Smart home without switches? P.Hue, Home Assistant, Homematic wired IP

Or you separate the data communication through a firewall, I think that should work, if necessary even two Fritz boxes. Well, knowing about networks, electrical stuff, Linux – if I really knew that, I probably wouldn’t have to ask like this, and could express my concerns just as boldly as you are doing right now. It’s just always annoying for the person asking ;)

What I’ve learned from the answers is that Philips Hue, with free@home, plus Nuki, would be a somewhat professional way to automate the apartments, of course as long as all your concerns regarding data protection are observed..... And you can manage it quite well yourself....

Right? And I wouldn’t need light switches to get back to the topic ;)

Router = Firewall (at least in this context). Free@home is a trimmed-down KNX and not cheaper than real KNX. You just don’t need the ETS, but for two apartments with 3-4 actuators anyway the smallest version is sufficient. With an iPad or something similar, I wouldn’t start if there are changing users, but then take the original display. It has to be as idiot- and tamper-proof as possible.

Have fun experimenting! When is the thing supposed to open?

Oh, regarding the question: You can build any control system with centralized actuators without switches. Then everything has to run via motion and presence detectors in every corner. This becomes particularly interesting in rooms like bathrooms since PIR detectors, for example, cannot see through the glass wall of a shower. I have not come across HF sensors or optical detectors in the toy smart home sector so far. I would seriously consider the switchless design because the display on the wall will always not be exactly where you need it. Why actually without switches? Too much cabling effort for the bus?

There are also control systems with actuators in or on the switch that can also be operated centrally (Eltako, Shelly, OPUS, KNX-RF+ etc.). In the simplest case, Shellys and Home Assistant on top. It's all a question of budget.

Yes, I have already thought about the display as well, but I actually find it quite nice to have a display at the entrance where you generally set what you are currently doing, cooking, wellness, sleeping, relaxation, showering, disco... and exactly what I want happens. At a second location where it makes sense, you can set it the same way. There are no rooms but areas... Opening it up... maybe sometime next year... since the electrical system needs to be redone... a central control cabinet would be worthwhile... And in the shell construction, the cables could be laid neatly once... It would also be nice if the customer could access their apartment’s lighting control on an operating interface via Wi-Fi... then everything can be controlled from the bed... But that should only be a view for operation and not for parameterizing. Does free@home provide such a browser?

If you already have the shell construction, pull all the cables including LAN at the same time.
User interface via app.

I am currently thinking about the electrical installation in a house with two holiday apartments.

It all seems very makeshift. Okay in your own house... but if you rent it out? If something doesn't work, you'll get negative reviews very quickly.

It would also be nice if the customer could access their apartment's lighting control via a user interface over Wi-Fi...... then everything can be controlled from the ....... But that should only be a control view and not for parameterizing.

And what if the phone, tablet, or whatever else is dead? Do I have to run to the wall panel whenever I need light somewhere?

Sorry, but I find the concept without physical switches terrible. If I hadn’t been warned about that very clearly beforehand, I would declare it a defect. How are children supposed to manage with something like that?