Smart Home | The Best Way to Control Your Lights with Google Home

So you’ve been thinking about controlling your lights with your Google Home but your not sure where to start? We researched and tested the top home automation brands for light control and came up with the best solution for plug and play lighting automation.

You probably don’t know the details when it comes to home automation and you probably don’t want to spend thousands of dollars setting it up. Well, luckily for you, you don’t have to be a super rich rocket scientist to control your lights with your phone or with your voice. You also don’t have to buy weird bulky wall controllers and funny looking light bulbs. Keep reading to find out the brands we researched and tested, as well as the brand we ultimately purchased and installed in our home to control our lights with our Google Home.

Controlling our lights with the Google Home has been on my mind for some time and what better time to get it done than during our renovation. We were already replacing all of our light switches, outlets and cover plates so they matched. The previous homeowners must have been very eclectic as we found about 5 different colored switches, outlets and cover plates installed around the house. What goes on in the minds of our previous homeowners? The world may never know.

Now its time to actually purchase some smart lights. Time to research.

Philips Hue. I did look into Phillips Hue, but was not really wanting to buy light bulbs. I did not need my new calacatta marble counters to be adorned by color changing lights. I’m just not into it. You do have to purchase a $60 Philips Hue bridge to operate the lights and a lot of the times the lights don’t come with the bridge. Another thing to take into consideration with this is, if you have recessed LED lights or any light bulbs that cant be changed out (as we do have now in the kitchen), you will have one brand app for Philips Hue and another brand app for your switches to control those lights. You can sync all of your brands to your Google Home app, Smart Things, Amazon Alexa, etc. but to control the main settings or to configure more complicated settings, you will be utilizing the brands app. I do think the concept is pretty cool and looks to be super easy to install, I just like to minimize my apps and brands I work with. Of course it is impossible to have one app with everything, I just try to be conscious of it.

If there was a specific scenario where I had no other choice, like no switch, or if I was into setting up color changing moods, I would go with Philips Hue.

SmartThings. Samsung SmartThings seems to be pretty popular and widely used among many brands. With SmartThings you do have to buy a $70 hub, which isn’t really a huge deal. Philips Hue works with it, as well as GE Z-Wave smart switches to name a couple brands. And when I say GE Z-Wave has a switch for everything, I mean EVERYTHING. A huge plus was GE not only had switches for fan control, they had outdoor plugs!

I strongly considered going with SmartThings because of the seemingly endless amount of options that work with this brand. It all sounded too good to be true so I looked into it further. I pretended I purchased this system and went to install the app. Lets just say there was no shortage of bad reviews. As I read through the top reviews in the Google Play store, my hopes and dreams of Samsung SmartThings home automation were crashing and burning. I kept this option open, considering the possibility that most home automation reviews may be less than stellar, but this was a huge turn off. The last thing I need is another device I have to reset, reboot, uninstall, reinstall or ultimately throw into the lake out of frustration.

There is no doubt that Samsung SmartThings provides one of the best home automation solutions out there, but for my scenario of just needing light control, this wasn’t looking like the best option.

Leviton Decora Smart. Leviton makes switches and outlets but they are definitely not pioneers in home automation. The Leviton Decora Smart switches claim to work over Wifi and claim to not need a hub to operate. This brand was probably the easiest sounding scenario to go with. Just install the switch, connect the switch to the app over WiFi, connect the app to Google Home and BAM! You have a smart switch! The Leviton app had horrible reviews, even worse than SmartThings. But, the price was low and the seemingly easy set up was a plus. In comparison to the Lutron Casseta switches, they cost less and claim to offer the same functionality, without purchasing a hub.

So, I went for it. I bought a couple Leviton Decora Smart dimmer switches on Amazon to install in the kitchen. The package finally arrived and my husband began to install the first switch in the breakfast nook. He finished the installation and I began to try and connect the light to the Leviton app. Our excitement quickly turned into W T F. It was not going well. The instructions were followed exactly and I just could not get passed a certain point on the app. I searched the web. Nothing. I read forums. No solution. As much as I knew there had to be a solution, maybe if I called (please no), this was already enough for me to say, NO THANKS. This was supposed to be easy, plug and play lighting automation.

The next morning I had a stroke of genius and thought, let me try this on my old Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and see what happens. I just had a feeling. I dug up my old phone, turned it on and installed the Leviton app. Went through the same process as the day prior. Lo and behold, it works. The app connects and I can control the light. As impressed as I was with myself, considering my husband is an engineer and he couldn’t figure it out, I was still not so impressed with the scenario. It appeared to be an OS issue with the latest Android update. Who wants to wait for Leviton to catch up and provide us with an update so we can use their product. I also noticed that when controlling the light with Google Home, the light would not dim to it’s lowest setting which was also irritating. Livable but irritating.

Ultimately, and unfortunately, we were less than impressed with the Leviton Decora Smart switches. I foresaw a future of connectivity and functionality issues and returned the product.

Sorry Leviton! We have the regular Decora rocker switches and love them!

Lutron Caseta. After deciding to return the Leviton Decora Smart switches, I took a trip to Home Depot to purchase the Lutron Caseta switch to test this brand out. As I was shopping for switches Lutron was always in the back of my mind. I didn’t purchase this brand at first because the cost was greater and if Leviton worked, why pay more? Lutron Caseta Wireless switches do require an $80 smart bridge to operate and each switch costs about $10 or so more than the Leviton Decora Smart switches. Having to purchase and connect your automated lights to a bridge may not necessarily be a con. The bridge will provide seamless connectivity, whereas a product that connects directly to WiFi will more frequently experience connectivity issues.

My husband completed the installation of the Lutron Caseta switch and now, the moment of truth. I plugged the Lutron Caseta bridge into our modem, installed the app and began setting up the light. And what do you know, it WORKED. I then synced the Lutron app with Google Home and it connected seamlessly. This is exactly what I was looking for. Seamless plug and play integration with Google Home. Zero headaches. The extra expense for the Lutron Caseta smart switches have been more than worth it. We’ve been using these switches for a few months now with zero issues. We love them and are happy with our decision.

To sum it up, if you are looking for a simple solution to control your lights with Google Home, Lutron Caseta Wireless switches will not disappoint you.

The app is easy to use and provides great tools to control your lighting from scenes to schedules, the smart switches connect seamlessly to the Lutron app upon set-up and the Lutron app works perfectly with Google Home.

Thank you for reading! I welcome any questions, comments and suggestions. Please post them below!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE by clicking SIGN-UP on the right or bottom of this page to have our latest DIY and design inspiration delivered straight to your inbox!

Follow us!

Flooring Renovation | 4 Reasons Luxury Vinyl Plank is the Best on a Budget – Plus Our Favorites!

If you are looking to purchase budget friendly Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring for your next flooring project, you are probably noticing that the color selection is pretty grim in comparison to the options available in laminate flooring. This is true especially if you are trying to stay around $3.00 per square foot for materials. We looked at A LOT of Luxury Vinyl Plank samples. What felt like an impossible task at the time, we finally found the best color choices for the best price. Scroll down to see the 4 reasons why we picked Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring and what we ultimately picked for our home renovation!

The Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring hunt begins! I had no idea it was going to be this time consuming. I figured we will go to one store, maybe two, pick our floor and that would be it. NOPE. I couldn’t find the right color.

Another challenge was sticking to our budget. Renovating our floors was a last minute decision, so I really had to work hard to find the best looking product for the least amount of money. I did immediately find a few Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring colors that were a perfect fit style wise, but at $5 or more a square foot. Saving just $1 a square foot was roughly $1,500 in savings for our home total, so that price point just wasn’t going to cut it. The hunt continues.

Our cat, Jasmine, picked her favorite brand. Did she pick the winner? Find out below!

The 4 Reasons Why Luxury Vinyl Plank is the Best Flooring on a Budget:

1. It’s Waterproof

We live in South Florida. There is a lot of humidity, a lot of rain and a lot of moisture happening. We also have pets that like to ruin things. Our cat splashes her water on the floor a few times a day. Once in a while our dog decides to pee on the floor. My husband spills things. I spill things. I am sure our future children will spill things as well as pee on the floor. We definitely needed something more waterproof than laminate flooring. I have heard (and seen) horror stories of water being left on a laminate floor for too long. You’ll be stuck with ugly, bubbly spots on your floors until you repair it.

2. It’s DIY Friendly

Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring is very easy to install. This flooring was manufactured with the DIYer in mind. You do not have to have expensive tools either. Although we used an electric saw, Luxury Vinyl Plank can be cut with a razor blade. Luxury vinyl plank can be installed quickly, easily and without enormous amounts of skill. Although waterproof, laying down tile is not a job for an inexperienced DIYer.

3. It’s Budget Friendly

If you are on a budget like we are, Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring, laminate flooring and carpet are great options. Laminate flooring did have more color selection in our budget, but I had to stick with waterproof. Carpet is too difficult to keep clean in high traffic areas and it is a poor design choice anywhere outside of a closed off room like a bedroom or a den. Tile can be budget friendly, but you’ll usually end up with a not so great looking design and you will most likely have to hire someone to install it. The last thing you want to do is pay for a budget friendly tile installation.

4. It’s Not Tile

Ok maybe this isn’t a real reason, but it gets personal. I used to love tile because tile is sturdy and lasts forever. What doesn’t last forever? The attractiveness of pink toned 12 x 12 inch tiles with 1/4 inch dark brown grout lines that have been painted beige. What does last forever? The thousands of dollars less you will have in your bank account after paying to remove it. Yes, I may have a personal vendetta towards tile. I had to not only live with ugly, outdated, cracking, loose tile, I also had to live through tile removal. Spare the next generation of homeowners terrible stress and endless amounts of dust. Pick a floor that is easier to remove!

Last but not least, having no grout lines is big a plus.

Now that you know why we chose Luxury Vinyl Plank as our flooring material, check out our list below of the best Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring if you are on a budget.

Our Favorite Luxury Vinyl Plank Choices on a Budget:

1. NuCore in Gray Blonde Plank – Floor and Decor – $2.79 / SF

If you are looking for a warm gray toned Luxury Vinyl Plank in a lighter wood finish, this is the best choice on a budget. You can’t beat the price and the color compliments any style. There is also a nice wood-like texture on the surface. In the photo below, you can see it compared to the Nuvelle Oak Sauvignon (#2). Don’t let the pictures of the NuCore in Gray Blonde Plank fool you, as you can see this floor has a stronger gray tone to it than portrayed on the Floor and Decor website. This was our third runner up.

2. Nuvelle Density HD in Oak Sauvignon – $3.05 / SF

If you are looking for a warmer toned light oak finish, then this Luxury Vinyl Plank is a great choice on a budget. The Nuvelle in Oak Sauvignon Luxury Vinyl Plank has a bevel for a more expensive, real-wood look. This floor looks VERY real and is super soft on the feet. It has a nice texture, but more subtle than the NuCore in Gray Blonde Plank (#1). This was our second runner up. Cat approved!

3. Nuvelle Density HD in Oak Navajo – $3.05 / SF

Last but not least, this is the Luxury Vinyl Plank floor finish we picked. The Nuvelle in Oak Navajo is a subtle light oak finish with less of an orange tone than the Oak Sauvignon (#2). We purchased a box of each of these finishes to make our final decision. They are so similar that we were able to mix in the sample box of Oak Sauvignon during installation. We are very happy with our selection and so is Jasmine!

*I did not get paid from any of these brands. This is my real opinion after my own research. 

Thank you for reading! I welcome any questions, comments and suggestions. Please post them below!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE by clicking SIGN-UP on the right or bottom of this page to have our latest DIY and design inspiration delivered straight to your inbox!

Follow us!

Kitchen Renovation | Kitchen Design Selections – White, Calacatta and Brass!

Today I am going to share our kitchen design selections! It was important to me to design a kitchen that we would love for many years and add value to our home for re-sale in the future. The process has been long, but taking the time to get it as right as possible has been worth it and I’m glad I did.

Scroll down to see our full list of kitchen design selections and where we purchased them!

After years of countless DIY projects there have been countless DIY mistakes! I have learned a great deal from designing and doing over the years that I finally felt ready to incur the expense of renovating our kitchen. A brand new kitchen is definitely not cheap and knowing myself, I like things to be right. Especially expensive things!

The late 1980’s kitchen we had been living with wasn’t so bad. We painted the wood cabinets, added a range hood, changed the hardware and tiled the backsplash. Our kitchen looked “OK” but behind the paint, it wasn’t very functional and was falling apart. The saying “putting lipstick on a pig” definitely applies here. Painting kitchen cabinets and adding new hardware doesn’t fix the sagging drawers, the lack of storage space, the broken shelves, the drawers that barely pulled out half way… I could go on!

One of the diy mistakes I feel I made when we gave our original kitchen a face-lift was the backsplash. I just loved the dark multicolored carnival glass looking backsplash. It wasn’t very popular, but I didn’t care. As time went on, though, I started to get sick of it. Not only that, but that tile would most likely not be as attractive to potential buyers in the future. That was one lesson learned.

Having to re-do a kitchen backsplash would be a lot more difficult than, for example, changing out a flower vase, a cookie jar or even the cabinet pulls. So, this time around, I chose to keep my design choices as classic as possible. I used my kitchen backsplash lesson as a reminder throughout the entire design process:

Keep it neutral, clean and classic.

Time to share our design selections for this kitchen renovation as well as our favorites:

1. Kitchen Cabinets: White Shaker – J&K Cabinetry

We chose the contemporary style white shaker cabinet door fronts. Our kitchen is on the smaller side and white really opens up the room. We also learned that white cabinets are the most popular so it works great for future potential home buyers!

2. Kitchen Counters: Calacatta Verona Quartz – MSI Stone

At first I was going to go with a more subtle quartz marble look, then I changed my mind to plain white, then at the last minute I chose to go with this beautiful quartz marble look counters. I was afraid to make too big of a statement with the counters as I felt this could go against my “keep it neutral” rule, but I am very happy with our decision.

3. Kitchen Backsplash: White Ceramic Subway Tile – Lowe’s, American Olean

Since we ultimately decided on the quartz marble look counters, I went with a classic white subway backsplash. There were some beautiful marble backsplashes I was considering, but it didn’t feel right with the counter selection

4. Kitchen Cabinet Hardware: Bar Series Brushed Brass – Lew’s Hardware

I love the look of satin brass right now. Keyword: right now. I went with it and I LOVE IT. I do worry that this brass hardware fad, call it what you will, will go out of style. I decided it was OK if it did because the brass cabinet hardware can be easily changed out. I made sure to stick with a product that was compatible with standard cabinet hardware holes.

5. Kitchen Faucet: Trinsic Champagne Bronze – Amazon, Delta

I decided to go with a brass kitchen faucet as well. I wanted to bring the brass finish to the bar side of the kitchen and this was the perfect way to do that. The faucet can be easily changed out in the future if desired too!

6. Kitchen Cabinet Molding

We chose to go with a more traditional crown molding and light rail on our kitchen cabinets. As much as I love the modern look, our homes architecture doesn’t call for it. I wanted to make sure we incorporated a transitional kitchen design that was well incorporated and didn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

7. Range Hood

As functional as an over the range microwave is, especially for a smaller kitchen like ours, that would probably be the most practical choice. Sometimes the design trumps practical. So, I chose to have a built in range hood and I stuck the microwave in the pantry.

That concludes our kitchen design process. I hope the selections we’ve shared with you on this post can help with your design selections during your full kitchen renovation or your kitchen makeover! I welcome any questions, comments and suggestions. Please post them below!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE by clicking SIGN-UP on the right or bottom of this page to have our DIY inspiration delivered straight to your inbox!

Follow us!