The microwave gets a very simple makeover, with typography that matches what appears in iOS 7. Photo by: Justin Wagoner

Coffee makers like this Cuisinart feature smart tech in sharp packaging—but they still clutter my counter.

Ab Rogers dons a bold suit that suits the spirit of the accompanying decor he designed.

While certain devices like the thermostat can remain off the network, every device you do add—from tablets to videogame consoles—is assgined to a family member's profile. From there, you can assign specific rules and limits to what each person sees and does across all their internet-connected devices.

Beyond simple parental controls for each user—the filter levels are pre-k, kid, teen, adult—you can also monitor or assign limits for particular apps or websites such as Youtube or Instagram. Circle's database even places most websites into certain categories (such as business, health, hobbies, chat + forum) that can serve as the basis for filtering or tracking individual interests.

On a basic level, the app allows you to monitor how long any user can be on the internet. It can even "pause" the entire home internet for chores, family dinner, or bedtime. Circle with Disney also adds up each user profile's internet usage across platforms to guarantee one hour of internet usage truly means one hour. Each user can track their stats and receive notifications when time limits are reached.

In the guest room, for example, the built-in unit contains a pull-down Murphy Bed, which makes the most of the elongated space.

Once activated, the sensors feed to a central information source, accessible through a web browser or on the Android and iOS apps. Should a pipe start leaking, or a rainstorm creep inside, the system will text or email you to altert you that moisture levels are rising.

High ceilings with restored gypsum mouldings are another nod to the structure's historic past. "The project is best understood as an art gallery whose main objective is to offer the best possible frame to exhibit art whilst at the same time providing an optimal experience for its users," says Victor Alavedra, a partner of the firm. Glass doors connect the kitchen to the guest room beyond.

The firm also framed all of the original mosaic tiles with oak parquetry, a discrete detail that blends seamlessly with the material palette of the new cabinetry throughout, while also accentuating each mosaic composition to appear almost as a graphic rug. The pendants above the kitchen workspace are Duo pendants by Anglepoise.

In Barcelona's Eixample district, young firm Built Architecture updated a historic 19th-century flat with an eye towards preserving its colorful mosaic tile floors, which date back to the early 1900s. In the dining room, a sculpture by Laurent Martin Lo hangs suspended above the table.

The cabinetry extends all the way to the large master bedroom at the end of the hall; the bathroom is also accessible from the guest room.

The cabinetry also accommodates a compact library, which can be accessed from the guest room. "The perimeter of the apartment is completely free by concentrating the intervention in one single and continuous volume that works as a spine," the firm explains.

In the guest bedroom, cabinetry was installed at just below the ceiling height to bring natural light into the space. The central cabinetry unit unites various areas of the home, and serves multiple functions, depending on the room.

Typical of historic homes in Eixample, the apartment's rooms are laid out along two central corridors that meet to form a 'V' shape. The firm's update to the space centers around the addition of an oak cabinet wall, which adds generous storage to the narrow floor plan.

A floor plan shows the unique dimensions of Casa AB, centralized around two main corridors, which the firm says is typical of Eixample homes. The service areas of the home (kitchen, dining bar, guest room, bathroom) are aligned along one end, where the cabinetry was installed; situated along the other are the communal areas, including the sitting room, dining room, and library.

Set on a southeast-facing slope, the AB Cabin is fitted with double-glazed windows that frame views of the town of Taihape and rolling hills beyond.

The only grouping of Frank Lloyd Wright's early American System-Built Homes—built by Arthur Richards and designed with standardized components for mass appeal to moderate-income families—is situated in the Burnham Park neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The four model 7A duplexes, one model B1 bungalow (shown here), and model C3 bungalow were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Swedish design by Metagram art AB, www.metagram.se

AB Design Studio transformed a warehouse into the headquarters of Forms + Surfaces in Carpinteria, California.

A&B Awards, a set of modern trophies.

A look at the living room in the show apartment by Ab Rogers Design. Bespoke pieces by the Goldfinger Factory include the aluminum planter base and glass table with cardboard base.

The AB Cabin is set in the middle of high country with Mount Ruapehu to the north and the Ruahine Ranges to the south. The building takes inspiration from the surrounding timber-framed houses and metal-clad farm buildings.

Formerly an aging dive bar, this acclaimed restaurant in Montecito, California, was transformed by AB Design Studio into an inviting and high-end eatery with a 20-foot-long custom accordion-style door system.

1987 AB 1 Dietrich Lubs

Lightroom 1.0, a photography studio, is a freestanding structure on the property. “Together, they represent an autobiography of my career,” Carpenter says.

Solvatten Solar Safe-Water System. Petra Wadström (Swedish, b. 1952), Solvatten AB. Manufactured by Mälarplast AB. Sweden, 2008. ABS plastic, acrylic. Photo: David Wadström

Both the sitting and standing versions of DESK 01, a collaboration between Artifox and IdeaPaint, are outfitted with dry erase surfaces for recording sudden bursts of creativity.

Style: "#1"

In an effort to create an abundance of light and air flow throughout the space, the home follows an L-shaped floor plan that wraps around outdoor areas. “We designed several open spaces, each with a different feel: the garden and pool, the terrace, and the back patio,” says Cesarman. “The idea was to reduce the area to the most basic and essential [elements].”

The W.W. Stool by Philippe Starck.

AB Cabin section