Welcome to a tour of my digital command center! For years, I've been running and refining my smart home using Home Assistant, the powerful open-source home automation platform. It’s the brain that connects all my smart devices, running quietly in the background and making my life more convenient, secure, and efficient. In this post, I’ll break down how I've set it up, the key integrations I use, and some of my favourite automations that tie everything together.

The Foundation: Proxmox and HAOS

Every great system needs a solid foundation. Mine is built on Proxmox, a powerful and flexible virtualisation environment. Instead of using a dedicated piece of hardware like a Raspberry Pi, I run Home Assistant Operating System (HAOS) inside a virtual machine (VM). To make this dead simple, I used a community script that handles the entire HAOS VM creation process. This setup has been incredibly stable for years, giving me the power and reliability I need to run my entire home without worry.

Core Integrations: The Building Blocks

A Home Assistant setup is only as good as its integrations. Over the years, I've connected dozens of services and devices. While the full list is extensive, a few key players form the backbone of my smart home:

  • HomeKit & Aqara: I use an Aqara hub connected via the HomeKit integration. This brings in a huge number of sensors, including door/window sensors and motion sensors. These are the eyes and ears of my home, triggering everything from lights to security alerts.
  • Alarmo: This fantastic integration works with my Aqara sensors to create a flexible and effective DIY security system. It handles arming/disarming states and notifications, giving me peace of mind.
  • Google Cast & Music Assistant: This is a big one for me. I use the Google Cast integration to control my speakers and Chromecasts. Paired with Music Assistant, I can play my personal Icecast streams throughout the house, creating a seamless multi-room audio experience.
  • Daikin, Tuya, & IKEA: These integrations allow me to control a wide range of devices, from my air conditioning unit to various smart plugs and lights, bringing them all under one unified system.
  • UniFi Network: This gives me detailed information about my network and the devices connected to it, which is perfect for advanced presence detection.

Smart Automations: Making Life Easier

Integrations are the building blocks, but automations are where the magic happens. Here are some of the routines I rely on every single day.

My Morning Routine

My day starts gently an hour before my phone alarm is set to go off. Home Assistant kicks things off by turning on the heating to warm up the house. An hour later, my phone alarm goes off (a great backup in case HA is ever down). At this moment, the automation checks the time: if it's before sunrise, my bedroom lights slowly fade on. If the sun is already up, the blinds open instead. To top it off, music starts playing softly in the bedroom to help me wake up.

Bedtime Routine

Winding down for the night is just as smooth. My bedtime routine is triggered when I plug my phone in to charge for the night. This action tells Home Assistant to dim the lights and lower the music volume for a five-minute grace period. After those five minutes are up, it turns all the lights and music off completely, letting me drift off to sleep.

Welcome Home & Goodbye

Using my phone's GPS, Home Assistant knows when I'm approaching or leaving home. If I arrive after sunset, the downstairs lights turn on, the alarm disarms, and music starts playing before I even walk through the door. When I leave, the reverse happens: all lights and music turn off, and the alarm arms itself automatically.

Climate & Comfort

I also have several automations designed for simple comfort. My Daikin air conditioning unit is automated to turn on if the indoor temperature gets too high, checking every 10 minutes and turning itself off once the room has cooled down. On very sunny days, an automation lowers the blinds halfway to prevent the sun from fading the furniture and to help keep the house cool. Finally, when my Chromecast with Google TV starts playing content, a light strip behind the TV automatically turns on, creating a nice bias lighting effect.

Future Improvements: Streamlining My Setup

Even with a robust system, there's always room for improvement! My next major upgrade involves purchasing the Home Assistant Connect ZBT-1. This Zigbee and Thread border router will be a game-changer, allowing me to consolidate several of my current hubs. Specifically, I'll be able to move my Hive heating, all my Aqara devices, and my IKEA TRÅDFRI lights directly onto Home Assistant, eliminating the need for their dedicated hubs. This will reduce complexity, improve responsiveness, and further centralise control within Home Assistant.

What are your thoughts on my Home Assistant setup, or do you have any clever automations you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments below!