Home styles have certainly changed a lot over the years. From huts made of mud and kit homes you could order from a department store to the more luxurious styles that are emerging in today’s markets, each generation tries to improve upon the home of the past. While the latest trends in home building are certainly meeting the needs of modern families, it’s fun to dream about what the homes of the future might look like. Taking some of the concepts we’ve seen recently, we’ve made some predictions about what you can expect from the homes of the future.
1. Smarter Homes
These days, it’s possible to connect some of your home’s electronic devices to your smartphone. This allows you to turn the heater on just before you come home or turn on the lights while you’re on vacation to fool would-be burglars.
In the future, you can expect smart homes to boldly go where no home has gone before! For example, they’ll start to adapt to you - automatically adjusting setting preferences as you enter different rooms. In the kitchen, you’ll be able to instantly call up any recipe and get help with ingredient preparation. In fact, we're already seeing this with the appearance of smart fridges. Your home will probably even alert you if something unusual happens; that is to say, your home will tattle should your teen throw any unauthorized parties when you’re out of town.
2. Safer Homes
Advances have already been made to make homes safer, including earthquake-safe building materials and hurricane-proof windows. However, designers are looking to take things to the final frontier. For example, a recent concept for a tornado-proof home sees the house protect itself by lowering into the ground. In dry areas, a home made from fireproof materials could keep it safe in the case of wildfires. These ideas will work especially well for those who live in regions prone to certain natural disasters.
3. Zero-Waste Homes
Houston, we have a problem. As talk of climate change continues to grow, people are becoming more aware of their impact on the planet - especially as the world’s population continues to increase. The homes of the future promise to be a part of the solution, as they will likely offer a variety of ways to reduce waste.
Solar panels, no-fuss compost stations, and built-in recycling centres are already being implemented, but imagine having a home “digestion tank”. These tanks, predicted to be full of bacteria, will be responsible for disposing of all household waste. Additionally, our homes may be able to create, reuse and store all their own energy through “fuel cell stacks” and solar panels.
4. Funkier Homes
As a child, you probably imagined that your future home would look something like the ones you saw on The Jetsons. Now, that’s not to say homes of the future won’t take to the skies eventually, but experts are actually predicting more of an underground movement. For instance, you’re likely to see more homes built into the natural environment – this is mainly due to the energy efficiency this type of build garners. We’re also likely to see more homes on stilts in areas where flooding may occur, as well as more homes on water (ships, houseboats etc).
5. Changeable Homes
Redecorating your house can be fun, but it can also take up a lot of time and money. This won’t be the case in the future. When you want to change the colour of your walls, you won’t have to worry about splattering paint on the furniture. You’ll just push a button and the “digital paint” will simply change to the colour you want. The furniture of the future will be a lot more versatile as well, with a single piece sometimes serving two or three different purposes. With a table that turns into a bed or a desk that converts to a couch, you’ll be able to comfortably live in a smaller space – the possibilities are endless...to infinity and beyond!
6. Healthier Homes
People are health conscious, and you can see this in a lot of the gizmos and gadgets they buy for their homes. Moving forward, we think you’ll start to see some of these things built right into your home's design. In-faucet water filters are a given, but you’ll also see various ways of keeping the home sanitized. You may even have a self-cleaning kitchen, where the counters let you know when germs are present and the fridge, dishwasher and even the plates will be self-cleaning. Perhaps the dirtiest areas – like the toilet and kitchen counters – will be self-sanitizing. This will result in less housework for you, meaning you can enjoy your home even more.
7. Specialized Homes
Most homes follow a standard blueprint. You have bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and at least one bathroom. As people want to spend more time in their homes, it might become a lot more common to have specialized rooms. You won’t raise an eyebrow when your friends buy a house that has a home office, a playroom, a movie room, and an exercise room in addition to all of the basics.
Of course, there’s no telling what the future will hold for certain. Some of these ideas may only be a close encounter, but we’re sure a few will make a big bang in the years to come.
