10 Best Home Innovations From the Past Decade

Whether you add tech to your home or you’re simply looking at some of the most innovative solutions to home challenges, you’ve come to the right place. The best home innovations from the past decade include items that bring us more tech features, safety items, and the added convenience we desire. If you’re looking for an easy way to connect your home to your smartphone, a change to your bathroom that might include something your parents wouldn’t have had, or what’s hot in-home upgrades, we’ve got what you’re looking for.

Use the Internet to Connect Your Home

Nearly every item in your home that uses an electric connection can also be controlled via your smartphone. This new technology is called the Internet of Things, and it makes connecting items easier for you. When your home is connected together, you can tell Alexa or Google to turn on and off the lights, change the thermostat setting, or show you the view from your doorbell camera. This connected feeling offers us a new way to remotely control our homes. The Internet is making your home feel more secure and comfortable.

Not Your Grandfather’s Power Tools

There’s no denying the advancements made in tools that we use around the house. Whether you’re a contractor or a DIY homeowner, the fact that you can hold a relatively lightweight but powerful drill or sander without worrying about where the cord is makes things much easier. Ask your grandparents about the miles of extension cords needed, and you’ll agree that battery-powered tools are certainly one of the best home innovations. Over the past decade, these tools have gotten lighter and more powerful.

Where’s the Water Heater?

The movement toward tankless water heaters has made the old tank system obsolete. Some homes still use the old system, but tankless models are becoming more popular. These devices connect to your water pipes in areas where you need hot water and remove the need to keep gallons of water hot. Additionally, you won’t run out of hot water because tankless heaters are an on-demand system located at each of your water usage locations around the home. These devices are proving to save money for homeowners, making them extremely useful.

Each Room Can be at a Different Temperature

Keeping the entire home at the same temperature doesn’t work well for some families. This can be especially true for someone working from home that needs their office space to be a little cooler than the rest of the house. A Mini-Split HVAC system is an answer. These systems allow each room to be set at different temperatures. This is easily one of the best home innovations from the last decade. With a comfortable home temperature, you’ll never want to leave the house.

Bathrooms Get Better with Embedded Heating

You can avoid the annoyance of a steamed-up mirror when you get out of the show with some heating elements behind the mirror. Embedded heating is also great for tile floors. These floors are often cold, even when you’ve run a hot show and filled the bathroom with steam. Using these heating coils under
the tile, the floor feels warm and inviting to your feet right out o the show. These heating elements can even be used for sidewalks to prevent snow and ice on your walkway.

Our Homes Help Us Stay Safer Than Ever

The use of connected safety devices such as smoke detectors and carbon monoxide sensors helps send the signal to emergency responders faster than ever. These devices also allow you to keep an eye on your home and know what’s going on when you’re not there. We don’t want to face the threat of being trapped in a fire or unable to wake up from the silent killer that is carbon monoxide. Connected safety devices are some of the best home innovations that make it easier to feel secure.

There are Alternatives to Hardwood, and They are Beautiful

Most of us would have never thought about having a floor made of cork, but this material is ideal as an alternative to hardwood floors. Another excellent product is bamboo, which is essentially a fast-growing tall grass. These solid materials make it easy for you to feel good about the items included in your home. Both are from renewable resources and avoid the deforestation of wood products.

Light Bulbs Use Less Energy and Give More Light

Can we have things both ways? In the old days, if you wanted a lower-wattage bulb, you felt like you were sitting in the dark. Today, energy-saving LED lights to make up many of the bulbs we use. These light bulbs tell you they offer the equivalent light to some of the old incandescent lights without using nearly as much energy. These new lights are one of the best home innovations we’ve seen, and they directly impact your electric bill.

Permeable Pavers Improve the Landscape

Pavers that allow water to pass through aren’t new, but permeable pavers that promote healthier lawns and make use of some of the water instead of sending it into the stormwater system are new. These pavers are a great way to replace a driveway or walkway and continue to use the rainwater in a positive way. Water can pass through these pages, and be sent to a collection tank or toward the lawn to promote healthier grass.

We have more Incentives than Ever for Saving Energy

The Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit allows you to enjoy a tax reduction when you upgrade items around your home. You don’t have to put solar panels on your roof, but no one will stop you if you want to. Replacing external doors, windows, and insulation with more energy-efficient products earns you a tax credit while also giving you the benefits of a more efficient home. This is a huge win for everyone and one of the best home innovations we’ve seen in the past decade.

Can you think of some additional innovations made to homes to make them safer, more efficient, more connected, and more convenient than ever before?