---
title: "Community Highlights, first edition!"
description: "A different take on the UI, a smart toilet roll holder and the DIY smart mailbox"
date: 2020-01-31 00:00:00
date_formatted: "January 31, 2020"
author: Franck Nijhof
author_twitter: frenck
categories: Community
og_image: /images/blog/2020-01-31-community-highlights/social.png
---

Back in [2015][community-highlights-2015] and in [2016][community-highlights-2016], we tried starting a series of blog posts called "Community Highlight",
a few times, a blog post appeared about the amazingly awesome stuff our community does with Home Assistant.

Recently, that idea was picked up again by adding an "In Other News" section to the release notes on each Home Assistant release. However, the development pace of Home Assistant is high! As a result, that section is always hidden all the way down somewhere in those release notes. A bit unfortunate, since there is so much cool stuff to be found!

So, today, we present you: the Community Highlights, the first edition!

Technically, not the first, but we rebooted this series, right?

We hope you enjoy this, please let us know in the comments below!  
Or join us for a little chat in our [#lounge at Discord][chat]

../Frenck

## A different take on designing your frontend

Mattias Persson showed an interesting alternative approach to the design of his Lovelace UI.
It looks fabulous; we don't even know where to start explaining, check the video below for an impression:

<div class='videoWrapper'>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/727tFhqpFAE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>

Mattias created [a post in the Community Forum][different-take] with all the details, including more screenshots, the things he used and links to his GitHub repository. Everything you'd need if you wanted to replicate this for your own use. Thanks Mattias!

## Smart toilet roll holder

Com'on, we all know what it is like to be in the restroom, taking a number two, discovering that you are out of paper.

For the-berik, on our [subreddit][reddit], it was reason enough to do something about it. He converted his toilet roll holder into a smart version using an ESP8266 chip, a load cell and [ESPHome][esphome], allowing Home Assistant to know how many rolls of toilet paper are left on the holder.

Click on the video below to see how it works.

<blockquote class="reddit-card"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/homeassistant/comments/elwvro/smart_toiletroll_holder_with_esphome_and/">Smart toiletroll holder with Esphome and Homeassistant</a> from <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/homeassistant">r/homeassistant</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//embed.redditmedia.com/widgets/platform.js" charset="UTF-8"></script>

## Smart mailbox sensor, the easy way

Another one from our [subreddit][reddit], where choketube shares his pride for the mailbox sensor he created.
He placed a Hue motion sensor inside his mailbox that will trigger if it is opened, really smart and simple!

He demonstrates his mailbox in the video below.

<blockquote class="reddit-card"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/homeassistant/comments/ejgzeb/proud_of_my_new_automation_hue_sensor_in_my/">Proud of my new Automation - Hue Sensor in my Mailbox</a> from <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/homeassistant">r/homeassistant</a></blockquote>

## Got a tip for the next edition?

Have you seen (or made) something awesome, interesting, unique, amazing, inspirational, unusual or funny, using Home Assistant?

[Click here to send us your Community Highlight suggestion](/suggest-community-highlight).

Also, don't forget to share your creations with us via Social Media:

- Twitter it! Be sure to mention [@home_assistant][twitter]
- Share it on our [Facebook group][facebook-group]
- Post it to our [subreddit][reddit]
- Tag [@homeasssistant][instagram] on Instagram
- Or via chat, drop us a line in the [#lounge at Discord][chat]

See you next edition!

[chat]: https://www.home-assistant.io/join-chat
[community-highlights-2015]: https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2015/12/05/community-highlights/
[community-highlights-2016]: https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2016/02/20/community-highlights/
[different-take]: https://community.home-assistant.io/t/a-different-take-on-designing-a-lovelace-ui/162594
[esphome]: https://www.esphome.io
[facebook-group]: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HomeAssistant/
[instagram]: https://www.instagram.com/homeassistant/
[reddit]: https://www.reddit.com/r/homeassistant
[twitter]: https://www.twitter.com/home_assistant
