Canary cameras detect motion and send Willson alerts with a video clip of the activity. From the app, he can summon law enforcement if desired.

Dojo is available for pre-order via Amazon for $99 with 12 months of service (the usual suggested retail price is $199 for the same service). It will begin shipping early 2016.

Once installed, Dojo's software adds all the devices—cellphones, printers, tablets, security cameras, etc.—that use your home's wireless network. It then begins to track with whom they communicate: for instance, if one device begins sending data to an unusual server abroad, it raises a red flag. Dojo itself comes with two pieces of hardware: a palm-sized pebble and its dock. The latter connects directly to your router. The former, which glows red when there's unexpected or alarming network activity, is mobile and can be placed in easily-accessed or visible parts of your home.

The term “Internet of Things” was first documented by British visionary Kevin Ashton in 1999. The first Internet appliance was a Coke machine at Carnegie Melon University in the early 1980s. The programmers could connect to the machine over the Internet, check the status of the machine and determine whether or not there would be a cold drink awaiting them, should they decide to make the trip down to the machine.

Home security system by Canary, $249 at canary.is This all-in-one security system "learns" the rhythms of your home and monitors activity and noise levels, air quality and temperature, notifying you by text (with an accompanying high-definition video) when anything seems out of sorts.

Of course, Dojo also comes with an app that allows you to remotely monitor activities and tackle threats. The software will automatically resolve issues, signalling you only when you need to take action.

With new technology comes new issues, like safety and privacy, which we explore in the first of three features on home security penned by Geoff Manaugh.

While many home-fortification projects are designed primarily with burglary in mind, Al and Lana Corbi of SAFE recommend thinking about much broader risks—including the possibility of widespread social unrest, earthquakes, and even extreme weather events.

With a recently fulfilled crowd-funding campaign, the Notion system will be made, but is not shipping until July 2015. It might be worth waiting as the connected home evolves. But, given this brand’s impressive origins—the company is a product of Techstars, an startup accelerator whose graduates have an high rate of success—we expect it to be among the best options available.

Where alarms and bulletproof glass fail, steel-reinforced doors disguised as custom woodwork use brute strength to stop even the most determined burglar. Add high-security locks and drill-resistant concrete, and you have a high bar of protection. Roofs are particularly vulnerable, as they are often the least-fortified part of a residential structure. Gaffco Ballistics will install saw- and bullet-resistant Kevlar plates to thwart potential attackers.

A small central hub, about the size of a bar of soap, connects to your home Wi-Fi network and is controlled with an app. Then, the slightly smaller sensors can be distributed throughout the house or apartment.

Here's what you need to know before undergoing a building project with a contractor but no architect.

When not in use during winter, the tub is hidden from the home’s view. The entrance has a sheltered overhang for car parking.

The main hub has integrated battery and cellular backup as well, so if you monitor a vacation home and want to keep the Wi-Fi off, it can send text alerts when something goes awry. Each sensor’s batteries are rated to last about two years.

Notion’s other selling point is integration with existing analog home devices. If a smoke alarm goes off, it can read the sound and alert you, or if a room gets cold, you can be notified and tell your Nest thermostat to turn up the temperature. It has also been accepted into Apple’s HomeKit system.

Alarm by Scout, from $130 Start with a Scout wi-fi base station and add motion sensors, disarming panels, and open-close sensors, as needed. Set the software to respond to, say, the front door opening, with a text to you or a call to the police. The hardware and software can integrate with third-party lock and video devices, too.

Founded in 2005, Myfox benefits from years of consumer insight that newer smart home security startups lack. Studying user feedback from across Europe, the French company found 30 percent of users were unplugging their cameras when home to protect themselves from hackers' prying eyes.

Dropcam cameras with motion detectors are installed throughout the property. Willson also uses them to manage beer and wine fermentation remotely.

“I love the house more each day,” says Tamami Sylvester of her and husband Michael's home by Sebastian Mariscal in Venice, California. The kitchen, which includes all Miele appliances, is sheathed in custom woodwork from Semihandmade. Accessories from A+R complement the Caesarstone countertops and Franke faucet. A LifeSource Water System provides filtration. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

Six-inch-square blue tiles cover the walls and floor of the girls’ upstairs bathroom. The towels and rug are also by H&M Home.

"How would a kid draw a house?" architect Per Franson asked himself when designing the Olivero-Reinius family home. The simple prefab structure’s unusual color comes from a traditional source: falu rödfärg, the historic mineral paint that gives the region’s famous barns their red color.

Architect Gustavo Costa calls the home library the “project’s heart.” This central space houses the owner’s expansive collection of about 5,000 books, and acts as a meeting place for friends and colleagues. A Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Red and Blue chair completes the space.

5. "What are the top 10 most important things I must have in a home?" "If there are two people buying the home, write your answers down separately, starting with your absolute must-haves," Hoffman explains. “Putting together a list separately can give both parties and the realtor a clear picture of what the perfect home will have for both of you."

An outdoor shower was the family’s first construction project. “Doing the shower made us realize we can build things the way we want to build them,” says Meg.

After renting in San Francisco for a decade, DIY couple Molly Fiffer and Jeff Waldman bought 10 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the pair and their friends built a cabin compound complete with sheds, tree decks, a pavilion, a wood-fired hot tub, an outhouse, and an outdoor shower. The cabin is made from locally sourced, rough-sawn redwood, which the couple stained with nontoxic Eco Wood Treatment to give the panels an aged appearance and a dark patina.

“We sought to create a house that would not damage the environment and not be too visible,” says architect Tina Gregorič. A single zigzagging roof stretches over 5,380 square feet, doubling the area of the interior spaces and serving as an ideal spot for sunset cocktails and whale-watching.