Homes that orbit high is the sky? Not likely in 2031, but plenty of neat-o things are sure to be commonplace.

There’s a great article over at ABCNews.com about Good Morning America’s technology contributor, Beck Worley’s, tour of Popular Science and Sunset magazines’ “House of the Future.”

Designed to feature some possible concepts in the year 2031, the home is full of Jetson-era conveniences and is much more warm and comfortable than you might think of the future being over 20 years from now. Some excerpts:

Music. According to Ms Worley, the home featured music in all of the rooms — but no apparent speakers or stereo equipment. Subtle wall-mounted controls pulled music from a variety of devices — an iPod, CD player, radio or other media source. The idea here is that everything is “seamlessly integrated” — no wires and simple, intuitive controls.

Video. This futuristic home had a high-powered media room with a hi-def projector displaying crisp video images on an 8-foot tall screen. LCDs and plasma screens where everywhere, including in the kitchen where it has Internet access (millions of recipes at your fingertips?) and is integrated with the home’s security camera system.

And while big screens dominate our homes now, in the future, it’s likely that TV screens could be replaced by fabric on a wall, according to legendary futurist Paul Saffo.

Windows. Now, most often seen on the most upscale of homes, this future home didn’t have curtains to shield the inside from outdoor viewers — windows have electric currents running through them that, with a flick of a switch, go from transparent to opaque.

Smart Kitchens. Radio frequency ID tags on packages and containers of food will communicate with the home network to keep fridges and pantries stocked with just-in-time speed. Stoves too will be updated,using induction heating to boil a pan of water in five seconds with far less energy than today’s appliances use.

Health. By self-identifying yourself with a fingerprint scan in the bathroom, your toilet will actually be able to monitor your glucose and cholesterol levels, alert a caregiver if levels are too low and integrate with your personal health records.

Power. As solar panels increase in efficiency and new, consumer-sized windmills make their way to market, look for more energy-efficiency in the home of the future. Already, appliances are much more efficient than those just a few years ago and this is trend sure to increase as consumers face higher and higher energy costs.