This Smart Home Bungalow uses ADI | Snap One Technology in their showroom turned short-term rental to enhance the guest experience.
Home systems professionals know that few sales tools are more persuasive than a live, working demonstration. While sleek showrooms and curated vignettes help clients envision life in a smart home, nothing compares to the real thing: a fully functioning residence where technology blends seamlessly into daily life. Gordon van Zuiden of Daisy in Los Gatos, California, took this principle to the next level by transforming an entire 1,300-square-foot bungalow into a Control4-powered smart home and listing it on Airbnb.
Unlike traditional showrooms, this home serves as both a showcase home and a guest rental, offering visitors a hands-on experience with everything from voice-activated scenes and motorized shades to whole-house audio, and advanced surveillance.
For many guests, it’s their first time interacting with integrated home automation and it must work intuitively and flawlessly. “Visitors expect a comfortable, enjoyable, and hassle-free stay,” said van Zuiden. “There’s no room for error. That’s why we put the Control4 X4 software platform in charge of nearly every aspect of the home environment. It provides a simple way, no matter the user’s comfort level with technology, to adjust the temperature, music, security settings, and more. This leaves a lasting impression, whether the visitor is coming in for a tour or staying an entire week.”
Since the smart home became available on Airbnb, nearly 100 guests from around the world have stayed in the smart home. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly from those new to home automation. A recent guest described it as “a luxurious user-friendly smart home that features a fully integrated system.”
This kind of feedback is gold for integrators, validating both the ease of use and the system’s day-to-day reliability. It also reinforces Control4’s strength in creating a unified user experience across disparate subsystems.
Voice activation reigns as a guest favorite for a fuss-free mode of control. Saying the phrase “I’m home” raises the shades, turns on lights and music, adjusts climate settings, and activates the backyard fountain. While the phrase “I’m leaving” powers everything down and locks the doors. Equally impressive is a passive energy scene triggered when the indoor temperature hits 78°F. It opens skylights and activates a smart ceiling fan, delaying the need for AC and conserving energy stored in the home’s Sonnen battery.
“These scenes create both a ‘wow’ factor and real energy savings,” said van Zuiden. It’s automation that’s as practical as it is magical.
The home is secured by an advanced suite of Luma Surveillance cameras featuring 2K resolution and built-in AI analytics through Luma Insights. These intelligent systems can accurately detect and differentiate between people, vehicles, non-motorized vehicles, packages, and pets.
With Luma Insights, users can easily view live video, search footage, and replay events directly within the Control4 app – providing instant awareness of activity around the home. For enhanced functionality, the standalone Luma View app offers even more advanced surveillance settings, greater customization options, instant video sharing, and more on their preferred mobile device.
In addition to Control4 and Luma, the home integrates a full suite of ADI | Snap One technologies including Triad speakers for whole-home and media room audio, WattBox IP-controlled outlets for power conditioning and remote reboot, Access Networks routers and Wireless Access Points fully integrated with OvrC remote management system.
Daisy’s smart Airbnb bungalow is both a showroom and a test bed for integrated home automation. The project delivers a rich, intuitive experience for even the most tech-wary users. For integrators, it’s a living case study in how thoughtful system design, robust interoperability, and remote management can transform both the client experience and their business model.
