I’ve written a bit about the content on Apple TV+ since it debuted last November and am trying to work my way through the service’s content offerings.
The new docuseries “Home” takes a look inside interesting homes across the globe (and the people behind their design).
To be honest, when I first saw the trailer for this nine-episode series, I thought it looked like things I had seen in the past on outlets like HGTV.
It turns out that “Home” has a pretty unique vibe. If you’re a fan of clever design, you might want to check it out.
In many respects, the series is more about the people “behind” the homes featured than it is about the homes themselves. At times, the series also takes a look at how a home can help define the individuals that live in it.
The first season’s episodes (each running about 30 minutes) were supposed to debut at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival. Due to the event’s cancellation (prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic), the series premiered on Apple TV+ April 17.
There are a number of highlights during the first season.
The first episode, titled “Sweden,” focuses on the Solvarms, a family in Sweden that lives in a log house that is built inside a greenhouse (a “naturhus”). The home (built by family patriarch Anders) provides a climate that is something akin to that of a Mediterranean country like Italy. As a result, growing season is double what is typically realistic in Sweden.
In addition to a more temperate climate, the home is engineered to reuse waste water to irrigate plants.
As interesting as the house is itself, the Solvarm’s family dynamic is just as much a focus of the “Sweden” episode. In particular, the story of autistic son Jonatan and how he has carved his own unique place within the home’s confines illustrates the power of creative architecture.
Another fun entry in the first season is titled “Hong Kong.” The episode profiles architect Gary Chang, whose “Domestic Transformer” apartment has a design like a Swiss Army Knife, maximizing the domicile’s 344 square feet.
Chang grew up in the apartment and purchased it in 1988 (for $40,000 U.S. dollars).
“These days, people explain your home in terms of the area,” Chang says in the episode. “To me, it’s totally irrelevant because it’s really about the distance between the family and between the furniture that is more important to realize.”
He believes luxury is in the details of your home and the way you use it.
There are also some innovative technologies showcased in “Home.” For example, in the episode titled “Mexico,” we see houses being built for impoverished families in Nacajuca, Tabasco, Mexico.
A startup called ICON (housed in Austin, TX) uses 3D printing technologies to build the homes (they work in conjunction New Story, a non-profit located in San Francisco, CA, that builds homes in poverty-stricken communities).
The 3D printer ICON uses pumps out layer-upon-layer of a special cement mix that won't slump and hardens quickly. The process is something akin to layering frosting accents on top of a cake.
There are also some innovative technologies showcased in “Home.” For example, in the episode titled “Mexico,” we see houses being built for impoverished families in Nacajuca, Tabasco, Mexico.
A startup called ICON (housed in Austin, TX) uses 3D printing technologies to build the homes (they work in conjunction New Story, a non-profit located in San Francisco, CA, that builds homes in poverty-stricken communities).
The 3D printer ICON uses pumps out layer-upon-layer of a special cement mix that won't slump and hardens quickly. The process is something akin to layering frosting accents on top of a cake.
It is a fascinating way to build a home. While the homes are utilitarian in nature (the ultimate goal is to give the populace a home with walls, running water, and electricity), there is something attractive and novel about the layered aesthetic.
“Home” reminds me a lot of the modern-living magazine I used to subscribe to called “Dwell.” I love that magazine and enjoy the publication’s editorial focus on interesting ways of living in the modern world.
“Home” reminds me a lot of the modern-living magazine I used to subscribe to called “Dwell.” I love that magazine and enjoy the publication’s editorial focus on interesting ways of living in the modern world.
(I really wish that Apple would start offering service bundles. I’d love to revisit “Dwell” digitally via an Apple News+ subscription, and it’d be terrific to have as part of a discounted bundle with Apple TV+.)
Alternative forms of home design is a topic that appeals to me. The average home size has nearly tripled in the United States since the 1950s, and a growing segment of the population is rethinking their home-buying priorities.
(My 2016 blog post “A Tiny House Transition” profiles an Omaha, NE, couple that attempted a tiny house lifestyle)
Alternative forms of home design is a topic that appeals to me. The average home size has nearly tripled in the United States since the 1950s, and a growing segment of the population is rethinking their home-buying priorities.
(My 2016 blog post “A Tiny House Transition” profiles an Omaha, NE, couple that attempted a tiny house lifestyle)
Some of the first season episodes of “Home” are stronger than others (I found the eighth episode titled “Malibu” to be less than compelling).
I think a series like “Home” has a lot of potential going forward. The show fits the unique direction Apple has been cultivating in its streaming service (something I’ll explore in a future blog post).
I think it would be interesting to see Apple develop other series in a similar vein that looked at industries like graphic design and product design. But maybe that direction would be too close to the Netflix series “Abstract: The Art of Design” (a show I recommended in my blog post “Three ‘Under-The-Radar’ Series Worth Binging”).
Overall, I found “Home” to be a pretty interesting addition to the nascent Apple TV+ lineup of original programming.
Thanks! I'm going to check this out! I just finished Defending Jacob and thought it was very good!
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