You shouldn't need to open an app to turn on the lights.
Smart bulbs that need an app. Apps that take ten seconds to load. The whole household reaching for a phone to do a basic thing. There's a better way: wall switches that just work.
Lighting.
Light that thinks about you.
Circadian rhythm as the automatic layer. Wall switches as the universal interface. Curtains that track sunrise and sunset. Lighting that feels considered without anyone having to think about it.
The default smart-bulb setup is a trap.
Here's a pattern we see constantly in Singapore homes: the homeowner buys smart bulbs (Philips Hue, IKEA Trådfri, similar), screws them into existing fixtures, and connects them to an app. Then the household keeps using the wall switches the way humans always have: flick down, lights off, flick up, lights on. Except now, "off" cuts power to the bulbs, which means they go offline. The next time someone uses the app to control them, they don't respond. The smart home becomes flaky. The homeowner blames the bulbs.
The bulbs aren't the problem. The wiring approach is. Smart bulbs need constant power to stay online; they can't be paired with regular switches that cut power. The solution is one of two patterns: wire the smart bulbs to live (not switched) and replace the wall switch with a wireless scene controller, OR use smart relays behind the switch with regular bulbs.
For most Singapore homes (where new neutral wires aren't available at every switch position, where contractor wiring is decades old, where retrofits are constrained) we default to the second pattern: Schneider momentary switches plus Shelly relay modules behind the switch. This gives the household what they actually want: any non-smart bulb works, the wall switch behaves like everyone expects, smart logic runs in the background.
Smart bulbs need constant power to stay online; they can't be paired with regular switches that cut power.
What it could look like for your home.
- Example 1 · Living room circadian lighting
Smart drivers for the cove lighting (the primary lighting in most Singapore living rooms). On a circadian schedule: morning cool and bright (5000K, 80%), daytime balanced (4000K, 60%), evening warm dim (2700K, 40%), late evening very warm dim (2200K, 20%). Wall switch as a scene controller; pressing it overrides the schedule for 4 hours, then resumes. The household never thinks about it; the lighting always feels right.
- Example 2 · Bedroom curtains, sunrise-aware
Aqara curtain driver on the existing track. Two-phase opening: sunrise + 30 minutes opens to 50%, sunrise + 90 minutes opens fully. Sunset closes for privacy. Manual override via wall switch beside the bed. Gentle natural waking, automatic privacy.
- Example 3 · Helper-friendly motion lighting throughout
Motion sensors in all transit zones (corridors, kitchen passage, bathrooms). Lights at full brightness during the day, 50% in the evening, 10% deep night. Wall switches always work as overrides; every helper can turn on every light by walking up and pressing it. Designed to be used by everyone in the household.
Curious what this would look like in your home? Get a free estimate
Essentials or Professional: pick the depth that fits.
Lighting can be implemented at two depths.
for households who want smart control in the rooms that matter most, leaving simpler areas alone.
- Schneider momentary switches + Shelly relay modules in main living areas (living/dining + master bedroom)
- Existing dumb fixtures and bulbs retained
- 2–3 motion sensors in transit zones (corridors, bathrooms)
- Basic scenes (Movie, Sleep, Wake)
for households who want layered, scene-driven lighting throughout the home.
- Schneider+Shelly throughout every room
- Smart curtain or blind motors in living/dining and primary bedrooms
- Smart cove lighting drivers (dimmable, scene-aware)
- Dedicated scene controls: wall keypads or NFC tags
- Comprehensive motion sensor coverage with adaptive brightness (full daytime / dim evening / minimal deep-night)
The Consult conversation surfaces which depth fits your household. The single biggest factor is whether you're renovating (Professional becomes much easier when walls are open) versus retrofitting an existing finish (Essentials is often the practical answer).
Not sure which fits? Talk it through in a Consult
What we typically use.
Switches
Schneider AvatarOn momentary + Shelly 1L Gen3 relay (default for SG retrofit, no-neutral environments).
Switches (alternative)
Aqara H2 (when neutral wire is present, e.g. new builds).
Smart drivers (cove lighting)
Aqara LED driver or compatible 0–10V driver.
Smart bulbs
Philips Hue, IKEA Trådfri (when fixture-based).
Curtain motors
Aqara curtain driver (fits standard tracks).
Motion/presence sensors
Aqara FP1, FP2, FP300 depending on need.
Scene controllers / wireless switches
Aqara wireless mini switch.
The Schneider+Shelly default is specifically for Singapore conditions; most HDB and older condo installations don't have neutral wires at light switch positions. Aqara's no-neutral switches exist but aren't as reliable as the relay-behind-switch approach in our experience.
Apple Home vs Home Assistant for lighting.
Apple Home builds
- Adaptive Lighting (Apple's circadian feature) handles colour temperature shift automatically for HomeKit-compatible bulbs
- Wall switches as scene controllers via accessory automations
- Curtain drivers appear as HomeKit accessories with native time-based triggers
- Limitations: less flexibility in compound automations (e.g. "if motion AND time AND room state")
Home Assistant builds
- Adaptive Lighting integration (HACS): more configurable than Apple's, can be tuned per zone
- Single automations can express compound conditions
- More flexibility for room-specific scenes, time-of-day rules, sun position triggers
- Curtain logic can factor in weather (delay opening on rainy mornings)
For most lighting recipes, both platforms work well. The advantage shows up most in the "layered" recipes: where multiple conditions interact (motion + time + room state + ambient light).