diff --git a/dimod/binary/binary_quadratic_model.py b/dimod/binary/binary_quadratic_model.py
index 7c2270411..d28f9d834 100644
--- a/dimod/binary/binary_quadratic_model.py
+++ b/dimod/binary/binary_quadratic_model.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 from dimod.binary.cybqm import cyBQM_float32, cyBQM_float64
 from dimod.binary.pybqm import pyBQM
 from dimod.binary.vartypeview import VartypeView
-from dimod.decorators import forwarding_method, unique_variable_labels
+from dimod.decorators import forwarding_method, unique_variable_labels, property_or_method
 from dimod.quadratic import QuadraticModel, QM
 from dimod.quadratic.quadratic_model import _VariableArray
 from dimod.serialization.fileview import SpooledTemporaryFile, _BytesIO, VariablesSection
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ def offset(self) -> np.number:
     def offset(self, offset):
         self.data.offset = offset
 
-    @property
+    @property_or_method
     def num_interactions(self) -> int:
         """Number of interactions in the model.
 
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ def num_interactions(self) -> int:
         """
         return self.data.num_interactions()
 
-    @property
+    @property_or_method
     def num_variables(self) -> int:
         """Number of variables in the model."""
         return self.data.num_variables()
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ def variables(self) -> Variables:
         """The variables of the binary quadratic model."""
         return self.data.variables
 
-    @property
+    @property_or_method
     def vartype(self) -> Vartype:
         """The model's variable type.
 
diff --git a/dimod/decorators.py b/dimod/decorators.py
index c4468ba33..94c534bc3 100644
--- a/dimod/decorators.py
+++ b/dimod/decorators.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 from numbers import Integral
 
 from dimod.exceptions import BinaryQuadraticModelStructureError, WriteableError
+from dimod.future import shape_methods
 from dimod.utilities import new_variable_label
 from dimod.vartypes import as_vartype
 
@@ -421,3 +422,29 @@ def conditional_unique_label(label = None, *args, **kwargs):
         return qm
 
     return conditional_unique_label
+
+
+class property_or_method:
+    def __init__(self, func):
+        self.func = func
+
+    def __get__(self, obj, objtype=None):
+        func = self.func
+
+        caller = inspect.currentframe().f_back
+        if caller.f_globals.get("shape_methods",  None) is not shape_methods:
+            # warnings.warn(
+            #     f"Accessing '{type(obj).__name__}.{func.__name__}' as a property is deprecated, "
+            #     "use 'from dimod.future import shape_methods' and "
+            #     f"'{type(obj).__name__}.{func.__name__}()' instead.",
+            #     DeprecationWarning, stacklevel=2)
+            return func(obj)
+
+        @wraps(func)
+        def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+            return func(obj, *args, **kwargs)
+
+        return wrapper
+
+    def __set__(self, obj, value):
+        raise AttributeError("can't set attribute")  # same error as property
diff --git a/dimod/future.py b/dimod/future.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1ef91afb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dimod/future.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Copyright 2018 D-Wave Systems Inc.
+#
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+#    you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+#    You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#        http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#    WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#    See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#    limitations under the License.
+
+
+class shape_methods:
+    pass
diff --git a/dimod/quadratic/quadratic_model.py b/dimod/quadratic/quadratic_model.py
index 99a9d73e0..02a837feb 100644
--- a/dimod/quadratic/quadratic_model.py
+++ b/dimod/quadratic/quadratic_model.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
     ArrayLike = Any
     DTypeLike = Any
 
-from dimod.decorators import forwarding_method, unique_variable_labels
+from dimod.decorators import forwarding_method, unique_variable_labels, property_or_method
 from dimod.quadratic.cyqm import cyQM_float32, cyQM_float64
 from dimod.serialization.fileview import SpooledTemporaryFile, _BytesIO
 from dimod.serialization.fileview import VariablesSection, Section
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ def dtype(self) -> np.dtype:
         """Data-type of the model's biases."""
         return self.data.dtype
 
-    @property
+    @property_or_method
     def num_interactions(self) -> int:
         """Number of interactions in the model.
 
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ def num_interactions(self) -> int:
         """
         return self.data.num_interactions()
 
-    @property
+    @property_or_method
     def num_variables(self) -> int:
         """Number of variables in the model."""
         return self.data.num_variables()