Apple TV+ ‘Home’ Review: Visually stimulating but fails to make a strong impression
Homes can mean different things to different people. Apple TV+’s latest presentation 'Home' takes you through some of the most groundbreaking architectural concepts and the most imaginative homes around the world, each of which has its own story and meaning for its owner.
A virtual journey through Sweden, Chicago, Bali, Maine, India, Hong Kong, Austin, Malibu, and Mexico, makes you look at homes in each of these places, one exclusive of the other. Some of the design concepts and construction ideas are definitely groundbreaking, as the streaming service has defined in its opening.
If you are an art and design enthusiast and love revamping spaces, then you might find some inspiration for your next project. It’s like the Architectural Digest coming alive on TV through quality filmmaking and paced narrative. However, the docuseries does restrict itself in its reach. The content, as we see it, could only appeal to a very niche audience. It is meant primarily for a more evolved set of audience, who can connect to design aesthetics and understand certain technicalities of architecture and home construction.
The content and its context are befitting for those in the know, or in the business. It is an inspiration but not for only viewers, rather for doers.
To make this more simplified, here’s a way we thought we should break this down and explain what the show manages to achieve and what it misses.
What we love about ‘Home’
For starters, the newer concepts of home constructions, as shown in Anders Solvaram’s home in Sweden is something that could be taken home. The idea of including more of nature and turning your living space into a “healing space” could surely be the way to go for future homeowners, considering how lifestyle trends continue to change.
Secondly, the idea of community homes taking the forefront for architects and designers is also worthwhile. This applies best to economically challenged communities, and 3D homes seem to be the next big trend in construction and become mainstream.
We love how each of the homeowners emphasize on their personal involvement in building their living space and not outsource every aspect of it to a builder/contractor/designer. After all, a home defines the one living in it and should reflect the owner’s personality.
What we thought did not resonate with us
Most of the properties shown are expansive and enjoy ample open spaces and carpet areas. Truth be told, with increasing headcounts in every city and town around the world, this might be hard to achieve. Open spaces are shrinking, and people are looking at compact spaces for better sustainability and make it economically viable.
Poorer economies do not always translate to homeless people and lack of resources. It’s also often lack of ideas and the right avenues to realize a plan. While helping out communities in these regions should be the objective of visionaries, and they are, as we see it, it would have been better to also see local talents being exploited to understand their architectural aesthetics and how they would make it better.
All said and done, the nine episodes of ‘Home’ definitely stimulate your senses with rich visuals, artful spaces, and heartfelt narratives but the show somehow leaves us wondering what is that one thing we could take home.
‘Home’ is currently streaming on Apple TV+ .
