Fifi McGee Case Study
Fi and Neil McGee were blown away by the potential of creating their ideal smart home when they discovered a character-filled 1930s semi-detached house for sale. It proved to be the perfect blank canvas to combine the generous proportions the property offered with the convenience of Lightwave smart technology to create a modern, light and airy living space. After being handed the keys to their new property back in 2016, the couple were keen to get to work renovating their dream home together.
Combining Professional Expertise with Lightwave Technology
As professional renovation experts, the couple understood the importance of planning the exact requirements for any restoration project. They sat down together to brainstorm how to integrate smart automation into the restoration to make their daily lives more convenient. They carefully outlined how they would use each room and what key elements were needed. This exercise helped inform the final layout of each room and bring to light some of the critical electrical aspects of the overall restoration.
One essential room in the house to plan was the couple’s master bedroom. Fi had been suffering the adverse effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and wanted to simulate the sunrise in her bedroom. She was unhappy with the aesthetic and feel of the “sunrise simulator” alarm clocks she used to wake each morning. This posed the conundrum of whether there was another way to simulate the sunrise in the bedroom. The couple soon hit upon the idea of integrating Lightwave smart automation into their sleeping routines. What if they could install sophisticated Lightwave technology to create lighting programmed to act like Lumie lights, preventing SAD symptoms?
After researching Lightwave’s solutions, a three-light system was devised especially for the bedroom; two wall lights and additional ceiling light. This setup used a Lightwave Link Plus and Two Gang Dimmers to control the overhead light, the left-hand wall light and the right-hand wall light. Each Lightwave switch had a pre-installed LED light, with the option to change the colour of the LED light or even turn off the LED if not required. The couple was impressed with the subtle but modern look of the Lightwave Switches, as they blended in well with the rest of the bedroom.
The Renovation
The installation proved to be straightforward as the Link Plus hub plugged directly into the router, and compatible bulbs were easy to find. The Lightwave software was also easy to set up and fully compatible with Google Assistant, meaning the switches could be controlled by voice command, the physical dimmer switch, or the Lightwave App. Once Fi had downloaded the Lightwave App onto her smartphone, it was a simple process to group and name each of the lights within the bedroom. She was also delighted to discover the joy of using Google Assistant to control the lights, “I can feel like I’m aboard the Starship Enterprise by using voice commands to control the lights. I now spend 90% of my time saying things like, “Hey Google, turn lights up by 5%”.”
The couple fitted beautiful brass Loaf Gaston lights on either side on a Lightwave Smart Dimmer and installed smart electrics to make both lights switch on and off with the sunrise. The dimmer was programmed to increase the brightness of the three-bedroom lights incrementally over ten minutes to ease the couple into their morning. As a result, the couple woke up feeling refreshed and ready for a new day after installing the Lightwave package.
The McGee’s felt that Lightwave had thoroughly delivered on its promise, as the technology was user-friendly, very customisable, and they experienced no setup problems. It was the first time they had installed smart automation into one of their house renovations, and they were chuffed with the end results! Check out the Fifi McGee website where the couple have documented every step of their Lightwave journey. Fi and Neil also share guides, courses and tools to help anyone else tackling similar renovation projects.