IKEA Debuts Plant-Filled, Low-Waste & Self-Sufficient “Home Of Tomorrow”

Swedish furniture and homeware giant IKEA has just unveiled its newest eco-friendly concept in Szczecin, Poland. Dubbed the Home of Tomorrow, the space was envisioned by Polish designers looking to redefine the way we live at home. The 2,700 square foot showroom is fitted with sustainable design solutions from micro-gardens to composting stations, furnished with recycled materials and decorated with plants. 

Located in a 120-year-old apartment building, the IKEA Home of Tomorrow is a 2,700 square foot concept store designed by Joanna Jurga, Paulina Grabowska, and Justyna Puchalska. Created in response to the climate crisis and humanity’s ecological destruction, the designers wanted to provide a blueprint for what the future of apartment living will look like. 

It houses a soil-free home garden, where a wide range of crops are grown, from tomatoes to strawberries, herbs and spirulina, a protein and Vitamin B12 powerhouse supplement for many vegan diets. IKEA customers can browse through the different types of indoor farms set-ups, including micro-gardens, aquaponic and aeroponic farms that cut water wastage by 95% compared to traditional agricultural methods. 

These fresh ingredients can be taken from the indoor garden straight to the kitchen to make farm-to-table, low-carbon and plant-based dishes. 

In another section, the Home of Tomorrow introduces a composting and recycling space. Coffee grounds, for instance, can be composted and then turned into fertiliser or upcycled into bath and body products. 

“We wish to encourage the residents of Szczecin to take responsibility for waste,” said Gustaw Jakubowski who led the Home of Tomorrow project for IKEA. 

The creative zone, on the other hand, offers various household equipment where customers can repair and modify existing furniture or appliances, giving them a second life. The space itself is also outfitted with eco-friendly materials, such as solid wood, formaldehyde-free plywood, glass, and recycled plastic.

“Home of Tomorrow has a renewable metabolism – almost all of its components and materials can be reused and recycled,” said IKEA in a press statement. 

The new eco-friendly concept is the Swedish furnishing giant’s first project of its kind, and was launched as a part of the company’s sustainability initiatives ahead of its first store in the Polish city, slated to launch early next year. Until then, the Home of Tomorrow will be used as an open space where workshops and town halls can be held for residents and local authorities to discuss waste and sustainability solutions.

It comes at a time when health and environmental concerns are top of mind amid the coronavirus pandemic. With most individuals now staying at home for prolonged periods of time, the way we live indoors has become a paramount part of our efforts to reduce our burden on the planet. 

Scientists have confirmed that unless we make fundamental changes to unsustainable consumption that is driving the destruction of nature, we are likely to see more frequent and deadlier pandemics to come. 

All images courtesy of IKEA.