18 home-tech lessons from 1 super brainy house

1. Airy great room

Innovations: Tall, glass, pocket doors by Roder (through Heartwood Window & Door) open the living room to a courtyard and a shimmering pool. Inside, an air-quality system filters particles down to one micron. Lighting levels adjust to the time of day.

Takeaway idea: Simple lighting and a light palette add to the room's spaciousness.

2. Connected kitchen

Innovations: A sculptural stainless steel GE hood over the concrete-topped island keeps the room open. The counter is a natural place for Sony's VGC-LS1 tabletop, which has a built-in keyboard cover designed for kitchen use. A Web-based security video system from iControl Networks monitors the entrance path, pool and patio.

Takeaway idea: One side of the red-accented island functions as a breakfast bar or buffet. Stainless steel stools tuck under the counter.

3. Help with the cleaning

The tech: When the floor gets dirty, don't reach for the mop. The iRobot Scooba gently scrubs hard surfaces, using infrared sensors to find its way around a room. Scooba can assess how dirty a floor is and adjust its scrubbing mechanism accordingly.

• MSN Tech & Gadgets: The robot designs of iRobot

4. Just off the kitchen

Innovation: Between the informal entry and the kitchen proper, this space is used for messages, dining, homework and meal planning. The outdoor grill is mere feet away, making this room a perfect staging area for entertaining.

Takeaway idea: Counters are for more than chopping and holding appliances. This granite-topped surface from DuPont contains a built-in trough for icing bottled drinks.

5. Cooking alfresco

Innovation: An abstract mural of Claymonde ceramic tiles from Fireclay Tile in energetic ochres, reds and greens complements sleek outdoor appliances by Viking Range Corp.. The bisque Corian counter is long enough to function as a buffet.

Takeaway idea: Most countertops have a backsplash of some kind. Extend it higher, and you have an accent wall.

6. Smooth transition

Innovations: Concrete floor tiles in tans and gray-greens echo the colors of the landscape. A slide-and-fold door system from NanaWall also links the house to its surroundings.

Takeaway idea: Extend floor tiles outside for your own indoor-outdoor connection.

7. Sculptural lighting

Innovation: The curvy fixture from Artemide bathes walls and ceiling with soft light.

Takeaway idea: Lighting can do more than illuminate. These sculptural sconces add elegance and character.

8. The ultimate wine vault

Innovation: The wine room contains the new Big Kahuna wine vault by GE. Its computerized, bar-coded inventory system lists the optimum time to drink each wine.

Takeaway idea: Add interest to a room by using contrasting materials, such as this table of reclaimed redwood and concrete by Holmes Wilson Tables,  and smooth stainless steel pendant lamp.

9. Dream home theater

The tech: Pro Home Systems provided the state-of-the-art media center:

•  Screen Innovations' Theater Reference high-definition projection screen (sizes range from 80 inches to 300 inches).
• SIM2's Grand Cinema C3X projector, delivering three-chip quality in a small (17-inch-by-7.5-inch-by-17-inch) unit.

10. Clutter-busting media closet

Innovation: Running lights from the home-theater equipment glow behind textured glass.

Takeaway idea: Design a space for your stack of electronics, turning them into a visual statement of their own.

• MSN Tech & Gadgets: Cheap HDTV and home theater tricks

11. Soothing master bedroom

The tech: A remote-control switch makes it possible to close or open the shades (by Budget Blinds) from the bed. The bedside panel also controls home security, lighting and audio.

12. Master bath at your service

Innovations: A computerized shower system by Kohler lets you set individual water temperatures and spray actions. Phase-change windows from Glass Paradigm change from clear to cloudy at the touch of a switch.

Takeaway idea: The warm cafe au lait color of the concrete tiles (by Sonoma Cast Stone) warms the space. Understated stainless steel fixtures add to the calm.

13. Spa bath

Innovations: The medicine-cabinet mirror houses the faucet for the Kohler vanity, creating a minimalist look. The 12-inch-square groups of tiles, new from Heath Ceramics, create an argyle pattern on walls and floor.

Takeaway idea: A very simple color scheme helps a small space feel larger.

14. Toasty towels

The tech: The heated glass and metal rack from Thermique Technologies keeps towels warm while preserving a view of the tile wall.

15. Bionic scale

The tech: Tanita's BC549 Ironman InnerScan Monitor looks like a bathroom scale, but it also analyzes your percentage of body fat and water, muscle mass and basal metabolic rate, and stores the results to help you monitor progress.

16. Energy from the sun

The tech: Rooftop solar panels from SunTechnics can generate most or all of a home's electricity.

17. Robotic lawnmower

The tech: The Kyodo America Lawnbott mows up to three quarters of an acre using sensors and transmitters to find thicker or taller grass. The Lawnbott returns to its docking station for recharging when batteries run low.

• MSN Tech & Gadgets: The robot designs of iRobot

18. Contemporary design with roots in history

Design: The house wraps around a pool courtyard and climbs a hill to capture beautiful views. Herbs and vegetables mix with ornamental plants in the front yard. The two-story veranda off the master suite was inspired by a similar feature at playwright Eugene O'Neill's Tao House in nearby Danville, Calif.

• MSN Tech & Gadgets: Are your electronics energy hogs?