A voice command module is used to execute voice commands in a residential environment that contains a plurality of home devices. The voice command module includes a speech recognition module and command logic. The speech recognition module receives utterances from users and converts the utterances to commands from a vocabulary of predetermined commands, which includes a customization command to define a new wake-up utterance as corresponding to a wake-up command. The command logic executes the commands. When the customization command is received, the command logic changes the voice command module so that it now executes the wake-up command upon detection of the new wake-up utterance.