Practical Magic
- Sarah Gunn
- Jan 6
- 2 min read
Once upon a time, ‘smart home’ meant clunky buttons, wires everywhere, and zero style. Now? It’s quietly magical.
Jamie loooooves a smart home, so, here at Rosie, we’ve slowly added pieces of tech that actually make life easier without ruining the vintage, coastal look that I want. Just quiet little helpers that do their job in the background to make our home run a little more smoothly.
Here’s what we have tried, tested and genuinely love:
The thermostat
This one feels like real magic. It learns your habits, keeps the house comfortable without constant adjusting, and somehow still looks good on the wall. My favourite thing about it is that it intelligently heats or cools your house ahead of schedule to reach your desired temperature exactly when you want it. I barely think about it…which is exactly the point. Link
The doorbell
So helpful for deliveries, unexpected visitors, or when you hear a noise and want to peek without being seen. I love being able to check in from anywhere from my phone, like under a blanket on the couch. Link
The robot vacuum
I mean… this one needs no explanation. It quietly cleans the floors while I do literally anything else. It is not perfect, but incredibly helpful…and honestly a bit satisfying to watch. We lovingly call ours Manoflorian. Link
The smart speaker
We use this ALL the time for music, timers, reminders, weather checks, to tell the kids when dinner is ready. We have them in almost every room in the house. Link
The smart lock
This has saved me from the “Did I lock the door?” panic more times than I can count. There's no hiding keys under a rock, no turning the car around to check. Just an app on my phone that I can use to unlock and lock the doors from anywhere. Link
The camera
We (and by we, I mean Jamie) like having an extra set of eyes when we’re away. It’s simple, reliable, and does exactly what it’s supposed to do without being overcomplicated. This one uses batteries which makes installation so much easier. Link
The fan
Everyone that knows me, knows I can’t live without a fan. I love this one because it helps me sleep and it’s well-designed. It's great tucked in the corner of main spaces on a hot day too. Link
The smart bulbs
Lighting really changes everything. We turn our lights on with our voices in every room in our home. That's also a Jamie thing. Being able to adjust brightness and warmth depending on the time of day makes the house feel brighter with almost zero effort. Link
At the end of the day, it’s so great to have tools that support real life, look good doing it and make our days feel just a little bit easier.
That’s my kind of practical magic.
doorbell I thermostat I speaker I vacuum
wireless camera I smart lock I fan I bulbs
