Service area
Private AI Home Assistant Installation for Lake Como and Milan
Kotoh Home designs and commissions private AI home assistants for lakeside villas on Lake Como and homes in Milan, as Estate projects. We start by video, specify everything to Italian standards, and fly in to commission it.
For Estate projects on the lake and in the city
Lake Como has drawn the wealthy since Roman times, when Pliny the Younger built his villas there, and its shores are lined with historic houses and gardens. About 45 km to the south, Milan is where many of the same owners keep a city home. We take on both as Estate projects: villas, multiple properties and households with staff. We don't have an office in Italy. We do a video walk-through, design the system, and fly in to commission it.
Built to Italian standards
Italy's supply is 230 volts at 50 Hz, and homes use a mix of Type C, F and L sockets. Italian Type L plugs come in 10 A and 16 A versions with different pin sizes, and modern installations often use combined sockets that accept several types. We specify hubs, sensors, climate control and lighting sold for the Italian market, and European Z-Wave equipment, which runs on 868 to 869 MHz rather than the North American band.
A villa that's closed for part of the year
Many lake houses are used seasonally. The lake moderates winter, but summers bring heat and storms: recent heatwaves have reached about 38 °C, and the summer season brings thunderstorms and, at times, violent hailstorms. Milan has hot, humid summers and cold, often foggy winters. A house that's closed needs someone watching it, and that's what the assistant does:
- Climate and humidity alerts, so a failed dehumidifier or heating fault doesn't go unnoticed for weeks.
- Water sensors with automatic shutoff for a leak while nobody's home.
- Storm and power alerts, with a summary afterward of what changed.
- Opening the house on your schedule: shades, climate and lights ready before you arrive.
Busy summers and household staff
The lake is also crowded in season: Lake Como has become a well-known example of overtourism, with visitor numbers rising sharply. For a household, that usually means more people coming and going: caretakers, gardeners, boat crews and guests. The assistant gives each person access to only what they need, keeps a log of who opened what, and lets you change access by text.
Historic houses
We design for old buildings by default: wireless and battery-powered sensors, lighting control that respects existing switch positions, and nothing visible on facades or in gardens. Where a change might affect a protected building, check with the relevant authorities before work starts. We plan around their answer.
How a project in Italy runs
- Video walk-through. We look at the house, your devices, the network and how the household runs, and agree on what the assistant should handle.
- Design and specification. We specify equipment made for the local market, the network, and any electrical work, then send a fixed quote that includes travel.
- Local work, to our spec. Where local rules require it, the physical installation and any electrical work are done by a locally licensed installer or electrician working to our specification. Work-visa and permit rules vary by country, and we confirm what applies before we quote.
- Commissioning visit. We configure and commission the hub, the AI computer and the network, connect your devices and accounts, and train the household and staff.
- Care. Updates, monitoring and new routines continue remotely under your care plan; on-site visits are quoted when needed.
Where your data lives
Every install puts a smart-home hub in the house, running your devices and routines locally. For clients in Italy we generally recommend Private Home: the AI runs on a dedicated computer in your home, so your household's requests are processed there and nothing goes to a cloud AI service. Private Cloud, our lower-cost tier, uses a private server in a U.S. data center. If you want your data to stay in Italy, choose Private Home. Data-protection rules apply in many countries; we aren't lawyers and don't advise on them, so your own advisers should confirm what applies to you.
Pricing
Projects in Lake Como and Milan are Estate projects, quoted individually in U.S. dollars after the walk-through, with travel in the quote. For reference, Private Home starts at $24,995 for a single home, with care at $399 a month. See estates and house managers for what an Estate project covers.
To begin, request a video walk-through on our contact form or email hello@kotohhome.com. We reply within one business day.
Common questions
Do you work on Lake Como and in Milan?
Yes, for Estate projects. We start with a video walk-through, design the system, and travel to commission it. Where local rules require it, installation and electrical work are done by a locally licensed installer or electrician to our specification. Pricing is in U.S. dollars.
Will my US devices work in Italy?
No. Italy runs on 230 volts at 50 Hz, with Type C, F and L sockets; Italian Type L plugs come in 10 A and 16 A versions. European Z-Wave devices use the 868 to 869 MHz band, not the North American 908 to 916 MHz band, so we specify equipment sold for the Italian market.
Can it look after a villa we only use in summer?
Yes. That's one of the main reasons people ask. The hub keeps routines running locally, and the assistant tells you if temperature, humidity, water or power go wrong while the house is closed.
Can my data stay in Italy?
With Private Home, the AI runs on a computer in your house, so your household's requests are processed there. Private Cloud uses a server in a U.S. data center. If keeping data in the country matters to you, choose Private Home. We don't give legal advice on data rules.
Can one assistant cover the villa and the Milan apartment?
Yes. An Estate project can cover several properties, each with its own hub, and one assistant you text about any of them.