This is the way. That said, I do have a hybrid solution: HomeKit for having a nice UI, Node-RED for a little custom logic, and a Homebridge MQTT plugin to tie

This is the way. That said, I do have a hybrid solution: HomeKit for having a nice UI, Node-RED for a little custom logic, and a Homebridge MQTT plugin to tie it all together. HomeKit is perhaps unique in that the Home app will work just fine without an Internet connection (although you do gain the benefit of remote control if you have an Apple TV or HomePod). Siri is pants, obviously, but good enough to set scenes.