Smoke and ash from fires create health hazards that can be managed indoors with smart control … [+]
Are you an early adopter? Or are you someone who buys the latest gadgets when they hit the market? Maybe, like me, you follow technology eagerly, but wait for things to become tried and true before investing in them for your home. There is value in all three approaches. For those planning to add features to their homes this year, these are the smart home innovations that professionals in the design and technology sectors predict will be especially notable for 2025.
I reached out to these leaders in December for their insights on what they see coming this year. This is the last of a four-part series covering their AI and smart home predictions for 2025. The first part looked at future AI-powered trends and was published in the run-up to Christmas 2024. The second part, published on New Year’s Eve, looked at AI-Powered Innovations. The third article in the series looked at smart home technology trends that may emerge in 2025 that are not primarily driven by artificial intelligence. This final article in the series looks at smart home technology innovations that aren’t primarily powered by AI.
Smart control
Sara Gutterman, CEO of Green Builder Media, publisher of Green Builder magazine and owner of Cognition Smart Data, sees control technology as the innovation to watch in 2025. “This systems control panel is similar to a central hub, but in addition to allowing a homeowner to turn smart devices on and off, it enables full monitoring of energy, water, and indoor air quality systems so that the homeowner can assess total home performance, saving money, optimizing the use of resources and maintaining good indoor air quality.”
The air quality component is especially valuable for western residents, as smoke and ash from Los Angeles area wildfires will be carried across Southern California by wind currents. This is a phenomenon we have seen in previous large fire events. Given the urban environment of these fires, pollutants are more dangerous than if they were simply tree and plant based. Being able to detect their presence and filter them out will be crucial to the health and safety of affected areas.
Khoi Vo, CEO of the American Society of Interior Designers, also sees these systems as a top innovation of 2025. “The evolution of fully integrated smart home ecosystems is redefining convenience, efficiency and security for homeowners. Centralized hubs — powered by systems like Google Home and Amazon Alexa — bring together lighting, climate controls, security and voice automation, enabling homeowners to manage their spaces remotely through mobile apps. Innovations such as smart plugs and scalable modular systems ensure flexibility for future upgrades, offering homeowners advanced control over their living environments. These innovations represent a new era of connected living, offering energy savings, increased security and unparalleled convenience,” he comments.
Smart Lighting and Shading
Josh Christian, CEO of the Home Technology Association, sees smart lighting as the best innovation of the year, especially adjustable lighting that can adapt to occupants’ moods and preferences: “From warm, cozy shades for relaxing evenings to bright and energetic daytime tones for focused tasks, adjustable brightness adjusts seamlessly throughout the day,” he says.
Dimmable lighting also offers circular benefits, as he notes: “With the ability to mimic natural light patterns, it supports well-being by improving sleep cycles and improving overall comfort. Perfect for creating the ideal ambience, dimmable lighting combines functionality and aesthetics for a truly personalized lighting experience.” A leader in this technology is Ketra, he shares.
Rachel Hodgdon, president and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute, is seeing this technology as a top innovation of 2025. “Programmable dynamic lighting and automated shades may come at a cost, but a consistent night’s sleep is priceless,” she notes. “Combined with smart home technology, homeowners can set their scenes for different times of the day, with cool, bright light to energize in the morning and warmer, dimmer lighting during at night to prepare the body for sleep.”
There are many ways to get these benefits without renewal. Home centers sell smart bulbs that you can program or adjust from your phone, or you can install new smart lighting fixtures. If you’re building or remodeling, you can install a whole new smart lighting system. It is beneficial for everyone else to have simpler and more affordable options.
Window coverings are a bit more involved, (as I have found in my research at home). “Blackout shades that block outside light sources and the morning sun are a critical component of an optimal sleep environment,” Hodgdon states. “But as soon as you wake up, you want that dose of sunshine. Automated shades save you from having to get out of bed and can serve as a gentle alarm clock when programmed for your wake-up time,” she adds. In common areas with direct sunlight, roller shades can also be programmed to close at peak times to reduce glare and UV damage to your furniture, art and rugs. (That’s what I’m looking for for my house.)
Smart furniture
This category might not be on your radar yet, but Mark Bryan, senior foresight manager with the Future Today Institute, a corporate advisory firm, names smart furniture as his top innovation of 2025. If you’ve done any furniture shopping in the past year, you may have seen (or bought) end tables, lamps or stands with built-in charging ports. These have become especially popular in hotels, but you can have them at home now too.
The technology Bryan mentions has even more cleverness. By 2025, he predicts, “Furniture will go beyond function.” It is becoming an integral part of the smart home ecosystem through integrated sensors and advanced materials, he explains, adding that everyday parts such as coffee tables, chairs and walls are being transformed into interactive devices. “Moving into 2025, we’ll be able to turn on the TV or adjust the air conditioning simply by touching a touch-sensitive surface printed right on your coffee table.” (You can now operate lights, some countertop appliances, and charge your phone by touching smart ceilings.)
Water Management
Bill Darcy, global president and CEO of the National Kitchen and Bath Association, sees smart water management becoming mainstream this year. “From catching leaks early to minimizing water use, it’s an innovation that feels as responsible as it is practical,” he declares. Leak detection is clearly a growth area, with major insurers such as Farmers, Allstate, USAA and others beginning to offer discounts on connected devices.
ASID’s Vo also cited this technology in his embedded systems forecast as the top innovation of 2025. “Moen has the technology to detect water leaks within the walls of your home that will enable homeowners to act before the issue becomes catastrophic,” he comments.
Energy Conservation
Amanda Pendleton, real estate platform Zillow’s home trends expert, sees whole-home batteries as the top smart home innovation for 2025. With thousands of utility customers suffering shutdowns due to wildfires, this technology is likely to remain strong throughout the year and beyond. (I’m shopping for a system for my home in my San Diego area; my neighborhood hasn’t experienced a shutdown yet, but I’m anticipating that we will, and I’d rather not lose all power for work or life if or when it does .)
“We’re already starting to see a rapid escalation in homeowner adoption and homebuyer demand for whole-home batteries,” reports Pendleton. In 2024, she says, this backup power source that stores solar energy appeared 62% more often in homes for sale on Zillow — “the largest increase of any feature we analyzed!” she adds.
“Whole-home batteries have become a critical component of a home energy management system, which is all controlled through a smartphone app. As these systems become more intelligent, they will be able to automatically control and optimize energy consumption, creating homes that are more comfortable, sustainable and affordable,” predicts Pendleton.
Safety
Savor Partnership CEO Leslie Carothers is a digital marketing consultant who frequently speaks at industry conferences on smart home and artificial intelligence trends. Its flagship smart home innovation for the new year boosts home security. (Her top smart lock trend was also security-related.) The innovation she sees really taking off is the Ring Always Home camera drone. Carothers describes it this way: “[It] lets you set up to 50 flight paths around your home so you can check in and see what’s happening in any area of your home when you’re away. If the motion sensors are activated, you are notified and can immediately fly the drone to that area of the house.”
The consultant has a few caveats for potential owners. First, she says, it can’t be moved between floors, so if you have a two-story home, basement or multi-story home, you’ll need separate equipment to monitor each floor. Plus, she reveals, “it’s a little noisy, so pets may have a hard time adjusting to the noise.”
conclusions
My fellow Baby Boomers may remember the early 1960s TV series The Jetsons. The animated show envisioned the smart bathrooms, smartphones, robots, video dating, smart homes and gadgets that millions of people now enjoy. Could flying cars be far behind? Perhaps self-driving car enthusiasts will embrace them; they can be a help to older adults who have problems with poor vision, slowed reflexes or night driving. For me, I’m not so sure. For now I will stay on the ground.
