The outdoor hearth is primed for cooking in the summer.

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.

Induction cooktops, growing steadily in popularity due to their energy efficiency and speed, are part of the offering as well as as a selection of exhaust hoods.

About her collection of cookware, Tyler comments: “I use accessories as the color in spaces so these items are an integral part of the overall design."

In the kitchen, which faces west to capture views of the San Jacinto Mountains, a large red work by James Jensen punctuates one wall. The induction cooktop is from Gaggenau; the sinks were sourced from Blanco.

Shoku enjoys cooking.

While larger ranges and appliances are still common, Hottenroth says the fully integrated look—including the induction cooktop—is becoming a popular alternative.

The Miele Induction Cooktop combines convenient features, like an expanded cook zone, with smart kitchen functionality. Using Con@ctivity 2.0 technology, it can communicate with applicable Miele ventilation hoods to turn on-and-off in sync.

"The Monogram induction range keeps a consistent, un-changing temperature that is unparalleled by any other cooktop I’ve worked on. This makes it perfect for maintaining a pot of oil for frying, especially at a social cocktail party where you need a lot of food fast and can’t risk losing the perfect temperature."

Dubbed the Monoblock, GE’s forward-thinking micro-kitchen concept boasts cooking, refrigeration, and cleaning modules joined in a compact unit. The project is part of FirstBuild, a joint venture between GE and the crowdsourcing platform Local Motors. The new model for appliance invention seeks to engage engineers, designers, and scientists by developing products and bringing them to market.

“We want guests to come together and eat and have a drink,” says Judith, “but we also want guests to feel like they have their private space.”

At designjunction, New Works of Copenhagen displayed these candlesticks, which explore different concrete textures.

Works is being released in several editions: 1–100, signed, numbered, and covered in leather in a Micarta case ($6,000); 101–1,100, signed, numbered, and covered in linen ($1,000); and a smaller hardcover version ($70) available in 2013.

Velma works a puzzle in front of a sofa from Ire.

The owners brought their Elmira Stove Works appliances, including the Model 1958/1959 refrigerator and the matching Model 1955 stove, into their new home. Custom cabinets and IKEA chairs provide an equally bright finish.

Slide-In Induction Chef Collection Range with Flex Duo™ Oven Induction cooking is gaining interest in the United States (it still trails gas and electric stoves, though) and Samsung introduced a new range as part of its Club des Chefs collection—an appliance line developed in tandem with Michelin-starred chefs around the world. This range is designed to offer the look of pricier built-ins but with easier installation and an easier sum for the pocket book (retail is $3,699). The glass cooking surface extends slightly from the edge of the range for a snug fit with adjacent countertops and the control panel is in the front, allowing for a the back of the appliance to sit flush with the backsplash. In a move that makes induction a little less "foreign" to consumers, this model also features LED lights on each of the cooking zones to illuminate the base of pots, much like a gas flame looks. The stronger the cooking power, the brighter the flame. Yes, there's a lot of show in this product, but there's ample utility, too: the flex-duo oven allows users to divide the cavity into two separate temperature zones if so desired.

A previous owner remodeled the kitchen in 2000, outfitting it with stainless-steel cabinets by Bulthaup as well as a Sub-Zero refrigerator and an induction stove by Diva.

The Dacor Modernist Induction Cooktop features advanced induction technology with a mesmerizing VirtualFlame, preset cooking modes, and flexible cook zones controlled with the swipe of a finger.

A sleek galley kitchen packs function and style into a small space.

Brooklyn architect Tim Seggerman designed and built what he calls a “crafted jewel box”. Utilizing the petite space in his New York apartment Seggerman creates an enveloping cabin of blond woods.

The Food Zone Fine-tuning your cooking and dining areas pays off in more ways than just saving resources. As in other functional zones, their success starts with awareness: Where exactly does your food come from? Where exactly does your trash go after you haul it to the curb? Playing an active role in your family’s food cycle can be eye-opening, and it often helps spark an interest in improving other house zones.

With all the add-ons fitted, the Ulaelu cooking platform can be set up to handle the entire cooking process. The base unit starts at just under $2,000. One possible add-on, the sink, features a holder to position your garden hose in place. Used water can be funneled with a hose to a drainpipe or flowerbed.

Along with the main platform, you can order a charcoal grill with a stainless steel cooking grate for preparing meat and vegeables.

The fully kitted version of the Ulaelu, with a sink and hose holder, drained stone work surface, and charcoal grill costs $5,018. It's higher than the cost of a $150 Weber charcoal grill, a $400 gas grill, or a sub-$100 fold-away table, but you’re purchasing a full-fledged kitchen that will transform your outdoor cooking experience.

"I don't like traditional spatulas very much," Perelman says. "I always find them a little thick and cumbersome, but I love using what's called a flexible fish spatula and there's no reason just to use it for fish; I use it for everything. It's a thinner metal spatula that's a bit bendy. It's like razor thin so you can slide it under anything really easily. I use it to loosen cakes from pans and to get them off a springform base. I've gotten rid of pretty much every metal or bent spatula for this instead." Sur La Table sells stainless-steel versions for $9–$17.

Your contractor should be on the construction site daily to check on work progress and monitor the job.

How House, the site of the May 17, 2014 reception and talk, and included on the May 18 tour. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

Tsukasa GotoMarble has been a favorite material since ancient times—artists, designers, builders, and architects have long experimented with ways to use the stone. Japanese designer Tsukasa Goto deployed this material in myriad ways, showing its diverse capabilities and many personalities. A table made from travertine, a porous form of limestone and an early stage of marble, elevated the material. A tabletop display piece featured a jagged hunk of marble "piercing" a glass disc.

AP Works of Japan created this playful placemat, which uses an illusion to make it seem "as if the pattern has sunk under the weight of tableware."

Works on so many levels.

The kitchen offers plenty of counter space for cooking, which is done via a small convection oven that was gifted, and an induction cooktop that cost $40.

The family that works together stays together: Hachigian and Day at his-and-hers workstations in the shared lower-level study.

The beautifully updated kitchen has new quartz countertops, a mosaic tile backsplash, and a fast-cooking induction range. The large center island adds storage and seating.