In 1989, the BBC predicted what homes would be like in 2020. Here’s what they got right and wrong.
In 1989, the BBC predicted what homes would be like in 2020. Here’s what they got right and wrong.
Publish Date: 2026-05-24 12:48:00
Source Domain: www.upworthy.com
Predicting the future has never been possible, but that hasn’t stopped people from trying. It’s also always fun to see how predictions about the future from the past actually pan out.
Thankfully, the BBC Archive holds videos from the 1980s in which experts tried to predict what life would be like decades into the future—in other words, now.
In 1989, the Tomorrow’s World series imagined what homes would be like in 2020. It’s fascinating to see what it predicted accurately and what never materialized.
What they got right and wrong about today’s homes
Futurist Christine MacNulty shared insights from her “Home of the Future” project, explaining what people in the future (us) would want from their homes.
“They’ll want all the benefits of modern technology but without all this cluttered and complex gadgetry that we have today,” she said. “They’ll want homes that work for them. By 2020, all of this will be possible. We’ll have things under control without all of these knobs and buttons. And what’s more, the technology itself will be embedded in the very fabric of the house and its furnishings.”
The video shows people walking through a set that represents a future home but looks hilariously retro-1990s to the modern eye.
“So the idea is once all the clutter of technology has gone, you’ll be able to furnish your rooms in any style you like,” a woman said.
Unfortunately, tech clutter is still a thing. Photo credit: Canva
Looking at the number of cord organizers on the market, I’m not sure we’ve quite tackled technology clutter. But with the ubiquity of digital displays, they were right about the knobs-and-buttons part. As for technology being embedded in the fabric of the house? Well, yes and no.
They basically predicted the “smart home,” but went a bit too far
“You won’t actually be able to see the technology, but it will be there doing its job without getting in your way,” the…
