X

We put automated lights in the CNET Smart Home kid's room for smoother bed times

Handling the bed time and sleep schedules of young kids can be really rough. We install a system of smart lights in the kid's room at the CNET Smart Home to help the process along.

bb-ces
bb-ces
Brian Bennett
smarthousekidsroomphotos-1.jpg
1 of 9 Chris Monroe/CNET

Enter the CNET Smart Home kid's room

We set up a model kid's room at the CNET Smart Home complete with cute furniture and decorations. What it really needs though is a system of smart lighting.

smarthousekidsroomphotos-12.jpg
2 of 9 Chris Monroe/CNET

Control every light

I was able to find and control every light in the room under the SmartThings mobile app.

smarthousekidsroomphotos-6.jpg
3 of 9 Chris Monroe/CNET

Smarts on the ceiling

Placing a smart bulb in the room's chandelier also brought it into the SmartThings universe of connected devices.

smarthousekidsroomphotos-3.jpg
4 of 9 Chris Monroe/CNET

Even the reading lamp can be smart

I also added a Philips Hue bulb to the reading lamp clamped to the bookshelf.

smarthousekidsroomphotos-2.jpg
5 of 9 Chris Monroe/CNET

Use a door sensor

The primary trigger for automated lighting actions is a door sensor mounted to the room's inside door frame.

smarthousekidsroomphotos-10.jpg
6 of 9 Chris Monroe/CNET

As the door opens

The SmartThings app knows the instant the bedroom door opens.

smarthousekidsroomphotos-9.jpg
7 of 9 Chris Monroe/CNET

When the door closes

When the app detects the door closes, the system will turn off lights outside and inside the room except for the night light.

smarthousekidsroomphotos-11.jpg
8 of 9 Chris Monroe/CNET

All lights can be night lights

With smart color-changing bulbs, all lights in the room can act as night lights.

smarthousekidsroomphotos-13.jpg
9 of 9 Chris Monroe/CNET

An inviting night time potty

A smart light above the toilet automatically turns on at night when the door opens.

More Galleries

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone

18 Photos
Take a Look at Apple's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: New Colors, Prices and More
iphone 15 in different color from an angled view

Take a Look at Apple's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: New Colors, Prices and More

19 Photos
I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips
Rahul Manepalli, right, Intel's module engineering leader, shows a glass substrate panel before it's sliced into the small rectangles that will be bonded to the undersides of hundreds of test processors. The technology, shown here at Intel's CH8 facility in Chandler, Arizona, stands to improve performance and power consumption of advanced processors arriving later this decade. Glass substrates should permit physically larger processors comprised of several small "chiplets" for AI and data center work, but Intel expects they'll trickle down to PCs, too.

I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips

20 Photos
Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe
andromeda

Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe

16 Photos
Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action
A photo of a silhouette of buildings on the water taken on the iPhone 15

Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action

12 Photos
Take a Closer Look at the iOS Settings You Should Change Right Now
A smart man holding an iPhone 14 Pro Max

Take a Closer Look at the iOS Settings You Should Change Right Now

10 Photos
Disney Treasure Cruise Ship: Bookings Now Open for $9K+ Maiden Voyage
disney-treasure-tomorrow-tower-suite-3

Disney Treasure Cruise Ship: Bookings Now Open for $9K+ Maiden Voyage

16 Photos