Water-saving dishwasher In the kitchen, the dishwasher is the largest source of water use, and dishwashers made before 1994 waste more than 10 gallons of water per cycle. Energy Star certified dishwashers employ soil sensors and more efficient jets to maximize cleaning while minimizing water use.

It just seems like an oversight that refrigerators don't automatically come equipped with locks. Disagree? See what happens when you help yourself to someone else's half carton of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey that you found in the freezer. If you survive, you'll see why the Fridge Locker that can protect tasty morsels from food thieves, is a whimsical addition to any kitchen.

The Lai family—Mayuko, baby Shota on her lap, David, Maya, and Yumi sitting on a cushion on the deck—relaxes in their indoor-outdoor living space, made by opening the glass sliding doors to connect the living room and engawa deck.

The most sustainable element of all is the Lais’ intention to make their first home their last home as well. “Some people have this mentality of getting a starter house, then upgrading from there,” David says. “We just wanted to find a place to live in and then stay there forever.” Eventually they imagine passing the home down to their children.

Although the refrigerator line wasn’t introduced until 1990s, its iconic mid-century design makes it feel as though it has been a kitchen staple for many decades.

The refrigerator comes in ten different color ways and a small size that tucks easily into a small apartment kitchen.

By designing the custom cabinetry themselves, and journeying outside Houston to have them made, the Fords saved a bundle—money that they invested in appliances such as this highly efficient dishwasher from Asko, a Professional Series range from Bertazzoni, and an Energy Star–rated BI-30U fridge by Sub-Zero.

That heat is then transferred to the old stone walls underneath. From there, the stone slowly radiates the warmth into the interior, keeping it around 70°F even as night temperatures drop to 25°F. A wood-burning stove compensates for cloudy days. (For the thermally-savvy, the polycarbonate has a U value of 1.1 W/m²K).

Stick with a classic red, black, or mint green Smeg (pictured) $1,999

A mature avocado tree shades the hardscaped patio located just outside the great room.

The house has a small environmental footprint. SHED built it using advanced framing, a technique that cuts down on the use of lumber by 30 percent. Another benefit of the method is that it prevents heat from escaping the home, making it more energy-efficient. Additionally, the architects installed a high-efficiency boiler that preheats water with rooftop solar panels; a heat recovery ventilation system that efficiently controls the climate; and a rainwater retention tank that conserves water.

Each refrigerator is made in Italy and features glass shelves, with a bottle rack, produce drawer, two egg shelves in the door, and an icebox. (Perfect for storing the best ice cube tray).

Moore has been using the so-called beetle-kill pine in his projects for years. In the Damianos’ house, he lined the floors, ceiling, cabinetry, and walls of the second-story living area, white-washing the planks “to let a little more sunlight bounce around the room.”

On all three aboveground levels of the house, outdoor spaces feature as prominently as indoor ones. The backyard is lined with tiered concrete boxes for planting vegetables; the modest top floor—which houses the master bedroom—has a deck wrapping three sides; and in the middle, a 770-square-foot green roof extends off the living area. Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!

A deck is located off the dining area.

Flywheel Energy Storage Flywheels are discs or cylinders that spin on an axis in a frictionless enclosure to store power in the form of kinetic energy. When demand for power rises, the spinning can be slowed to release energy to the grid. The advantages of flywheel storage include long life and low maintenance.

If energy from renewables can be stored and dispatched to the grid during periods of peak demand, solar and wind would become more cost-effective and simpler to scale.

The Damianos’ house, located in Denver’s Highland neighborhood, runs completely on solar energy.

“The physics are well known: You move mass against the force of gravity and with the force of gravity to either store or release energy.”—Jim Kelly

Advanced Rail Energy Storage Based in Santa Barbara, California, Advanced Rail Energy Storage has devised a system that draws energy from the grid to push a train of weighted cars uphill. When demand spikes, the cars are sent downhill, sending power back to the grid by using the turning power of the wheels on each car to generate electricity.

Solemani's Moroccan Star Rug for RH.

The Seed conference center in Istanbul has an auditorium filled with 300 Spira chairs by Lammhults that span the color spaectrum.

The Whole Home Energy Boost Box.

This is the world's first designer energy-saving lightbulb—a sculptural piece so lovely, you’ll be reluctant to use a shade. Check out this product here.

The rest of the building is insulated with recycled cotton—4.75 inches in the walls, almost 8 inches in the roof—to keep the interior temperature stabilized.

Compressed-Air Energy Storage Wind energy is used to power compressors that inject air at high pressure into large underground chambers. When demand peaks and the wind flags, the pressurized air is released—often with a small amount of natural gas—to power turbines or generators, producing electricity. The first such plant opened in Germany in 1978.

Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity Pumped-storage hydroelectricity is the oldest and most common form of bulk-energy storage. During periods of low demand, energy from the grid is used to move water to an upper reservoir. When demand rises, the water flows down to a lower reservoir through turbines that generate power like a common hydropower station.

A blue Smeg refrigerator is the focal point of the kitchen. A custom dining table, made of an antique mirror with a circular metal leg, juts off the Israeli white marble countertop.

Nendo envisions that designers and manufacturers who acquire the licenses for these designs can develop multiple variations with the objects.

Nendo reduced each character as a simple volume to be abstract yet recognizable.

Thanks to its translucent envelope of polycarbonate plastic, the house glows like a firefly at night and is so bright during the day that resident Daisuke Tokuyama says he rarely turns on a light.

The Plumen 001 Baby is the more compact version of the Plumen 001. The Baby’s 9-watt power is equivalent to a 40-watt incandescent in terms of illumination and it has a lifetime of eight years— typical incandescent bulbs last up to one year. CFLs tend to produce harsh light reminiscent of fluorescent lamps, while the Plumen 001 Baby diffuses warm white light.

A closer look at the Plumen 001 bulb. The Plumen 001’s 11-watt power is equivalent to a 55-watt incandescent in terms of illumination. It also has a lifetime of eight years, while typical incandescent bulbs last up to one year.