Passionfruit Design

Smart home and business automation

Lights, heating, sensors and switches from different makers, working together. It runs on a small computer you own, so you are not tied to one company's app.

Who it is for

Homes and small businesses that want their lights, heating and sensors to work together.

It suits you if you have devices from several makers and an app for each, or if you do not want to be tied to one company.

What you get

  • Devices from different makers, controlled from one place.
  • Lights that follow whether anyone is in the room.
  • Heating and radiator valves that work together.
  • Away and holiday settings for when nobody is in.
  • A screen that shows what is on and what is off, and alerts when something stops working.

How it works

I look at what you already have and what you want it to do. I set it up, test it with you and show you how to use it.

I run all of this in my own house, so I know where it goes wrong.

What it costs to run

The software is free and has no monthly fee. It runs on a small computer you own. It works with devices from many makers, so you can choose them on price.

I do not list prices here yet. Tell me what you need and I will tell you what it costs to build and what it costs to run.

Questions people ask

Do I have to replace the devices I already have?

It works with devices from many makers. I check yours before I start and tell you which can stay.

What happens if the internet goes down?

The computer is in your building, so devices that talk to it directly keep working. Devices that depend on their maker's own service wait until it comes back.

For IT people

I use Home Assistant, which is free and open source, running in Docker. Devices join over Zigbee, MQTT and 433 MHz radio.

  • Home Assistant

    Home Assistant setup and automation in Docker: Zigbee, MQTT and 433 MHz radio, presence lighting, heating, watchdogs and a nightly config backup.

Tell me what you need

A few lines about the project is enough. I read every message myself. I meet people face to face within about 30 miles of Portsmouth, and work with organisations anywhere in the UK.

Send me a message

Or email hello@passionfruit.design, or call or WhatsApp 07385 509278.