A 120 sq m bungalow in Los Gatos, California, is being used to test a different approach to smart home demonstration.
Instead of a traditional showroom, integrator Daisy (formerly cyberManor) has converted the property into a fully functioning smart home rental, powered by Control4 and technologies distributed through ADI | Snap One.
The house, available on Airbnb, serves both as a guest rental and a live demonstration space for integrators, builders, and homeowners. Visitors can experience an entire Control4 ecosystem in operation, managing lighting, audio, climate, access, surveillance, and smart appliances within a single interface.
A living test bed
Daisy’s Gordon van Zuiden explained the idea behind the project: “Visitors expect a comfortable, enjoyable, and hassle-free stay. There’s no room for error.” That reliability was a key reason for choosing Control4 as the automation backbone, supported by products from brands including Luma, Triad, WattBox, and Access Networks.
Guests interact with features such as scene-based living, voice-activated controls, and automated energy management. For example, a scene triggered when indoor temperatures rise opens skylights and activates ceiling fans to delay air conditioning use, working in tandem with the home’s Sonnen battery system.
Ease of use has been prioritised with Halo Touch remotes in key rooms, streamlined entry and gate control, and the latest Control4 X4 platform, which introduces customizable widgets, live camera feeds, and expanded Apple Home integration.
Guest feedback as validation
Since launch, nearly 100 Airbnb guests have stayed in the property, many experiencing a smart home for the first time. Reviews highlight both usability and reliability, with one guest describing it as “a luxurious user-friendly smart home that features a fully integrated system.”
For Daisy, this feedback serves as validation that the system can meet the expectations of everyday users, not just technology enthusiasts. For the wider integration community, the project functions as a working case study in how smart systems can be deployed, maintained, and demonstrated in real-world conditions.
Full stack demonstration
Beyond Control4, the bungalow incorporates a broad suite of ADI | Snap One solutions:
- Luma Surveillance with AI-driven analytics to differentiate people, vehicles, pets, and packages.
- Triad speakers delivering distributed and media room audio.
- WattBox IP outlets for remote power management and reboot.
- Access Networks routers and wireless access points integrated with the OvrC remote management platform.
The compact property mirrors the room count and feature set of larger custom homes, giving trade partners and clients a scalable, realistic view of how technologies integrate across an entire residence.
Business opportunity
The project illustrates a novel sales and education model for the custom installation sector: using real homes, with real guests, to demonstrate interoperability, reliability, and everyday usability. It also provides integrators with an ongoing test environment, ensuring new products and software platforms can be evaluated under genuine living conditions.
As van Zuiden concluded, “Our goal was to show that smart homes don’t have to be complicated. They just have to be smart.”