Arbel’s “14” sconces spot the wall to ethereal effect in the master bedroom. “I wanted this place to be habitable. One of my greatest criticisms of modern architecture is that it often forgets to make things cozy.”

Texas. The Cricket Trailer, made in Houston, can sleep up to two adults and two children. With integrated fresh water and greywater tanks along with a water heater, campers can live off-the-grid in the easily towable unit.

The 40-foot-long containers hang 16 feet over the ground. The deep balcony, Gooden says, offers solar protection, keeping strong sunlight out but letting natural light in. The home has three bedrooms, a den, and three and half baths.

A 40 foot by 10 foot pool is designed to echo the house’s tower with an almost reflection-like alignment.

Using another service, Outback Power, Pendl can see how much energy he's drawing from (or sending to) the grid when his 450 watt wind turbine and 800 watts of solar panels are operating. This all being said, the trailer isn't yet fully integrated with smart technoly: climate control and HVAC are still a separate system. "Another nice addition down the road would be to add smart tires to the trailer so that I can monitor and adjust air pressure from afar," Pendl says. "I take the Airstream on some pretty bumpy forest roads—the high desert of Nevada for Burning Man included—and it'd be great to quickly see an adjust tire pressure for better traction."

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.

In the kitchen, the continuous kitchen worktop and table are made of marble from Caledonia Marble. The pink Tamatik dining chairs are by Connie Chisholm and are from the Canadian design shop Made. The Blinding Love pendant lights are by Periphere, which has shops in Montreal and Toronto. Photo by Naomi Finlay.

A simple, yet elegant vanity doubles as storage.

AMERICAN MODERN Brilliant Design Across the USA October 2012, Vol. 12 Issue 10.

"Designed to soften with use and absorb with efficiency, these 100% linen tea towels are carefully sewn and handprinted one by one." Linen tea towel made in San Francisco by Studiopatró at Provisions, $24.

A 55-inch Samsung Smart TV, a gift, is one of few indulgences.

“Gatherings here can be a very rich experience, a dis-cussion around art history, music, food, and fashion.”—Kenneth Montague

The Echo Crib is made from maple.

Smart ForTwo BoConcept Editionby Smart To appeal to design-savvy consumers, Smart collaborated with the Danish furniture company BoConcept to develop the ForTwo’s leather-trimmed interior. On the market in the USA in late 2013, it offers a top speed of more than 78 mph. When fully charged, its range is 76 to 90 miles. Smart’s handy mobile app alerts drivers to real-time battery status and the closest charging stations. At 8.8 feet long, it’s among the smallest cars on the market today. smartusa.com

“Sorbet is nature sexed-up,” says Olsen, “We were excited by the wonderful transformations that happen to vibrant colors like watermelon, raspberry, apple, and mint when you make sorbet. The pure pigment is transformed and softened by the churning and the freezing. The color becomes cooler but there's still an intensity in the flavor.”

Armchair by Barber Osgerby for Knoll. Pennsylvania-based Knoll—known for its midcentury classics—outsourced production to Indiana for this contemporary armchair with aluminum legs that peek out from the upholstery.

Solfire by Brandon Williams for Modfire. This propane- or natural gas–fueled steel fireplace produced in Phoenix will ensure you can enjoy the flicker of a fire without heavy smoke.

Earth tone tiles back a Kohler sink at this energy efficient home in Davis, California. The backsplash is from Heath Ceramics, the sink is Kohler, and the custom millwork is by Schmidt's Cabinetry.

Arias said a core concept of the design was to focus on something approachable, made with soft material you’d want to grab with your hand, instead of overloading people with technology. Booo eventually wants to collaborate with designers to design new versions of the Smart Booo with even more tactile variation.

"Smart is not just a car. It is a statement of urban living and the perfect city car in terms of beautiful, functional design" says Claus Ditlev Jensen, Collection Director at Boconcept.

No compromises were made throughout the development process or the various stages of production. The sleek and clever city car in essence is a transportation solution to urban living challenges.

Cone stop by Studio Gorm. Debuted at Salone Satellite in April 2014, the conical wood doorstop from Eugene, Oregon–based Studio Gorm has a looped handle for hanging when not in use.

The industrial stair leads to the upper level, where the bedrooms, bathrooms, and play space are located.

Hombre pendant light by Damm. St. Petersburg, Florida–based design studio Damm worked with motorcycle painters to achieve the gradient finish on its ten-inch tall ceramic-and-ash pendant light.

Solstice Table Lamp by Ample. Seattle company Ample pairs a linen shade with a solid walnut base and fabric-wrapped cord. The lamp measures 22 inches tall and 15 inches wide.

“Finding partners who are flexible and willing to experiment with new materials and techniques has been one of the greatest rewards of our efforts,” Simmering says.

A second-floor balcony overlooks a landscaped garden and a 1,000-square-foot detached garage.

Tech enthusiasts will recognize August Smart Lock as the DIY security device that allows homeowners to create virtual keys for guests to come and go. Design seekers will notice the second-generation lock, soon to ship, has a more tactile, intuitive form profile that resembles a traditional knob. The latest model is also Apple Homekit enabled.

Jestico + Whiles created this five-bedroom villa for a family near Prague, Czech Republic, outfitting it with the latest smart-home technology.

A signature feature is the natural oak stairs, whose treads appear to be suspended between the wall and a transparent railing.

A skylight emphasizes the division of the upper level into master's and children's wings, and draws natural light deep into the core of the ground-floor kitchen and dining area.