Are we about to lose this important room from our homes?

A staple of Australian households may become a thing of the past in favour of a more communal area, Ikea says.

Ikea Australia’s head of interior design Tiffany Buckins said the challenge of finding sufficient living space would become increasingly difficult if following a traditional housing blueprint as more people urbanise towards cities.

“From visiting the homes of Australians all over the country, we know that the average home is shrinking in size,” she told News Corp while appearing at Sydney’s Vivid Ideas festival.

Ms Buckins said that need for additional space would see residents become friendlier with their neighbours as they transition towards common living areas.

“In the future, you may not need a kitchen because you can go to a communal area to cook and prepare your meals, or heat up your ready-made meal,” she added.

Foregoing the kitchen will create that extra space needed and reduce the need for individual white goods, Ms Buckins added.

She said the idea a home was confined to four walls would no longer exist while also pointing out that many rooms in the average house were already not being used for their original purpose.

“If you think about your local cafe, that’s where you go to socialise, that’s where you recharge and refuel. We have communal work spaces that have become the home office — gone are the days where you need a separate room for that purpose,” Ms Buckins said.

“Then you think about TV watching — that happens on the bus and train nowadays. Our perception of these activities really extends beyond the four walls.”

The Commons apartment block, located in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, already encourages the more communal approach to living.

Washing machines are placed on the roof of the trendy building which also includes a series of beehives so residents can produce their own honey.