Renovating my house, home automation choices

[MartijnTenPas 0]

Hi All,

 

First of all, i'm new here :). Little introduction, i'm Martijn 33 years from the Netherlands. Since August last year I have been renovating an old farm from 1934. We are now ready to purchase the home automation ?. But can you contribute to a number of choices? And perhaps advise based on your own experiences?

 

Status

• All electricity has been installed, deep wall boxes and we still have complete freedom everywhere. (Switch wire, phase and neutral are almost everywhere)
• We also want to keep using "normal" switches, but we want to make these mostly smart.

 

System

We want to buy the Fibaro Home Center 3, it is a large house so we want to have some freedom for the future.

 

Considerations

• We have various spots in our living and office. How are we going to switch it?
  • Behind every spotlight a Shelly Dimmer and a normal switch in the wall (with a shelly?)? Turning on/off with the switch, color and brightness adjust via the app?
  • Use smart RGB wifi spots and a regular wall switch with a Shelly 1? Is it possible to make the Shelly 1 smart with a momentary switch? For example 2 clicks in a row is full brightness?
• How about a hotel switch (2 switches top floor (cross and two-way switch) and a two-way switch at the main floor.
• The moral of the story. Where do I apply what exactly? Smart lamps, or a dimmer? Switch, with Shelly or without?

 

Tips

• I want to put up a screen in one central place that I can use to control everything. What do you use and what tips can you give?
• Which thermostat for the central heating do you use in combination with fibaro?
• I would like to combine Spotify with Sonos and Fibaro to be able to control it from 1 place. I've read a lot, but I don't think it's possible, or am I missing something?

 

 

Other tips, I can now adjust everything

[Sjakie 156]

In my house all lights are automated.

HUE and TRadfri.

Switches if required HUE dimm.

With HC3 you can easily create some nice light scenes:

TV off 

TV on

Netflix on

Radio on

etc

In other rooms light scene triggerd by motion and door sensor and a manual dimm switch of HUE.

Some rooms has both IKEA and Hue dimm the HUE operated by HC3 and IKEA independant.

succes,

//Sjakie

 

 

[petergebruers 1,268]

43 minutes ago, MartijnTenPas said:

Smart lamps, or a dimmer?

While "dimmer modules" allow you to re-use existing wiring, lamps and fixtures, there is a downside. Some combinations of dimmers and lamps *flicker*. There are more factors at play eg where do you live and how "clean" is your mains supply. Smart lamps and RGBW modules start by turning that "noisy" AC signal into a steady DC supply. No flicker (well TBH they do PWM at frequencies beyond what we can perceive, unless you are moving. Technically it is not "flicker"). On the other hand, if you have a nice E27 bulb on a dimmer now and are happy with it, it is likely to work (though flicker can still occur with your new dimmer module...) and you'll have an opportunity to install a local control (buttons + module or 

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). I understand your inclined to re-use the existing switches (for architectural reasons) and that is possible but I would recommend you to buy one and find out if you like that kind of control (I bet it is going to be toggle switches...). I replaced most of my existing switches with *double momentary switches*. S1 used for dimming, S2 used to start a scene (eg to control a light)

 

Smart bulbs (either Z-Wave or Zigbee) on existing on-off switches - that is possible, but imho it is not recommended for several reasons. The first I can think of, if you power of the lamp, you cannot turn it on (unless you have switchbot - LOL). Second issue is that mains devices ac as *repeaters* and you may make some devices (very) unhappy if you turn of their repeater!

[Sankotronic 2,370]

I use Fibaro dimmer modules and replaced all toggle switches with double momentary switches same as @petergebruers where S2 is used for starting scene. Luckily no flickering since in every switch box I have also neutral wire. The rest of the lighting is Philips HUE, some LIFX and some Nanoleaf lighting panels all easily integrated with Fibaro. For some extra functions that can't be completely automated I use Remotec ZRC-90 remote panels and Fibaro KeyFob, like forced lighting scene, opening gateways etc. Regarding heating, I have Netatmo thermostat, but it still waits to be integrated. There are also other nice thermostats on the market that can be used with Fibaro. It all depends on the type of heating and number of zones you have.

 

It is very important to make a plan of z-wave and zigbee network installation based on house floor plan and with strategically positioned HC3 and mains powered devices that are also working as signal relays (repeaters) for other neighboring devices (mesh network). This will ensure proper communication even for devices placed far away from HC3.

 

Once all hardware is installed then follows coding of scenes and QA to make system 'smart'. Some very nice solutions you can find here on forum or on Fibaro Marketplace.

 

[Tim__ 126]

I would use push button not toggle switches. Allows greater flexibility eg to set dimmer level, and avoids the upside down switch position problem.

 

Make sure you do your research on using Shelly devices instead of Fibaro ones.

 

You can put your devices behind either switch or lamp. If you have the space and a neutral, then go behind the switch as it's more accessible. 

 

I use app on phone, but others use the app on ipad on wall.

 

I believe sonos control is possible. Look for sonos quick app on the fibaro marketplace.

[Flix123 1]

I got Fibaro dimmers nearly everywhere. And lots of multiway switches or "hotelschakelaars" as you Dutch call them  If you're in The Hague you can come by and have a look/chat.

[Martin_N 154]

I understand why you use Shelly to control appliances. It is a cheaper option. I recommend using native Z-Wave modules, preferably from Fibar (I'm not paid Fibaro). Using Shelly means you have to code a lot of QA. This will also affect the increased load on the CPU / RAM and your brain ... and shift the load from the Z-Wave radio band to the Wi-Fi band. This means that you need to have good Wi-Fi signal coverage in every place where you want to use the Shelly module.
A problem in a noisy environment, with a free-standing farm probably no problem.

My solution, which I used when renovating the apartment -  if you want to DIY.
Microswitches control the inputs at SmartImplat, the outputs are then amplified via a 230V / 16A relay.

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any other information that is worth keeping in mind:

 

 

 

 

 

[MaciekJ 0]

On 5/17/2021 at 11:35 PM, Sankotronic said:

I use Fibaro dimmer modules and replaced all toggle switches with double momentary switches same as @petergebruers where S2 is used for starting scene. Luckily no flickering since in every switch box I have also neutral wire. The rest of the lighting is Philips HUE, some LIFX and some Nanoleaf lighting panels all easily integrated with Fibaro. For some extra functions that can't be completely automated I use Remotec ZRC-90 remote panels and Fibaro KeyFob, like forced lighting scene, opening gateways etc. Regarding heating, I have Netatmo thermostat, but it still waits to be integrated. There are also other nice thermostats on the market that can be used with Fibaro. It all depends on the type of heating and number of zones you have.

 

It is very important to make a plan of z-wave and zigbee network installation based on house floor plan and with strategically positioned HC3 and mains powered devices that are also working as signal relays (repeaters) for other neighboring devices (mesh network). This will ensure proper communication even for devices placed far away from HC3.

 

Once all hardware is installed then follows coding of scenes and QA to make system 'smart'. Some very nice solutions you can find here on forum or on Fibaro Marketplace.

 

Hi,

 

how have you integrated Aurora nanoleaf with HC3?

[Sankotronic 2,370]

44 minutes ago, MaciekJ said:

Hi,

 

how have you integrated Aurora nanoleaf with HC3?

 

Hi @MaciekJ ,

 

I'm still busy finishing coding for HC2 then will start coding for HC3.

 

[Ening1949 0]

On 5/17/2021 at 2:25 PM, MartijnTenPas said:

Hi All,

 

First of all, i'm new here :). Little introduction, i'm Martijn 33 years from the Netherlands. Since August last year I have been renovating an old farm from 1934. We are now ready to purchase the home automation ?. But can you contribute to a number of choices? And perhaps advise based on your own experiences?

 

Status

• All electricity has been installed, deep wall boxes and we still have complete freedom everywhere. (Switch wire, phase and neutral are almost everywhere)
• We also want to keep using "normal" switches, but we want to make these mostly smart.

 

System

We want to buy the Fibaro Home Center 3, it is a large house so we want to have some freedom for the future.

 

Considerations

• We have various spots in our living and office. How are we going to switch it?
  • Behind every spotlight a Shelly Dimmer and a normal switch in the wall (with a shelly?)? Turning on/off with the switch, color and brightness adjust via the app?
  • Use smart RGB wifi spots and a regular wall switch with a Shelly 1? Is it possible to make the Shelly 1 smart with a momentary switch? For example 2 clicks in a row is full brightness?
• How about a hotel switch (2 switches top floor (cross and two-way switch) and a two-way switch at the main floor.
• The moral of the story. Where do I apply what exactly? Smart lamps, or a dimmer? Switch, with Shelly or without?
  Your renovation project sounds fantastic, and it’s great that you have so much freedom to plan your smart home from the ground up. One thing I’d add—while you’re thinking about all these tech upgrades, it’s also a perfect moment to consider how your interior design complements your smart home. For example, art deco self adhesive wallpaper like those from

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  can add a timeless yet modern touch to your living or office spaces, blending beautifully with the high-tech atmosphere you’re creating.

 

Tips

• I want to put up a screen in one central place that I can use to control everything. What do you use and what tips can you give?
• Which thermostat for the central heating do you use in combination with fibaro?
• I would like to combine Spotify with Sonos and Fibaro to be able to control it from 1 place. I've read a lot, but I don't think it's possible, or am I missing something?

 

 

Other tips, I can now adjust everything

Hi Martijn

It sounds like you’ve got a great project underway with your farm renovation and the home automation plans — exciting times!

Here are some thoughts based on my experience and what I’ve seen others do:

Lighting and Switches:
Using Shelly dimmers behind traditional switches is a solid approach. You can definitely use a momentary (push) switch with Shelly 1 to control things like brightness with multiple clicks — it just takes a bit of configuration in the Shelly app or via automation rules. For example, a double click could trigger full brightness. Shelly devices are pretty flexible and great if you want to keep your existing switches but still add smart control.

Smart RGB Wi-Fi spots are nice, but if you want to keep a consistent system and good local control, using Z-Wave dimmers (like Shelly or Fibaro dimmers) is often more reliable and integrates better with the Fibaro Home Center 3.

Regarding “hotel switches” (multi-way switches), with Fibaro and Shelly devices, you can often replicate those functions with smart switches and proper wiring, but it might take some planning depending on how your house is wired.

Central Control Screen:
For a central control panel, many users go with tablets (like an iPad or Android tablet) mounted on the wall running apps such as the Fibaro app or third-party apps like Home Assistant dashboards. It’s versatile and cost-effective. If you want something more dedicated, some opt for touch panels from companies like Fibaro or other smart home brands, but tablets usually offer the most flexibility.

Thermostats:
Fibaro integrates well with several smart thermostats, but popular choices include the Fibaro Heat Controller or third-party ones like Netatmo or Nest. Just check for compatibility with Fibaro HC3. It’s best to choose a thermostat that supports local control and good integration so you don’t rely solely on cloud services.

Spotify + Sonos + Fibaro:
This is a tricky one. Fibaro itself doesn’t have native full integration with Spotify or Sonos for multi-room music control, but you can often link Sonos to smart home systems like Home Assistant, which then can communicate with Fibaro. Some setups use voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant as a bridge to control all devices from one place. So yes, it is possible, but it might require adding an extra hub or software layer.

General Advice:

• Keep your wiring neat and well documented, especially since you have the freedom now. It’ll save headaches later.

• Start simple and expand. For example, start with a few smart switches and dimmers in key rooms before doing the whole house.

• Join Fibaro and Shelly user groups online — the community is really helpful with setup ideas and troubleshooting.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask if you want specifics on wiring or device setup. Good luck with your smart home journey!