Homes of the Future
14th April 2016
Whilst to some the future is a world dominated by hover boards and robotic pets, we’ve put our heads together to have a think about what might really arrive in our homes in the not so distant future. We’re all guilty of picking up home gadgets on a whim with every intention of using them, before they inevitably get shoved into the forgotten drawer. As technology continues to develop, we’ll see an end to this in the homes of the future where gadgets and technologies will spring up in all directions with useful written all over them. From self-making beds and robot butlers, to curved living spaces with futuristic white exteriors, we have a lot to look forward to when we welcome the distant future into our homes. Here’s a glimpse at what you can expect.
Interact with the home
The smart phone is a convenience that has changed the way we interact with the world around us forever. It’s changed the way we think, the way we use services, the way we plan our days and in fact, our entire lifestyle. Right now, we’re controlling our lights, security systems, kettles, televisions and coffee machines with our smart phones, but who knows what the future might bring? Soon we’ll be commanding our homes to turn on the oven or feed the dog. We have the technology to create an app for anything, so watch this space.
Robots
Robots in the home have long been an ambition of the common man and a reality of the rich and famous, but in the future they’re set to become a staple in homes all over the world. As the years have flown by, we’ve become less reliant on the human touch and more upon money and time-saving technology. It’s only a matter of time before robots become an everyday part of life in the family home. Those who struggle to find time to enjoy family life can set their helpers to clean, cook, interact and even play to create more time to enjoy family life. Beyond that, robots are designed precisely with the ability to accomplish intricate tasks that as humans we don’t particularly love, so it won’t be long before they’re stood on your trusty ladder tiling the roof.
Saving valuable space
Saving space is at the top of the to-do list for many living in urban homes. Whilst multifunctional furniture plays its part, innovative ways to pack more into a small space are slowly emerging on the home-style scene. Designed to take up as little space as possible, as you might expect, the Tower Kitchen is designed upwards rather than outwards. A dishwasher, oven, sink, fridge and more all fit into a sleek tower that retracts, opens, closes, spins and anything else you might need it to. It’s solar powered and the water is recycled therefore it’s not only space saving, but it’s energy efficient too. In the future, building our kitchens upwards may be the way forward.
Quirky spaces
For some, a family meal at the table is an important part of home life, but sometimes it can be difficult to get everybody together. More and more design is about creating products and places that encourage people to want to be together. Kure folding dining tables are space age in their appearance, offering a unique setting to dine that will have the kids practicing their best table manners in no time. The ambient, blue glow creates a chilled-out mood for a meal and once all is said and done, the dining room table and chairs fuse back together and retreat into the original oval shape. We can expect to see many more designs like this in the future.
Sustainability
Sustainability plays a huge role in architecture and design, therefore it’s no surprise to hear that in the future every single home looks to be almost completely sustainable, where each home will benefit from its own solar panels as well as a generator. And for those who really want to go the extra mile, wind turbines in the garden will become a common site on the horizon. By tying new homes into the power grid and sending power to those homes yet to make the move to self-generating power sources, this will even out power distribution amongst communities.
It’s only a matter of time before we all start living like mole people, in lairs underground. Okay, not quite, but underground homes are set to play a big part in sustainable living in the future. Not only are they less susceptible to the temperature outside which results in a more stable temperature inside, but they are protected from mother nature’s forces. Underground living tops the list of things the world’s conservationists are getting excited about.
The world will master the art of sleeping
A home that helps you sleep? This sounds like a dream. Whilst some of us think we are pretty good at sleeping, in the near future we would have officially mastered the art. Whilst white noise generators seem good enough today, in the future you’ll be accustomed to falling asleep to the sound of waves, the smell of the sea and the touch of sand amongst freshly ventilated air. Not only this, but scientists are currently hard at work monitoring sleep patterns, breathing rates, and heart rates to come up with ways to help the body sleep through the use of a smart mattress.