For makers and artists, the home is becoming a workshop for resilience, not just a showroom for gadgets
Living spaces in 2026 look nothing like those from a few decades past. The shift is visible in decor, appliances, and insurance models, but it is driven by external forces that will define safety and desirability for generations to come. To map this evolution, Architectural Digest and WIRED have partnered on a special issue exploring the next era of domestic life. Here, the global editorial directors, Amy Astley and Katie Drummond, outline the thinking behind the project.
The smart home dream is still out of reach
AMY ASTLEY: Katie, I am thrilled to launch our first collaborative digital issue. When we discussed the partnership, the central question kept returning: what do we actually want from our homes, and what do we need? At AD, we have long held that where we live must be a sanctuary of beauty and comfort. Yet, lately, the concept has grown complicated. People are grappling with climate change, material costs, and new technologies that extend far beyond choosing wall colours.
KATIE DRUMMOND: That dynamic is top of mind, particularly with the rapid integration of artificial intelligence. At WIRED, we focus on how technology embeds itself in our routines. The question is no longer whether your home will be smart; it will be, whether you seek it or not. The real issue is utility and seamlessness. The promise of a home that auto-adjusts to your preferences the moment you walk in remains a dream.
Resilience and affordability are the new priorities
ASTLEY: We desire life-enhancing technology, but smarter homes must acknowledge current realities. Fred Bernstein describes Olson Kundig’s Shearwater house, suspended 23 feet off the ground on steel columns. As AD100 architect and Olson Kundig founder Tom Kundig jokes, it is “above even the mosquitos,” yet it is built for the urgent risk of rising tides. Resilient design has moved from extreme to essential. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Fazzare reports that architects globally are turning to local, low-tech materials like compressed earth, bamboo, and fire-resistant timber. The future may lie in reimagining what we already know works.
Privacy, ageing, and the analog backlash
DRUMMOND: This theme appears in our profile of Stewart Brand, a countercultural icon and author of The Whole Earth Catalog. At 87, he has built a state-of-the-art eco home fully designed for his stage of life on the property he shares with his wife in Petaluma, California. As life expectancies increase, the way people age in place and the technology facilitating that evolution is shifting. Steven Blum wrote a touching essay on monitoring his aging father with an always-on microphone, highlighting how complicated and potentially invasive such assistance can be.
ASTLEY: I have read other pieces on assisting loved ones with technology, though those focused more on robot companions or smart trackers. Steven’s unique take was moving, especially as he considers the loneliness gap this technology can bridge.
DRUMMOND: It also raises a critical point: how far are we willing to go to feel secure? How much privacy, or family privacy, are we willing to compromise?
ASTLEY: Some are opting out completely! I loved Jill Kargman’s humorous piece on the analog home; she is sharp and funny about the backlash to smart everything. I hear this often when speaking to designers, whose clients now ask for low-tech solutions like working landline phones. We rounded up 10 design talents to share forecasts on future trends, and they predict homes becoming calmer, with nooks for homeowners to disconnect. Designers increasingly see themselves as the ones who can bring the human touch back to interiors. Call it a new role for the profession! Maybe the ultimate luxury is less technology instead of more.
DRUMMOND: Luxury is increasingly out of many people’s reach. This is what we heard when we surveyed readers worldwide about what “home” means now. There was no single answer, but a common theme emerged: people want homes they can afford. For years, the future of home was the smarter, the better. Now, WIRED readers are more concerned with homes that work with their budgets and feel safe from the impacts of climate change. Even our Gear team, who spend their days reviewing the newest gadgets, came back with a collection of practical lamps when asked for home tech suggestions.
ASTLEY: Yes, affordability came up in Jackie Cooperman’s reporting on what the starter-home dream looks like today. It is hard to talk about the future when a house feels out of reach for so many.
DRUMMOND: All of which speaks to why AD and WIRED wanted to collaborate on this special issue. Our teams have specific, informed perspectives on the current moment. We know that even though there is a lot of hype around automation and optimisation, the best homes in the future might be the most adaptable ones. Or, as Katie Thornton illustrates in her piece on parametric insurance, homes in communities that are prepared for the worst.
ASTLEY: Exactly. Creating spaces that work for our modern lives. No matter what happens next.
Key takeaways
- Resilience is no longer optional; architects are prioritising local, low-tech materials and designs that withstand climate risks like rising tides.
- There is a growing movement towards “analog” living, with clients requesting practical solutions over the hype of automated smart home ecosystems.
- Affordability has overtaken optimisation as the primary driver for home design, shifting focus from luxury gadgets to functional, budget-friendly necessities.
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