Deckard’s apartment from Blade Runner. Pretty funky wallpaper!
Interior design of the future

Interior design of the future

By Jan S. Gephardt

I drew most of this material from a post on my own blog, published in 2016. But as far as I can tell, my points about the interior design of the future–at least, as portrayed in movies and on TV–remain valid.

When I was deciding how to depict life on Rana Station, one question I needed to answer was, “what do Ranan homes look like?” I’m a visual person, and I write for people with good imaginations. I want to be able to “see” what I’m writing about.

What will interiors of the future look like? I decided to do an unscientific survey of movies and TV, to see how others have envisioned the future of interior design.

Blindingly white, or very dark. And cold.

It appears that in the future very few of us will live in normal lighting. If we are very wealthy or on a particular kind of spaceship, our homes are likely to be mostly white.

A living room from Prometheus 2. As if it wasn’t cold enough, they added a snow scene in the background!
A living room concept from “Prometheus 2,” which turned into Alien: Covenant. As if it wasn’t cold enough, they added a snow scene in the background.
Curves that make impractical use of space, and blinding white: a kitchen from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Also, impractical use of a laser.
Curves that make impractical use of space, and blinding white: from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Also, impractical use of a laser.

If we are poor and live on the wretched Earth, or on a different kind of spaceship, our homes will be dark and tiny.

The dark side of the decor: Deckard’s apartment from Blade Runner.
The dark side of the decor: Deckard’s apartment from Blade Runner.
Murky lighting, odd color schemes, and hard furniture: how relaxing can you get? From Star Trek: Insurrection
Murky lighting, odd color schemes, and hard furniture: how relaxing can you get? From Star Trek: Insurrection.

Inexplicable wall . . . ornaments?

It appears we will not care about the dust collected by 3D wall textures. We also won’t have paintings (as an artist, this bums me out) or photos of loved ones on display, because there won’t be room for them.

More of Deckard’s apartment from Blade Runner. Pretty funky wallpaper!
More of Deckard’s apartment from Blade Runner. Pretty funky wallpaper!
House Atreides Frigate from Dune. Is that a robot-face at far right?
House Atreides Frigate from Dune. Is that a robot-face at far right?

Architectural features of unusual shape

Stupid, ordinary rectangular windows, doors, and rooms will fade away. Perhaps from their sheer mundane, boring nature. Why cling to the past? Embrace the triangular door! Or the . . . octagonal room?

An interior from Battlestar Galactica. Because triangular doors are always practical.
An interior from Battlestar Galactica. Because triangular doors are always practical.
An octagonal room, because everyone loves living in a space where the walls aren't square. This is an interior concept for Prometheus, by Ben Proctor.
An octagonal room, because everyone loves living in a space where the walls aren’t square. This is an interior concept for Prometheus. (Ben Proctor).

Uncomfortable chairs

Couches and chairs will have no arms. There will be no throw pillows or afghans. There also will be no recliners, no chintz, and absolutely no lovingly-restored antiques.

Even the actors at R look uncomfortable (from 2001: A Space Odyssey).
Even the actors at right look uncomfortable (from 2001: A Space Odyssey).
John Carlyle sits in his office at Armadyne: Harsh lighting, a knee-bumper table and an oddly retro rolly-chair combine to make this one of the least comfortable-looking offices I can imagine. Plus, his back is to all the action (or potential snipers) outside that massive window. An Elysium concept.
John Carlyle sits in his office at Armadyne: Harsh lighting, a knee-bumper table and an oddly retro rolly-chair combine to make this one of the least comfortable-looking offices I can imagine. Plus, his back is to all the action (or potential snipers) outside that massive window. An Elysium concept.

It also apparently won’t matter how many hundreds of years we are from now: the Future Design Ghods have decreed that once these design principles have gone into effect, we will henceforth always have to live in cold, dark, cold bright-white, or oddly-shaped interiors, with illogical openings and uncomfortable furniture. Interior design of the future is fun and functional!

Here’s to the future! Happy New Year!

IMAGE CREDITS: Many of the photos I retrieved for this blog post came from Flavorwire. They include the two white interiors, The House Atreides frigate interior, the Battlestar Galactica interior, and the red chairs of 2001: a Space Odyssey fame. I also owe thanks for the two Blade Runner images to Bladezone, to the Memory-Alpha Wiki for the Star Trek: Insurrection still, to Ben Procter for the Prometheus visualization, and to Moviefone for the Elysium concept. 

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