Ellie Tennant

Traditionally, an interior designer’s job is to help you find out what you want from a space and then work with you to create a personal decor solution that suits your room, style and budget. But in years to come, will interior designers be replaced by clever robots who can conjure up our dream schemes and know us better than we even know ourselves? Maybe — if the decorating tech that’s on the horizon (or already here) is any indication.

Compared to some, there’s no denying that the furniture industry seems to be one of the most stagnant. While styles have subtly shifted over time in tune with the gentle ebb and flow of fashion, in many ways our furniture hasn’t changed much at all for centuries.