to us the most, and creating a connected home is no exception. Smart design should fit seamlessly into your home. It should make your life easier. It should be simple, useful, and improve your every day.