If asked, can you recall what the home looked like in the cartoon show, The Jetsons?
Right—it's up in the sky, cars flying around it, there's cleaning robots and automatic meals. Etc. etc. It was an "out of this world" concept!
But many of the items and concepts we saw in The Jetsons aren't too far off today—think smart home, automation, and cleaning robots: hello, Roomba!
Technology is quickly becoming a part of every aspect of our lives, including our homes. And if you think about what homes will look like in the future...say 2030...it's impossible to imagine homes without technology integrated into them.
So exactly what will homes look like in the future?
Renting or buying?
This might hit the building industry hard, but with the trend of downsizing and living closer to the city continuing to grow (thanks, Tiny Homes)—we can expect to see a decrease in people building/buying homes, and instead more people renting a space in mixed-use buildings.
Smart kitchens to help you cook
Imagine a work station/benchtop/counter top that switches from average kitchen counters to an induction cook top or technology station.
From prepping right to cooking, kitchens will experience a complete renovation that saves more time on tasks, such as measuring ingredients, checking cooking temperatures, tracking progress of cooking, etc.
Do we have milk in the fridge? Don't worry—you'll kitchen will tell you. Talk about being spoiled.
Smart cleaning
We already enjoy the use of automatic vacuums or mopping robots, but what we could experience is self-cleaning cutlery, surfaces that remind you when it's time for a deep clean, or windows that automatically clean themselves—yes, VELUX Clean, Quiet, Safe glass!
Monitoring on our health
Our homes will become our protector. They'll be designed to tell us the air quality and climate in our homes, when we should exercise, remind us to take our medicine, or keep track of how many calories we've consumed a day, and make suggestions of meal based on items we have already in the fridge.
Flexible spaces
Our homes will become our haven, work space, and entertainment spaces too—since it will be in use 24/7.
So future homes will need to be able to easily adapt to changing needs throughout the day. Flexible floor plans, movable walls, ceilings that rise—completely transformable house to let us be ready for whatever we need.
Personalized living
Sure we might decorate with our own sense of style and add our own touch to the space, but nothing says "your house" like smart technology integrated into your space.
From walking into the ideal climate setting for you, AIs that help us remember tasks, timers, and reminders, to having an app recognize when you're ten minutes from home and switches on different lights and the coffee pot for you.
Although most of this technology is being developed and used now, in 2030, we can expect this to be fully (and seamlessly) integrated into all homes.
I'm excited for the future. Are you?