Late last year, I was surprised and flattered to be invited to write a regular column from an architectural perspective for the Vancouver Sun's Westcoast Homes & Design magazine.
https://vancouversun.com/category/homes/westcoast-homes-and-design/
The magazine is published bi-monthly and each issue is themed. My first column appeared in the
'Kitchen Issue' published in early February. Since today's kitchens are so very different from the kitchens of the past, I decided to review kitchen designs over the past century, including 'kitchens of the future' as envisioned over the years.
I suspect I enjoyed writing the column much more than those who read it. But here it is, along with some of the images you can find online. https://vancouversun.com/homes/westcoast-homes-and-design/design/the-evolution-of-kitchens/
Today’s kitchens are very different from your grandmother’s kitchen. No longer are they small, separate rooms at the back of the home. Instead, they are an integral part of the living space.That said, designs featuring heritage-style gas ovens, shaker cabinets, clamshell pulls and glass cabinets are oftentimes indistinguishable from those of the past.Let’s look at how kitchens have changed through the decades.
In the 1920s, gas ovens were common in most domestic kitchens. The electric oven arrived a decade later, as did the electric refrigerator, which replaced the icebox. In 1930, fewer than 10 per cent of households had a refrigerator. By 1960, nearly all homes had them.
The innovative 1926 “Frankfurt kitchen” was the first to introduce continuous built-in cupboards and cabinets. However, by the 1950s, “fitted kitchens” with laminate countertops were standard. Countertops were designed to accommodate bar stools and built-in eating nooks became popular. Pastel-coloured appliances were all the rage.
In the 1960s, wall ovens with separate built-in cooktops arrived, along with garburators. Although dishwashers first appeared in the 1950s, they did not become commonplace until the 1970s, when microwave ovens also became popular.
The 1980s brought the open kitchen. In subsequent years, kitchen designs became sleeker with concealed built-in appliances. Granite and quartz replaced Arborite and Formica, and stainless-steel appliances become a popular choice.
So, what can we expect in the future? Before answering, let’s look at how futuristic kitchen designs were envisioned in the past. General Motors/Frigidaire’s 1957 “Kitchen of the Future” featured an “ultrasonic” dishwasher, an IBM electro-recipe file that activated an ingredient dispenser, a Thermopane domed oven, and a roto-storage system with dry, refrigerated and frozen sections.
In 1967, designers envisioned computerized kitchens where food was prepared and frozen, then quickly microwaved to order. Meals could be personalized so that each family member got what they wanted and needed with the right level of nutrition.
As we look to the future, it is worthwhile examining some of the ideas incorporated in IKEA’s 2025 kitchen, which was first revealed in 2015. It will be smaller, smarter and more sustainable. It will be highly integrated with the home’s other living spaces and offer multi-purpose food preparation areas that can also function as spaces for dining, work, and children’s play.
IKEA’s 2025 kitchen will increase efficiency and reduce food waste. Food storage will change. Instead of large refrigerators in which many items are often forgotten and wasted, food will be cooled in special containers that communicate with transmitters printed on the food’s packaging to regulate the temperature. Consequently, appliances won’t waste energy keeping food colder than necessary.
The IKEA kitchen presumes future residents will be charged for every pound of garbage generated and rewarded for recycling.Water conservation will be facilitated through special sink designs, and there will be new approaches to composting. Instead of dumping compost waste into an outdoor green bin, a device will extract water from discarded food and compress it into dry, odourless pucks, ready for municipal pickup.
Predictions from other designers include: in-home systems to harvest food waste into compost for the garden; built-in hydroponic gardens to grow food at home; and 3D printers that will print food.
Personal digital assistants like Google Home or Alexa will connect to appliances, and will tell you if you don’t have enough strawberries for your smoothie.
If you think this all sounds too fantastic, just head over to your local appliance store and look at the features offered by the latest refrigerators on display. You will quickly discover the future is already here.
No comments:
Post a Comment