The Kitchen of the Future – Silestone Institute

The Kitchen of the Future – and how it might look and function – is the focus of a new report produced by the Silestone Institute that investigates future trends in Australian home kitchens as predicted by industry professionals.

The kitchen is commonly referred to as the heart of home, and today is often the largest room in the house and one that people invest in. But what will it look like in 25 years? The kitchen of the future will be a multifunctional, hyper-connected and health focused
space, according to this report.

Compiling the main design and usage trends for the kitchen of the future, “Global Kitchen: the home kitchen in the era of globalisation” concludes that it will be a space for leisure, work, health and relaxation, and with smart appliances and connectivity, and incorporating
techniques and devices normally found in professional kitchens.

Cosentino, a business leader in developing innovative and value-added kitchen surfaces, has examined the report as part of its Global Kitchen project, and this is what you can expect to see in Australian home kitchens in the next 25 years. The kitchen will continue to be a hub of activity and gathering place in the home. Beyond cooking and food preparation, the kitchen will primarily be a space for family and friends to spend time together. It will also be a place for eating, and will function as a place to work (professional, school and surfing the internet).

These activities mean the kitchen will increasingly being integrated with the rest of the home and a space that opens to the living and dining rooms. To create a multi-functional space, kitchen design will not only consider aesthetics and function, but also emotional value in order to strengthen its use as a space for relaxation and wellbeing.

The home kitchen is going to see major technological changes as well. Topping the list for Australian kitchens is faster and more efficient methods of cooking, and appliances and faucets that save energy and water, which reflect the Australian lifestyle and values. This will take the flexibility and sustainability of materials into account, while also ensuring durability, safety and hygiene.

Industry professionals also placed a high value on connectivity and smart appliances. Multifunctional countertops will have functions and properties that allow consumers to cook directly on the countertop without the need for a specific panel, to control appliances, connect to the internet and adjust the counter’s height and width.

For all of these reasons and more, in 25 years the kitchen will be a social, health-focused space (spurred by healthier cooking methods and home-grown produce), and a place for connecting with others in the home (by socialising or working) and with surroundings (such as through online shopping and social media). The evolution of this kitchen will require input from design, architecture and interior design professionals, as well as from sociologists, nutritionists and environmental and energy-efficiency specialists.

The following findings are specific to the survey respondents in Australia:

• 74.2% said that the kitchen would become more relevant as an activity and
  meeting place in the house, and 67.7% think that it will form part of an open space
  between the dining room and living room.
• 100% of industry professionals surveyed believe it will be used as a space to spend time with family and friends; 90% as a space to eat in; 58% to work, do homework or surf the internet.
• 80.7% of respondents believe faster and more efficient cooking methods are one the most important technological changes.
• Similarly, 80.7% prioritise appliances and faucets that save energy and water.
• The kitchen’s connectivity to the internet and devices (tablets, mobiles, computer, wearables, etc.) and to smart appliances also stand out as technological developments in the medium-to-short term.
• The worktops of the future will allow consumers to cook directly on the surface, and will incorporate a control panel for appliances and connectivity. These worktops will be adjustable in height and width and will also manage tasks like weighing and calculating the nutritional value of foodstuffs, absorbing liquids and cleaning.

Silestone Institute is a platform for international research, supported by Cosentino Group. Cosentino’s Global Kitchen project aims to promote an interdisciplinary thinking space for analysing the effect of globalisation on the kitchen and identifying how this space will evolve in the next 25 years, with the ultimate goal of spreading this knowledge to the kitchen industry and society in general.

For more information visit cosentino.com