The home as a place of production

Greater self-reliance not only makes sense, it can also make us more content. A crucial element for me is turning the home into a place of production again (and I don’t mean productivity!). My vision of a truly smart home is one where some sort of knowledge work is done to generate part of the income, in tandem with some food production and preservation. It is a place for a multitude of activities, a place where we can acquire practical skills like gardening, woodworking or sewing. This home of the future is one of reduced complexity, a place filled with fewer things, but things we know how to care for and repair. It is a place that connects us to the outside, the weather, the seasons, also when that’s not always comfortable. Maybe it stimulates us to spend more time outside. Digital technology has its place, but we’ll have to rethink how it best serves us. Connectivity and the distraction it enables should be contained. It should be the opposite of frictionless. Imagine the time and focus we could gain!