How we want to live our lives is not an individual matter; it is a collective matter. Our basic human needs are the same whether we are poor or rich and whatever the colour of our skin. The focus of this paper is how we can meet our human needs more sustainably in the context of domestic life, and how the design of future homes can support more ingenuous and convivial resource usage. Of particular importance is the notion of sharing resources. During a pilot study I used the method of shadowing to explore how individuals of different circumstances in Sweden meet their needs in the domestic setting, as well as their experiences of and thoughts on the sharing of resources. Early findings indicate that sharing needs to be easy, and that sharing with people you know is more comfortable. The research should provide insights for urban planners and architects planning new residential neighbourhoods.