For early adopters, the idea of a fully functional smart home has been somewhat of a techie dream, somewhat intangible up until the past few years. Rewind a few decades, and think about Marty McFly's 2015 kitchen depicted in Back to the Future II. While the film may not have completely hit the nail on the head, one might be surprised about the kind of home innovation we do have -- we may not have hover boards just yet, but we can text our fridges, control heating and light from our phones and use voice commands to cook a meal.

An incredibly prevalent theme at CES 2015 is the Internet of Things, a tech trend that anticipates the integration of technology into everyday items you wouldn't normally think would or could be automated. Indeed, companies like Samsung, LG and Sony envision a future where products in your home -- from alarm clocks to washer dryers -- will talk to one another and naturally work in tandem, where your TV screens and windows sense your movement, and adjust accordingly, where music seamlessly jumps from your headphones to your stereo system. In just a few years, that old shack of yours will truly be all grown up.

Right now we're seeing a myriad of independent smart appliances, but eventually these products will be programmed to work in tandem ... hence, the "Smart Home." Yes, there are smart Samsung refrigerators, and yes, there are smart Sony televisions -- but can they, or will they ever, be able to communicate with each other? If and when they do, the adage "If these walls could talk" will take on a whole new meaning.