Smart Home Trends for 2023

What’s smart, hot and ready to flourish in 2023? 

Well, besides you, it’s your smart home. We’ve searched high and low to find the latest smart home trends that’ll brighten your new year.

Even in times of uncertainty, one thing remains constant. Trends in smart home technology aren’t just trends. Per Fortune Business Insights, the smart home market should reach about $380 billion by 2028.

In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has boosted smart home tech adoption (a bit of a silver lining, we suppose). After all, when you stay home more often, you lean on that home for comfort, entertainment and convenience. Once you’re accustomed to it, you’re not ready to let it go!

But we digress. The point is that smart tech trends may be trends at first, but they’ll only continue to evolve! Let’s check out three major smart home trends to watch in 2023.

[Related: A Guide to Room-by-Room Automation for Your Home]

Smart Security, Surveillance and Monitoring

It’s no surprise that we want to feel safe inside (and outside) our homes. Fortunately, smart tech can allay some concerns with home surveillance systems.

Among smart home trends, monitoring and surveillance aren’t especially new — they’ve been growing steadily since at least 2020. And don’t expect that growth to stop anytime soon.

A significant part of this beloved smart home feature is the ease with which you can view rooms, switch angles and more. Whether you’re at the office, in the car or on a stroll, you can access smart home surveillance systems from your devices. That simply makes sense as a worthwhile investment.

But the perks of smart home surveillance and security don’t end there. 

Modern smart surveillance systems are discreet but clearly present. In other words, would-be burglars see cameras are there, but you don’t have to stare at bulky boxes. Today’s smart security systems marry design and function — all while you get greater peace of mind.

So, where do you start? 

You have an array of gadgets you can connect, or you can go for completion with a full smart home surveillance system. An audiovisual (AV) installation company will take care of the latter and offer 24/7 tech support.

Digital Trends: Smart Home Devices to Explore

The most important home surveillance devices are clearly cameras. Ideally, opt for a set of wireless smart cameras that you place strategically around your property and inside your home. 

These smart cameras communicate via networking, and you can control them from your phone or a wall-mounted touchscreen.

With most modern smart surveillance cameras, you can view real-time feeds as well as watch prerecorded footage. You essentially use your smartphone or touchscreen as a remote control.

Beyond cameras, you can use many other Internet of Things (IoT) devices that alert you to potential risks, like movement, open doors and windows, smoke and carbon monoxide. Here are a few more devices you can find (and connect) to try surveillance trends in smart home technology:

• Smart locks
• Smart doorbells
• Smart motion sensors
• Smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

Pro tip: Smart surveillance systems are fantastic for personal and home security, but they can be even more valuable. If a loved one is aging in place or has an illness, or if you have young children, smart devices help you monitor them in case of emergency. Calling for help takes one click or voice command.

Of course, get their permission first if they’re an adult.

[Related: 5 Considerations for Installing an Effective Home Surveillance System]

Smart Lighting

Now, this one may come as a surprise. 

Smart lighting control systems and devices are getting increasingly seamless, touchless and sophisticated. They’re also increasingly affordable and simple to operate — undoubtedly a main reason they’re one of 2023’s top smart home trends.

In fact, you might not think about your home’s lighting all that often — until the electricity bill comes in. That’s where smart lighting does double duty. You get cost savings (at least $240 annually with smart light bulbs alone) as well as ultra-pleasing ambience. 

Considering your wealth of choices and benefits, it’s ultimately no wonder that lighting systems are smart home future trends. After all, the wave of change brings beauty, energy efficiency and functionality. 

But that’s enough waxing poetic. What’s the nitty-gritty?

In essence, any light you currently have can be smart lighting, and smart lighting devices connect as IoT tech. You save money, have thousands of interior design looks and exercise greater control over your home’s safety.

At its most basic, smart lighting usually involves IoT LED devices. These can be in single color-changing light bulbs, woven into walls, used as hidden window and cabinet lighting and … well, it’s a long list. From smart light bulbs to motorized window treatments, you’ve got miles of flexibility.

Maybe you want to turn off your bedside lamp with a voice command via a smart speaker. Or perhaps you’d like to illuminate your front door with an app before arriving home after dark. Like other IoT devices, your smartphone, touchscreens and smart speakers do the work. 

We’ll use a comparison. You know how you can set your smartphone screen to brighten or dim according to the ambient light? Think about that — but having that ability throughout your home.

Digital Trends: Smart Home Devices to Explore

Like we mentioned, this could be quite the list. With that in mind, we’ll stick with the most immediately accessible smart home tech trends in lighting. 

Here are just a few options beyond smart light bulbs that you can check out in 2023:

• Smart floodlights
• Smart light switches, strips and plugs
• Smart wall sconces, mounts and frames
• Smart motorized window treatments

Pro tip: As you add devices and systems, you can gradually expand your smart home — and make it more valuable and efficient along the way. You might want to start on your own, then enlist an AV installation company.

[Related: 8 Ways Climate Control Improves Your Home]

Smart Kitchens

Now, this is the biggie for 2023. 

Surveillance and lighting are seriously popular smart home future trends, and their growth is steady. But heading into upcoming years, smart kitchens are where your options truly explode. 

And the proof’s in the pudding. Analysts expect the smart kitchen appliance market to reach $47 million by 2028 — nearly quadruple what it was in 2020.

A definite contributing factor is affordability. What once cost a fortune is now reasonable, even if you go for only one smart appliance. As IoT devices become commonplace, it makes sense that they’d work their way into our practical daily needs, like storing and preparing food.

On that note, we’ve spotted a much-welcome push toward eco-friendliness in these smart home trends, although that tends to apply to all smart systems and devices. However, smart kitchens take the cake (as it were) in terms of eco-friendly tech. 

Let’s examine a standard smart appliance: the smart refrigerator. All models — and there are scads of them — save you money while helping the planet. How so? 

For starters, they use less electricity and water, reduce waste (for example, fewer spoiled foods and impulse buys) and incorporate smart lighting. Plus, most are whisper-quiet — there’s not even noise pollution. 

Building on the same concepts, smart ovens use less energy and automatically shut off when needed. You can control one via app, touchscreen or often voice assistant (preheating before you get home, anyone?).

Systems like smart range hoods and vents disperse or recycle heat, moisture and pollutants. As a result, your climate control system has less work to do. 

Once again, your utility bills get less expensive. You can even monitor your appliances’ energy use via apps, so you’ll know when you need or want to tweak settings. 

Digital Trends: Smart Home Devices to Explore

Similar to smart lighting, if you have a kitchen appliance, you can practically always find a smart version of it. Then, you can connect each appliance to a smart hub for full control in one place. And there it is — you save time, money and strain.

Whether you start small or go big, here are some neat devices you’ll see as smart home tech trends in the kitchen:

• Smart faucets
• Smart pressure cookers
• Smart microwaves
• Smart coffee pots

Pro tip: Speak with an AV consultant to set up a central smart home hub. You can access and control not only your kitchen tech but also your entire smart home via one touchscreen panel. That simplicity extends to smartphone apps and smart speakers, too.

[Related: 8 Restaurant Tech Trends on the Rise]

Find Your Favorite Smart Home Trends With AV Smart Solutions

We’ll circle back to our original point real quick. These are smart home trends to watch in the next year, but we’re guessing the tech will stick around for decades.

Think about this for a moment. Pretty much every TV you see is a smart TV. When you use interactive digital signage to order food, you’re using smart tech. 

Nearly everywhere you go, you’ll have Wi-Fi access. Hotels, restaurants and offices adopt new smart systems every year.

What’s all over the place now was too pricey or difficult to find five years ago. People are growing comfortable with affordable, eco-friendly smart technology that simplifies their lives. And we don’t think folks are ready to ditch the convenience of smart tech any time soon. 

When you’re ready to explore trends in smart home technology, contact AV Smart Solutions. We’d love to help you craft the smart home of your dreams! 

Please give us a call at (425) 655-5052 or fill out our inquiry form — one of our AV specialists will be in touch. 

Oh, and here’s to a wonderful new year!

Featured image via Pixabay