When the weather is perfect and you're ready to bring friends and family together, your outdoor living space needs to be as comfortable and entertaining as the interior of your home. With the right outdoor smart home setup, you can turn a simple backyard gathering into a great outdoor party that includes colorful lights for a fun atmosphere, great sound from wireless and wired outdoor speakers, hands-off access control for gates and doors, and outdoor power that provides remote control for connected devices. All of these elements can come together with home automation by setting up the ultimate outdoor party scene built with some of the best outdoor automation and audio solutions that are available today.

Set the Mood with Colorful Lights from Enbrighten Smart Lights

Before your guests arrive, ensure you make a great first impression by setting the right mood with outdoor lighting. Enbrighten Seasons Landscape Lights are the perfect solution for adding the right ambiance to your outdoor living space. 

Enbrighten Seasons Landscape Lights offer the following:

Selectable Colors and Modes: Choose

from a full spectrum of vibrant colors or warm white light - up to 16 colors with over 120 color combinations. When celebrating holidays you can literally select the right color of light to help set the mood such as red, white, and blue for Independence Day, green hues for a St. Patrick's Day party, or selection of colors that best match a school or university for a graduation party. You can also provide a soft golden glow for a dinner party to keep things mellow.

Remote and App Control: Enbrighten Seasons Landscape Lights include a long range remote control that will allow you to easily adjust your light settings without running back and forth. It offers color control, dimming, timers, effects, and presets. Some models can even pair with your smart home system for voice control!

Weatherproof Construction: These lights are perfect for year-round use since they're built to withstand rain, snow, and extreme heat. The bulbs are crafted from durable, impact-resistant materials and enclosed in oil-rubbed bronze metal housings for long-lasting performance and added safety; plus, they're commercial grade and UL-rated for permanent outdoor use.

Customizable Installation: There are various ways you can install Enbrighten Seasons Landscape Lights. Place them along pathways, around patios, or near pergolas for a stunning visual effect. The included stakes anchor the lights securely into the ground, while the main cable can be safely buried for a clean, seamless appearance.

Fill the Air with Music: Lithe Audio and Russound Outdoor Speakers

You can't have a party without music! With Lithe Audio and Russound Outdoor Speakers, you can enjoy concert-quality sound outdoors. Both Lithe Audio and Russound offer various types of outdoor speakers from garden rock speakers to wall-mounted speakers, to landscape speakers that can be placed into the ground using mounting stakes. Both brands offer speakers that are built with durable materials that make them weather resistant and can withstand a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels year round.

Lithe Audio Outdoor Speakers

Built-in Amplifier and Wireless Connectivity: Designed with built-in amplifiers and Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity (depending on the model) these speakers are an all-in-one solution that only requires power and a connection to your smartphone or tablet via the Lithe Audio app for iOS and Android devices. When connected, you'll be able to stream music and other audio from online sources as well as play music from your locally stored music library on your device. And some Lithe Audio Outdoor Speakers have optical inputs that allow a hardwire connection to a PC, turntable, and more.

Weather Resistant: IP-rated for outdoor use, Lithe Audio outdoor speakers stand up to rain, humidity, and extreme outdoor weather conditions. The Lithe Audio IO1 Speakers have an IP66 rating with a rust-proof grille, waterproof coated paper cone woofer, and water proof silk dome tweeter. Their garden rock speakers are built with an IP56 rated fiberglass shell and IP68 rated transformer, making them perfect for long-lasting use throughout the year.

Easy Installation: Lithe Audio IO1 speakers offer flexibility when it comes to installation since they can be placed or mounted almost anywhere. Whether they're wall-mounted, on a ground spike, set on a countertop, tucked into a corner, or hung as a pendant, their design allows them to fit seamlessly into any space. The garden rock speakers have a realistic design and can be placed just about anywhere within your outdoor living space - under a tree, within bushes, or near a garden!

Russound Outdoor Speakers

Premium Sound with Seamless System

Integration: Designed to deliver clear, powerful sound with rich detail, these speakers integrate effortlessly with existing wired audio systems and multi-zone setups. Whether you're installing a full landscape audio solution or simply upgrading your patio sound, Russound speakers ensure balanced coverage and an immersive listening experience.

Weatherproof Construction: Built for durability, Russound outdoor speakers are designed to endure the elements year-round. Landscape satellite speakers feature rugged, weather-resistant enclosures rated for outdoor exposure, while rock speakers blend in naturally with your yard and are designed to resist moisture, UV rays, and various temperatures. Russound outdoor subwoofers are sealed in heavy-duty enclosures and designed to be partially buried, delivering deep bass without compromising the aesthetics of your outdoor space.

Discreet Installation: Russound speakers are designed to disappear into your landscape while delivering exceptional audio.

• Landscape Satellite Speakers can be staked into the ground along pathways, hidden in flower beds, or mounted along fences for wide sound dispersion.
• Rock Speakers offer a natural stone look and can be placed near trees, shrubs, or gardens without drawing attention.
• Outdoor Subwoofers are built for installing partially in the ground. This will allow you to add depth to your audio system without taking up visible space.

Welcome Guests with Smart Gate Access and Open Doors Hands-Free

Nowadays, guests will most likely call or text you to notify you that they have arrived at the party, so instead of having to leave the fun to open your outdoor gate you can easily do that with a gate opener and keychain remote.

Linear Receivers and Transmitter Remotes: With a Linear Multi-Code Gate Receiver and Multi-Code Key Ring Transmitter Remote, you can manage entry to your party like a VIP event. Just install the Linear Receiver to control your automatic gate opener at your driveway or backyard entrance and use the Linear Multi-Code Key Ring Transmitter to press a simple button to activate the gate. Your guests will be impressed and you won't have to worry about constantly walking to your gate to let your guests enter or leave.

Having guests at an outdoor party doesn't mean everyone will always be outside so having the ability to open and close sliding doors automatically means guests will be able to easily traverse between the interior and exterior of your home. Autoslide Automatic Door Operators are the answer and offer a wide range of features to offer easy accessibility and convenience.

Autoslide Automatic Door Operators: Guests will be able to move effortlessly between indoor and outdoor spaces without needing to touch the door. The hands-free convenience of an Autoslide Automatic Door Operator is perfect when people are carrying food, drinks, or party supplies, and it helps keep traffic flowing smoothly. The Autoslide system can be set to open automatically via motion sensors, remote controls, or smartphone apps and they can help maintain a comfortable indoor temperature by minimizing how long the door stays open. With Autoslide, your gathering feels more welcoming, modern, and hassle-free.

Autoslide also provides pet-friendly operation with optional pet sensors that let pets come and go as they please. This wearable RFID tag attaches to your pet’s collar and automatically activates your Autoslide door to open when your pet approaches the Autoslide RFID transmitter. Plus, when you and your guests are coming and going frequently, there's even a Party Mode that switches settings for longer openings during parties for seamless indoor-outdoor flow.

Control Outdoor Power with Smart Plugs

You can add just about any outdoor device, including landscape lights and audio equipment, to your smart home ecosystem by installing smart outdoor plug-in modules. These smart plugs provide remote On/Off control, which means you can create a wide range of home automation scenes, such as a Party Scene to automatically turn on connected landscape lights or outdoor speakers via a smart hub controller or smartphone using a compatible mobile app.

Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug: This weather-resistant Wi-Fi plug-in switch gives you remote On/Off control of a single outdoor electronic device (no smart hub needed). Just plug in your device, and you can control it from anywhere using the My Leviton app on your smartphone or tablet. It also pairs with up to three Leviton DAWSC Anywhere Switch Companions for convenient manual control from multiple locations; plus, it works with a slew of voice command and automation systems such as SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, Apple Home and Siri, Google Assistant and Google Home, IFTTT, Schlage, and Matter.

Qolsys IQ Outdoor Plug PowerG:

Specifically designed to work with a Qolsys System, this smart plug-in module is weather-resistant and allows you to remotely control up to two electrical devices and integrate them into any PowerG-compatible system, such as the Qolsys IQ 4 Hub or IQ4 NS Panel. Devices connected to either outlet of the IQ Outdoor Plug can be turned on or off manually using the plug’s buttons, through a connected switch, via a PowerG controller, or remotely using the Alarm.com app on a smart device. The IQ Outdoor Plug PowerG easily integrates into PowerG networks and sends/receives PowerG signals up to 2,000 ft.

Party Tip: Use smart plugs to set schedules or automatically turn on fountains, outdoor lights, or connected outdoor heaters, whenever it's necessary, especially during an outdoor party. You can stagger when decorative lighting turns on, such as having your pathway lights turn on at sunset, then turn on string and other party lights as the evening darkens.

For more questions about how you can enhance your outdoor party using smart devices, or any other home automation or home security topics, talk to our team over the phone at (858)-693-8887 or email us at service@homecontrols.com. You can also check out other entries in our blog for more insights about smart home automation and security devices.