LACMA revisits visions of homes that would take on the housework

The dishes are washed, but the counter still needs wiping. The washing machine has run, but the clothes still need taking out and putting away. More machines can ease household chores without removing every task.

When you think about that kind of life, past visions of future homes look a little different. Home appliances that complete work at the push of a button, kitchens that clean themselves, and plastic houses that can be assembled in one day. LACMA’s ‘Home of the Future, 1925–1985’ examines what kind of tomorrow such plans promised.

Putting the future on display inside your home

The exhibition, which began on September 27, introduces architectural models and drawings, photos and movies, and objects ranging from sinks to TVs. It is not an exhibition that only collects new devices, but also deals with how life using those devices was imagined and sold.

Another question is whether the technology to build houses and the people responsible for housework have changed at the same rate. It is about seeing for whom a convenient future was designed and who was left out of that promise. Even an “automatic” home depends on who will use it, the space available and its cost.

The kitchen is a place of movement

The accompanying exhibition ‘The Kitchen and Its Discontents’ takes a closer look at the space called the kitchen. It focuses on one place where cooking and tidying bring repeated movements together, rather than on the whole house. Depending on where the sink, countertop, and storage are placed, the distance you walk and the number of times you turn your body when doing the same task varies.

When we look at today's smart home and the future home of the past side by side, we see a common desire. The hope is to reduce repetitive tasks and gain more time. However, the fact that there is a new button and the fact that life has actually become easier need to be looked at separately.

The exhibition will be open until March 14, 2027. The house in the old drawing is not the same as the house we live in. Still, after looking at that house, I can see a little more specifically what tasks the machines I use now are doing for me and what tasks are still left to my hands.

Image guide: This is an AI-generated concept image expressing expectations of automated housework. These are not actual exhibits or photos of historical kitchens.