I created a physical interface for my home automation. Parsing the information on a display requires lots of focus. If you're at home, it's much easier to look at a physical representation of your house. So this physical interface displays information (like if the garage door is opened/closed), and it also let's you close the garage door. Here's some demo videos of how it works.

Complete circuit diagram, code, and explanation is here:

https://www.hackster.io/erictsai/physical-home-automation-interface