Prediction: The new modern home will come equipped with an EV charging station, drone landing pads, a home fitness center, and a sustainable garden.

Shelter, along with food and clothing is one of life’s most essential necessities. The term “shelter,” which is often used to define housing, has a strong connection to the ultimate purpose of housing - a safe, secure place that provides both privacy and protection from the elements and a place to rest.  Early dwellings were minimalist in size and typically made of materials such as straw or animal hides and supported by wood or bones which could be quickly erected or taken down.

Over time, homes moved away from being plain and simple structures to dignified and gracious monuments built to emphasize the cultural and economic prosperity of a society. With the advent of new construction materials and advances in technology, amenities such as indoor plumbing, electric lighting, central heating, and gas cookers starting to make their way into the home, helping redefine the relationships that people had with their house. Family size, and the rise in living standards also played a role in the evolution of the home, which also changed and shaped family and social relationships. 

In the earliest of times, homes in the US were typically very small structures that consisted of a single room. During the 19th century, different functions of the house were compartmentalized into separate areas and public and private rooms were kept apart. In the mid-1900s, as cities grew, crime rates started to rise and infrastructure in the urban areas started to decay, we saw the migration from urban to suburban areas where there was an abundance of cheap land. As a result, home sizes started getting larger (despite household sizes shrinking) and floorplans started to change. For example, In the 1950s, homes typically consisted of a couple of bedrooms, a kitchen, a small living area, and one bathroom. In the 1960s with the proliferation of the automobile, houses began to be built with garages and more living space. In the 1970s, more homes started to be built as energy-efficient, and in the 1980s two-story homes started becoming more popular as were verandas, swimming pools, and fireplaces.

Although these changes were a natural progression of the technological and societal advances, they did serve to change the dynamics of family behavior (which is a topic for another time), but also the manner in which households utilized their homes. Houses started to stand for more than just shelter and rest but became instrumental for socializing, hosting gatherings, working and exercise.  They started to become a microcosm for the way that people lived their lives. It provided a place for people to find comfort, establish traditions, and better their work/life balance all in the comfort of one location.

As a result, rooms within the home changed dramatically. Kitchens which used to be small and isolated became a social place, open to the rest of the home. Dining rooms, on the other hand, declined in popularity as families preferred to eat in the kitchen.  The living room, typically located in the back of the house and mainly restricted to family use, became a social area and no longer set apart from other rooms.  The bathroom evolved from being minimal in space and often just one or two per home, to becoming large and ornate with a master bathroom consisting of separate tubs from the shower, double vanities, and various other amenities. Home offices started to make their way into some of the more elaborate homes as did exercise rooms outdoor living spaces, wine cellars, and gardens.

As we enter into the 21st century, these advances have only been proliferated due to technological advances and lifestyle changes driving homeowners to desire more flexibility, sustainability, and convenience. We are seeing a resurgence in homes that can accommodate multiple generations, homes that provide a greater focus on clean energy, and homes that are smarter and more efficient.

So what does all that mean for the home of the future? Outside of the fact that many of these newer homes will likely be using off-site construction methods or even 3D printing, the most drastic changes will likely be witnessed in the interior of the home and the appliances throughout.

Some of the major areas we see the home changing are as follows:

Technology:

Promising convenience, comfort, entertainment, security, energy savings, and other benefits, smart home devices have taken off with consumers in recent years.  According to a 2020 market assessment done on Smart Speaker and Smart Displays by Statista, 34% of US broadband households own at least one smart home device. Smart speakers, which have come down significantly in price are now powering and connecting homes long left off the grid. The majority of consumers have quickly become accustomed to having the ability to turn music on with simple voice commands or a tap on their phone. Almost any traditional appliance or electronic device in the home now can be purchased with some sort of smart feature, often enabling the end-user to control the device remotely.  As people become more self-aware and self-sufficient, they are looking for their homes to provide the tools to be able to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The Internet of Things (IoT) will be intertwined in all aspects of the home, integrating the digital and real world. Smart, internet-enabled refrigerators will come programmed to detect the kinds of products being stored in them and keep track of stock to automatically order anything that is running low.  Smart ovens and stoves will come with screens to help in the preparation of any type of meal. Scanners will be available to detect ingredients and identify nutrients as well as, determine if there are any allergies to be concerned with. And 3D printers will potentially allow us to print our own food.
We’ve already seen things like electrical toothbrushes make their way into the bathroom, but the generation will include advances like connected sensors in the brush head that provide real-time feedback on brushing techniques that share information with your dentist to help prevent the disease and decay. Smart toilets will not only self-clean and provide heating but will be able to analyze the contents and give a complete picture of how well our bodies are functioning. And bathroom mirrors will use facial recognition to help determine things like mental health, breathing rates, skincare, etc.

Air purifiers will be situated throughout the home that can monitor levels of particles in the air and automatically adjust to ensure air quality is maintained providing constant feedback to the fire and police. Televisions and radios will become emotionally intelligent and be able to track all of our behaviors as well as our emotional well-being. Picture frames will be digital and allow us to stream our most coveted NFTs, and AR/VR will increasingly make its way into people’s experiences. You get the idea, nearly everything in the home will be connected.

Sustainable Living:

Homes will increasingly become more sustainable and communities will look to develop energy strategies for becoming energy self-sufficient. Outside of solar panels and battery packs becoming more prevalent, homes will include sensors that will be able to more actively and efficiently manage the energy usage in the home by powering down non-essential equipment during peak times and topping up at off-peak hours. Electric cars will also require homes to come with charging stations that will be able to connect to the home’s renewable energy system.
Another area we think will have a resounding resurgence is in home gardens and the ability for homeowners and communities to grow and maintain their own fruits and vegetables on a year-round basis. The desire for healthier living is driving a movement toward more plant-based diets and with the advances in technology, it will be possible to create controlled growing platforms that can produce organic products in any climate or environment.

Home Design:

As homeowners look for more efficiency and flexibility with regards to usability and convenience, open spaces and modular floor plans will become more and more popular allowing homeowners to transform spaces as their lifestyles change. Home offices will become essential and a must-have as work from home becomes a more standard way of life.  This could introduce sound-proof walls/rooms entering the home for the first time to help accommodate multiple family members and/or online schooling. As shopping habits are changing and the adoption of delivery becomes more and more prevalent, home designs will need to adjust to make the process more convenient. Although still probably years away, it’s not unthinkable that homes will need to include landing pads for drones to be able to safely deliver products from Amazon and the like. However, in the near term, we anticipate new homes upgrading the traditional“mail slot”, allowing for large parcels to be safely delivered and secured.

Today, many of us find ourselves continuing to accumulate smart products in our home, as an afterthought of sorts, but as we look to the future, homes will be built “smart” from the ground up and will be an integral part of the design. Ultimately, we believe smart-home technology will transition from providing conveniences to becoming as essential as plumbing and electricity.