What Futurists In 1989 Predicted Homes In 2020 To Look Like

Photo 213787996 © Gavin Lardner | Dreamstime.com

Y2K—which, mind you, was over two decades ago—seemed like a whole world of possibilities during the 80s and 90s. True enough, this was when Web 2.0 began to take shape, as did social media and smartphones.

In 1989, the folks at the BBC were a little more ambitious. They projected life 30 years forward, into 2020, and imagined the future of technology in homes. This was chronicled in a television program called Tomorrow’s World 2020, and a snippet from the show—uncovered by GeekyTyrant—is now on YouTube.

Futurist Christine MacNulty was called in to help predict living spaces in the next three decades, and she outlined her vision in a (supposedly) modern-looking house mocked up in the BBC studio. Meanwhile, glass technology specialist David Button demonstrated how high-tech glass could double as a window and even art.

The segment correctly predicted that technology would be less visible, “embedded in the very fabric of the house,” allowing homeowners to decorate their living spaces without clunky metals disrupting the look.

It also foresaw smart home controls that let people walk into a room and switch on the lights or play music with a simple voice command, in addition to the “critical importance” of environmentally-friendly alternatives that keep emissions low.

Of course, the feature didn’t get everything right, and you can spot some of the details that haven’t manifested in the video below. Check back in 10 years, maybe?

[via GeekyTyrant and BBC Archive, cover photo 213787996 © Gavin Lardner | Dreamstime.com]