I hired an illustrator to draw my house. Now it's my Home Assistant dashboard
- ID
- 33451
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 07 Oct 2026, 9:41 AM
- Fetched
- 09 Oct 2026, 6:35 AM
- Provider
- Hacker News
- Category
- dev-community
- Original URL
- https://antonfrolov.substack.com/p/i-hired-an-illustrator-to-draw-my
- Source URL
- https://hnrss.org/best
Summary
- Score
- 5.5
- Created
- 09 Oct 2026, 6:36 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- developersvibe_coders
What happened
Anton Frolov describes hiring an illustrator to turn a drawing of his house into an interactive Home Assistant dashboard after household members did not want to use the existing Home Assistant app or dashboard. The home already automates AC shutoff when everyone leaves and weather-based garden sprinklers, but garden lights still need app control and a blinking timer extension. He chose a hand-drawn floor plan over static 3D models with icon overlays or manual pixel-art sprite placement, and notes popular artists can be booked months in advance.
Why it matters
If you build Home Assistant dashboards or family-facing controls, this shows adoption can fail even when automations work: the text says nobody else in the household wanted to use the HA app/dashboard, while garden lights still require app control and a timer. Before adding a physical switch or commissioning custom art, check whether the blocker is interface legibility, and budget for artist lead times that can stretch months.
Discussion angle
Is hiring an illustrator a practical fix for smart-home dashboard adoption, or should Home Assistant builders first improve default cards and simpler family-facing controls?