The world of smart home technology is rapidly changing. We'll call upon the greatest minds in the industry—and draw on what we learned at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show—to sort out what will become integral to the 21st-century home. For more information on Dwell on Design, visit our Onstage schedule.

Small Scale to Big Ideas: Technology in the Modern Home Even those homeowners who haven’t embraced complete home automation systems now have their pick of simple product upgrades that pack a major impact. Join three vanguards in the home tech industry: Matt Rogers, co-founder of Nest, Phillip Prestigomo, director of industrial design for Legrand, and Richard Gresens, senior director of North American design for Whirlpool. We'll delve into how these design-forward companies are shaping the smallest details to the broadest concepts surrounding what it means to have a smart modern home for today and tomorrow. Catch the lively discussion Saturday, June 22, at 1:00 p.m. on the Sustainable Design stage.

When Willson is within 30 miles of the house and the temperature is below a certain level, his Nest Thermostats are programmed to heat it up to 70 degrees.

Nest There is not other smartphone-controlled device as successful as the Nest thermostat. It is as the forefront of a new smart home industry, and looks amazing while at it. For more on the nest, read Dwell's previous coverage and check out how readers like you nest. Photo by: Nest

Smart Temperature Control–Like Goldilocks’ porridge we want the temperature of our homes to be just right, all the time. Enter the smart thermostat, a hot little high-tech gadget that is almost too cool for the room. Many smart thermostats have the ability to learn your preferred home temperature habits and then program themselves accordingly. While you’re away, a smartphone app allows you to remotely dial the thermostat up or down, so you’ll never waste money and energy heating or cooling an empty house.

Smart Thermostat Sure you already have a thermostat, but does your thermostat measure your energy usage and tell you where you can cut back? Does your thermostat remember when you turn the heat or air conditioning on and off, and adjust automatically? If you answered no to any of these questions, you are missing out on one of the coolest gadgets of 2013.

Oregon designer Robert Johans came up with the initial idea for Nest.

Retailer nest.co.uk, which sells modern furniture, lighting, and accessories from brands such as Hay, Tom Dixon, and Flos, will also have a pop-up shop.

Inspired by bird nests, artist Nina Bruun used curled strips of birch to mimick the organized chaos of a bird’s home in her Nest chair. Birch, textile, foam, 2010. Courtesy of the artist, photo by Adam Dyrvig Tatt.

Ultra-tactile upholstery on the Nest sofa by Paola Navone for Ercol.

Beijing, China-With thousands of years of history, China has paved the way for many artistic styles and expressions in the Eastern world. China has contributed historical and structural wonders such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and Tianning Temple. The recent construction of the Bejing National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest”, garnered worldwide attention not only for its modern design, but also for its hefty price tag. Photo by: sHzaam!.

Nest is making waves at CES by announcing parnterships with 15 companies including LG, Big Ass Fans, Mercedes-Benz, and August Smart Locks, on a series of collaborations it is calling Works With Nest. It has worked with Whirlpool on a smart washer-dryer set that interfaces with your Nest thermostat to find out when you're home and when you're away. (The dryer, for instance, can switch to a longer, lower-temparature cycle that consumes less energy.)

@best_treehouses: "This treehouse in Sweden is called the Bird's Nest Treehouse! It was designed to look like a bird's nest from the outside, but the inside is modern!"

Nest 100 food prep set, $100, by Joseph Joseph. This set includes mixing bowls, a sieve, a colander and measuring cups, all stacked together at the chef’s fingertips in a sleek silver and black palette. The rainbow version is available at the Dwell Store.

The trailer is stored about an hour from his home, so security was a top concern. Wink—via a Nest Protect device, seen here—alerts Pendl when there's smoke or carbon monoxide. Sensors on the trailer's propane tanks, which keep the unit warm in winter, also send an alert when fuel is low. GoControl sensors tell him when doors or windows have been opened.

Every evening, the residents climb the 32 flights of steel stairs to retreat in their “nest”.

Kate’s father predicted they would never use the crow’s nest–like tower, which is reached by climbing a narrow staircase.

From the street, the house rises two stories, dropping down on the opposite side to follow the slope. Clive envisioned the top floor as a “crow’s nest.”

Nearly every room has a Nest Mini, and the house also has a Nest Wi-Fi router, a Google Home Max sound system, and a Nest Thermostat.

“The black siding is contemporary, but the texture of the wood grain is friendly and complements more traditional neighboring houses,” Clarkson said. Windows are fabricated with Douglas fir. Ipe and stained black cedar make up the home’s various decks.

NEST House by Naylor & Chu Architects Honor Award for Unbuilt Design

Designed by Helsinki–based designer Robin Falck for energy company Neste’s Journey to Zero campaign, the Nolla Cabin champions zero-waste and simple living with its minimalist, eco-friendly build.

A fitting epigram for an architect, but for Studio Gang in particular: Gathering is the beginning of nest making.

Here’s your chance to score a “floor model” of Perch and Nest’s Roost26 tiny house at a deep discount.

“The interior was designed as a backdrop to the art and life of its inhabitants,” Clarkson noted. “A custom-built wall of display cubes adds an accent of primary color in the second floor hallway.” Solid white oak flooring continues onto the second level from the stairs, and Middlebrook Woodworking Ltd. lacquered that same material for the display cubes.

Their design took four months to construct. And much like their later project on the same property, the Nest, the EDGE cabin features a protective, movable screen: when not in use, these white oak panels slide inwards to sheild the cabin windows and doors.

Nest’s main room, lined in aspen plywood with a Douglas fir floor, has folding chairs found on eBay and a fold-out birch table designed by the team.

“The house is a three-story volume, but in order to minimize the reading of this volume from the street, we set the walls of the third floor back from the front and rear walls of the building,” Clarkson said. Black wood v-joint siding foils Douglas fir wood cladding around the door.

The Crows Nest.

The clever, low-impact build is nested amid hillside flora.

A custom glass structure supplied by Reale Born Inc. borders the stairs, which are made of solid white oak.

In the master bathroom, Dolomite marble was installed on the walls to complement Caesarstone countertops. Both contrast with the dark Montauk slate on the floor.

The Nest storage bed from DWR provides even more storage space.

A view of the three-story DFAB House perched atop the NEST Building.

The "bird's nest