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."

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.

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

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.

Floor-to-celing glass overlooks a deck and the garden beyond. The facade is a combination of light-gray stucco and cement panels.

For their full court "Simply.Connected." push, Bosch brought to CES a holistic smart home system that can be governed centrally via a single platform and smart controller. Lighting, shades, smoke alarms, windows, and other features work in concert to deliver efficiency, convenience, and security.

The kitchen features button-free appliances, and carbonated water on tap.

Eliminate the pain in house chores with gadgets that will do the heavy lifting for you.

Smart Home Kit by LittleBits, $249 at littlebits.cc This kit turns a home into a smart home without the wholesale replacement of every fixture. The kit comes with 14 modules that can be combined to turn virtually any object into an Internet-connected device.

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.

With Control4 automation, everything from music to lighting can be managed with the tap of a touchscreen. The Casalis balanced their home’s high-tech features with rich materials including a marble backsplash by Ciot, a wood table from Kantelberg + Co., and quartz countertops by Caesarstone. The casual dining area features Kartell Masters chairs and an airy Triumph chandelier by Eurofase.

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.

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.

“First, determine a technology budget, then pick the most important features to have,” Raizin advises. “Many want a fully integrated, ultra-high-tech home, but the cost for that can be in the six-figures.”

Today's gadgets successfully streamline modern entertaining.

In short, "turning the trailer into a smart home has also eliminated a lot of potential stress." Air cards connect the trailer to the internet via cellular networks, so Pendl can monitor it from anywhere.

And why the "with Disney"? Thanks to a partnership with Disney, Circle with Disney users have access to Disney videos, music, games, blogs, GIFs, and more, via each user's MyCircle dashboard. Disney aside, the dashboard is where each family memeber can track their filters, time online, and more. You can learn more about Circle with Disney and purchase it on their website here.

The color-coded lighting system can be moved around your home, and function as a tabletop decoration.

In many ways, the new Smart Booo lighting system bucks current smart home technology trends. The tactile, pebble like interface (pictured above on the countertop) doesn’t offer control via a smartphone. According to Fernando Arias, CEO of Booo, it all stems from the company’s form-follows-function approach. “You don’t want to arrive home and have to take your phone out of your pocket,” he says. “You want a nice hardware device you can [easily] control. Technology doesn’t need to be intimidating. We call it ‘grandfather proof.’”

Adele Chang and Mark Rohling of Pasadena firm Lim Chang Rohling & Associates designed the house, which is three times more water efficient than a typical house hold. The garden is xeriscaped and irrigated with graywater. The garden is also a source of energy for the residence. "We worked with the UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center to design an experimental ground-source radiant heating and cooling system that captures thermal energy from eight boreholes in the garden," Koenig says. "This type of borehole has the promise of dramatically reducing the cost of geothermal HVAC systems in the future." This video explains the mechanics and "thermal heart" of the home.

The Circle with Disney ($99) device is this small 3.25 inch cube whose rechargeable internal battery means it can't be deactivated by children. How does it work? Circle with Disney isn't a router but uses your existing internet setup. It employs "ARP spoofing," a technique that can be used to hack networks, to actually safeguard your WiFi. As your data moves between home devices and your router, it's redirected to this device for encryption and monitoring.

In the powder room, the vanity surface is Silestone, the sink is Kohler, and the faucet is Brizo. The drawer pulls are from Siro designs. An instant hot water system from Eemax was installed.

Lighting throughout the house is exclusively solid-state LED and was developed to complement the body’s natural circadian rhythm. "This technology is also used on the international space station," Koenig says. "Blue-ish hues are emitted in the morning, and amber tones are emitted at night. Honda worked with researchers from the California Lighting Technology Center at UC Davis to explore the circadian color control logic."

Keen Home's Smart Vent lets users remotely close heating and cooling vents in unused rooms, or rooms that tend to get excessively cool or hot—slight adjustments that could add up to big savings on the next utility bill. Decorative faceplates may be purchased for $20.

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.

All your surfing history stays in the Circle device and is never shared. While it instantly detects all your home devices, it only works with iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) with iOS 8 or later. Physically, Circle with Disney is small and inconspicuous. An ethernet cable port means you can connect it directly to the router if your internet is 60 MBps or faster. However, its simple exterior belies the wide range of features that let you manage and monitor, in detail, your home's online activity.

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

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

“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.