IKEA’s Plant-Filled "Home of Tomorrow" Champions a Zero-Waste Future

The Swedish furniture giant takes on self-sufficient living with a futuristic show home in Szczecin, Poland.

Jun 23, 2020 - 20:17

IKEA’s Plant-Filled "Home of Tomorrow" Champions a Zero-Waste Future

The Swedish furniture giant takes on self-sufficient living with a futuristic show home in Szczecin, Poland.

In Poland’s greenest city, IKEA has transformed a 120-year-old apartment building into the Home of Tomorrow—an experimental, plant-filled showcase of sustainable design solutions that aims to redefine the way we live at home.

Polish designers Joanna Jurga, Paulina Grabowska, and Justyna Puchalska created the 2,700-square-foot concept home in response to looming global issues including climate change, dwindling natural resources, and indoor air quality—a growing concern for those spending more time indoors amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

A plant-filled oasis greets visitors upon entering the Home of Tomorrow. Over 600 plants are located in the home’s core.

Photo: IKEA

"We tried to showcase the beauty of this building, whose history should not be hidden," says designer Justyna Puchalska. "We also wanted the design to be relatable—after all, not many people live in a place where everything is perfect."

Photo: IKEA

The global furniture powerhouse gave the designers "a blank page to explore how we want the future, or our living habitat, to look and function," reads a press statement. "The Home of Tomorrow has a renewable metabolism—almost all of its components and materials can be reused and recycled."

The Home of Tomorrow is the first IKEA project of its kind, and it was launched in part to raise awareness of the company’s eco-friendly initiatives ahead of its first store in Szczecin, scheduled to open in early 2021. Until then, the temporary Home of Tomorrow will host workshops and a town hall where residents can work with local authorities to discuss waste management solutions.