How To Create The Ultimate Halloween Decorations Using Home Automation

HOME AUTOMATION

Want to have the best Halloween decorations on the block?

You can use home automation products to create a truly spooky home.

Here are 2 ideas to get you started.

A scary silhouette in the window

The scare: As trick-or-treaters walk up to your home, a silhouette appears in your window. This works best if you have a large window near where people will be walking up to your door.

What you’ll need:

• Smart electrical outlet/appliance module
• A bright, cheap directional light (something like this)
• Halloween silhouette or window poster

How to set it up:

1. Place the silhouette or window poster in your window.
2. Set up your light so that it is pointing directly at the window.
3. Plug the light into your smart electrical outlet.
4. When someone walks past the window, use your smartphone or tablet to turn the light on and scream.

Upgrades to make it even scarier

• Motion sensor — Add a motion sensor outside your the window so that the light is automatically triggered.
• Speakers — Add a small music player with speakers that automatically plays some screaming noises when the motion sensor is activated.

A blackout at the front door

The scare: When a trick-or-treater approaches your front door to get candy, all the lights shut off and a scary sound (like a blood-curdling scream) plays.

What you’ll need:

• Motion sensor
• Light module
• Smart electrical outlet/appliance module

How to set it up:

1. Place a motion sensor outside your front door. For best effect, you want the motion sensor to trigger when the trick or treaters are at or very near your door. You might have to play with the placement.
2. Connect a small music player to the smart outlet. You want something that will play a scary sound (like a blood-curdling scream) as soon as it’s turned on.
3. If you don’t already have your front door light wired for home automation, wire the light module.
4. Create a trigger so that when the motion detector detects movement, the lights turn off and the appliance module turns on the music player.

Upgrades to make it even better

• Trade out the motion sensor for a smart doorbell — You can wait to trigger your scary lights and sound until the trick or treaters actually push the doorbell.
• Fog machines — Plug a fog machine or two into the smart outlet so that they also turn on when the motion sensor is activated.
• Strobe lights — When the porch lights go off, have some hidden strobe lights that also turn on.

And make sure you get it on tape

Now that you have an awesome Halloween setup for your home, don’t forget to position a few smart home security cameras so you can capture it all for posterity.

BriteBox is a home automation and home security company serving the Atlanta metro area. Contact us for more information.