LG Studio

The Kitchen of the Future

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Aesthetic Considerations: Historical and Political Contextualization of the Kitchen

Amy Yeh, Belinda Park, Carolina Kim

Chapter 2

Contemporary and Historical Methods of Food Preservation and Preparation

Renee Osgood, Katie Cooper, Olga Lysenko

Chapter 3

Refrigerator and Kitchen Unit Dimensions Fabrication and Contents of Interiors

Sean Perry, Wesley Tong, Joseph Coffman

Chapter 4

Modified / Alternative Kitchen Units

Michala Monroe, You Jin Ko

Chapter 5

LG Business and Marketing

Ijeoma Onyejiaka, Sooro Kim, Yong Min Seo, Jihyun Park

Chapter 6

Final Design: Group 1

Chapter 7

Final Design: Group 2

Chapter 8

Final Design: Group 3

Chapter 9

Final Design: Group 4

Interior Design

Eileen Diaz (TA)Joseph CoffmanKatie CooperYou Jin KoOlga LysenkoMichala MonroeIjeoma OnyejiakaBelinda ParkSean Perry

Industrial Design

Carolina Kim (TA)Sooro KimRenee OsgoodJihyun ParkYong Min SeoWesley TongAmy Yeh

Katrin Mueller-RussoIndustrial Design

Alissa BucherInterior Design

Ind 401a-04 / Int 401-03

4 5

LG Studio

Research

6 7

Chapter 1

LG Studio

The Kitchen of the Future

Aesthetic Considerations:

Historical and Political Contextualization

of the Kitchen

• Introduction• Early• PatriarchyShapingWomen’sIdentitythroughCooking• CommonalitythroughCooking• WhenMenCook• 1850–1900:NewTechnologicalDevelopments• 1900–1920:TheKitchenSpaceRedefined• 1930–1950:TheBeginningofModernConveniences• 1960–1980:TheEstablishedKitchenEnvironment• Today’sKitchen• TheFutureKitchen

8 9

With the development of the chimney, the hearth

movedfromthecenteroftheroomtoawall.Thisled

totheinventionofthefirstbrick-and-mortarhearths.

Thefirewaslitontopoftheconstructionwhileavault

underneath served to store wood. The temperature

oftheflamewascontrolledbyplacingthepothigher

or lowerover the fire. Trivetswerealsoused to rest

thepotsovertheflamedirectly.Mostpotsweremade

fromiron,bronzeorcopper.Beforetheadventofmet-

almakingtechnologies,potsweremadefromclayor

ceramic.

Early Kitchens

ThehousesinAncientGreecewerearoundacentral

courtyard. Inmany suchhomes, a coveredbut oth-

erwiseopenhearthservedasthekitchen.Homesof

thewealthyhadthekitchenasaseparateroom,usu-

ally next to a bathroom (so that both rooms could be

heated by the kitchen fire), both rooms being acces-

siblefromthecourt.Insuchhouses,therewasoftena

separate small storage room in the back of the kitchen

usedforstoringfoodandkitchenutensils.

In the Roman Empire, most families relied on large

publickitchensfortheircookingneeds.Afewcooked

onsmallmobilebronzestoves.WealthyRomanslived

invillaswithwell-equippedkitchenswhichweresep-

arated from the rest of the living quarters andwere

operated by slaves. The kitchen remained largely

unaffected by architectural advances throughout the

MiddleAges.Openfireremainedtheonlymethodof

heatingfood.InEuropeanmedievalcities,thekitchen

still relied on open fire hearths located in the middle of

thekitchen.Incastlesandmonasteries,livingquarters

andkitchenswereinseparatebuildings.

Introduction

Because cooking hasbeen aprimarilywoman’s ac-

tivity, the kitchenhasbeenherdomain. Theearliest

known cooking environments were simple spaces

withenclosedstonehearths,pitsorovens.Overtime,

thesespacesdevelopedintoorganizedkitchenswith

shelving,worktablesandspecifictypesofcookware.

Toolsbecamemoresophisticatedwiththeonsetofthe

industrial revolution and eventually, appliances like the

refrigeratorandcookstovewereinvented.Thesetools

easedtheburdenofkitchenlaborformanywomen.

As the tools of the kitchen evolved, so too did the

kitchen space itself and where it fit into the overall

schemeofthehome.Thischapterwillcover:

•thehistoricalandculturalsignificanceofcooking

•toolsandkitchenappliances fromancient timesto

the present

•howthekitchenhasevolvedaestheticallyfromsty-

listic, material and technological standpoints

•anexplorationofthekitchenasaspaceandhowit

fits into the context of a home

•theimportanceoffoodpresentationandtherecent

development of luxury foods

IMAGE112AnexampleofanearlystoneageEuropeankitchen.

10 11

Commonality Through Cooking

Ingredients,techniquesandtoolsmayvarywidelybut

in all parts of the world throughout history, women

arethehouseholdcooks.Techniquesandrecipesare

generallypasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration,

frommothertodaughterhoweversomeculturesmain-

tainstricttraditionsaboutwhoreceivestheserecipes.

Beingagoodcookisasourceofprideformanywom-

enandprovidesthemwithstatus.

IMAGE 115

IMAGE116Inallpartsoftheworld,cookingisconsideredtobe

asocialactivity,especiallyamongthekinswomenofcommon

villages.Apachewomen(top)andLebanesewomencookin

pairs,passingdownstoriesandrecipes.

IMAGE114AgroupofcontemporarywomeninDakar,Senegal

cooktogetherandsocialize.

InLebanon,breadrecipesarepasseddownfromthe

mothertooldestdaughter(oroldestdaughter-in-law).

Somewomeninthatsocietyclaimthattheavailability

of pre-made, store bought bread has been detrimen-

tal towomen’sstatus.Thereareno longer thesame

channels to prove themselves to their peers and other

localvillagers.

Many villages around the world survive on the col-

lectiveeffortsofmanywomen.Women,especiallyof

common kin, cook together and consider cooking to

beasocialactivity.Itisasourceofprideandrespect,

awaytodefinethefamily.

In her book Male and Female Margaret Mead ob-

servedthat“ineveryknownhumansociety,themale’s

need for achievement can be recognized.Menmay

cookorweaveordressdollsorhunthumming-birds,

but if such activities are appropriate occupations of

men, then thewholesociety,menandwomenalike,

votesthemasimportant.Whenthesameoccupations

areperformedbywomen, theyare regardedas less

important.”

Even thoughwomen’swork, especially cooking,has

been historically viewed through men’s eyes as in-

significant,manywomenhavecontinued tocookas

a source of pride and identity. Psychologically and

physicallyboundtomen’sperceptions,womenhave

soughttheapprovaloftheirownfamilies,particularly

themen,throughthefoodtheycook.

IMAGE 113 Margaret Mead, an anthropologist and intellectual

posited that patriarchy necessarily limited the importance of

women’sworktomaintainmen’selevatedstatus.

Tosomewomen,cookingasanexpressionofloveis

agoodthing.Itisoftenexpressedthatthebestcooks

aretheoneswhocookwithlove.Thesewomenmay

believe that “thepersonwhocooks for the family is

continually creating one part of the reality of house-

hold lifeandconstructingherplacewithin the family

asonewhoprovidesfor theneedsofothers.”Tobe

neededandtohelpnourishone’sfamilybecomethe

mostimportanttaskswithsuchaningrainedmindset.

PatriarchyShapingWomen’sIdentitythroughCooking

12 13

Floor Plans

Thehomesof thewealthy included largekitchen fa-

cilities run by an extended status of cooks and house

servants.Thesekitchenswerefoundinthelowerre-

gionsofthehomewhere itwascooler.Atthispoint,

no one had developed a system for planning efficient

kitchensforasmallfamilyhome.

Materials + Color

During this early period in kitchen history, nearly all

appliancesweremadefromcastiron.Eventually,more

toolsweremadefromaluminum.Colorconsiderations

were necessity driven. Black, natural wood color,

grayswerethedefaultcolorsinthekitchen.

IMAGE 123

Stylistic Influences

With Queen Victoria reigning as the British monarch

fornearly70years,theVictorianstyle,withheavyor-

namentation dominated during this timeperiod. The

development of steam-powered ships and railways

marked theoncomingof thesecondwaveof the in-

dustrial revolution in the1850sand60s.TheAmeri-

canCivilWaralsoinfluencedthewaypeoplethought

abouttechnology.

IMAGE 124 An example of an early cookstove made from

castiron.

IMAGE120Womancookingonanearlycookstove,1860.

Advertising

Asmanufacturersdevelopednew technologies, they

also learned the value of marketing to homemakers,

mostofwhommadethe important foodandkitchen

relatedfinancialdecisions.

When Men Cook

Despitewomen’sdominantculinaryroleinthehome,

therearecircumstancesthatdorequirementocook.

Ingeneral,whenmencook,itisbecausetheyhaveei-

ther intentionally put themselves into isolation (camp-

ing,working in isolation) or they have fallen into ex-

tremesituations(war,naturaldisasters).

IMAGE117AbarbecuecompetitioncontestantinKansasCity.

IMAGE 118 A Mongolian herdsman takes a break from his day

tocookameal.Workinghighinmountainousregions,isolation

necessitatesselfsufficiency.IMAGE119In1906,SanFrancisco

sufferedadevastationearthquake.Manywereforcedtoliveon

thestreets.Thismanriggedupatemporarystove.

In more recent times, especially in affluent, industrial-

izedsocieties, therearemanymenwhoenjoycook-

ingasahobby.Forthiscontingentofmen,cookingis

arelaxingactivity,awaytoexpressthemselvescre-

atively.Othermenlikencookingtoasport.Competi-

tive barbecuing, for example, is a thriving community

ofmostlymenwhogrillmeatandtakegreatpridein

refiningtheirrecipes.

1850 - 1900:NewTechnologicalDevelopments

TheIndustrialRevolutionheraldedineraofnewtech-

nologies of which women and kitchen life benefited.

Duringthistimeperiod,mostkitchensweremadeup

of an open re hearth, heavy cookware, shelving and

woodentables. In ruralareas,homeswereoneroom

livingquarters,makingthekitchen,thespacewherethe

entire familyate,sleptandworked.Wealthier families

may have been able to afford servants, but nonethe-

less,womenoftenspenttheirentiredaysinthekitchen.

Ideasabouttherelationshipbetweenkitchenspaces

and tools and appliances started to take shape during

the1860s. Innovativenewtoolsandkitchenconcept

ideas flourished. Catherine Beecher included a dis-

cussion of the continuous countertop in her 1869 book

TheAmericanWoman’sHomealthoughitsimplemen-

tationdidnotoccuruntiltheearly1900s.

Innovations + Tools

An abundance of kitchen appliances started devel-

oping around the1850s. Cast iron cookstoves, hav-

ingbeendevelopedoveracenturybefore,werenow

relatively commonplace household items, especially

inurbanareas.Smallandportable, theywereeasily

operatedbycoalorwoodwithoutrequiringanyheavy

lifting. With such innovations, the way housewives

cookedandplannedtheirmealschanged.

Inadditiontothecookstove,manynewcookingtools

were invented during this time period including the

mechanical refrigerator (1861), the eggbeater, the can

opener(1870s)andthealuminumsauce-pan(1890s).

IMAGE 121

IMAGE 122 Advertisements

forearlykitchentoolswere

targeted for the female home-

maker.

14 15

courtyardsofthebuilding.Somewomencomplained

thattheyfeltisolatedwithsuchalayout.LaterGemei-

ndebauten took into account criticisms of previous so-

cialisthousingbyrelocatingthedomesticworksphere

totheperipheryofthebuildings.Inthesenewercom-

plexes,womenworkinginkitchensandlaundryrooms

werevisiblefromtheoutside.Theywere, inasense,

now interacting with the public space. The facilities

weresaidtobeairywithmodernizedequipmentand

they were all installed with running water, gas and

electricalcapabilities.

Viennaas “Gemeindebauten.”Whatmade theseso-

cialist, multi-unit housing complexes particularly novel

was the inclusion of centralized, communal kitchen

andlaundryrooms.

Communal playrooms and classrooms accommo-

datedthechildrenofthecomplexwhilediningrooms,

readingroomsandgameroomswereaddedforadults.

By1923,OttoNeurathdeclaredsocialisthousingwith

communalkitchenfacilitiestobethewaveofthefu-

ture. The Einkuchenhaus (meaning, central kitchen

house),realizedin1926,completewithcentralkitchen

anddining areawas considered to be a particularly

“luxurious”housingcomplex. Itwasbuilt for families

withworkingmothersbut therentandservicecosts

were, in actuality, too expensive for working-class

families.

IMAGE128FrigidaireRefrigeratoradvertisementfrom1926.

Thekitchen,wheremultipleindividualscookedforthe

entire housing complex, was located in the interior

The concept of the modern kitchen started taking

shapebytheturnofthecentury.Bythistime,design-

ers were already speculating on the kitchen of the

future, and the technologies that could innovate and

streamline the cooking process. Prior to this point,

kitchensweremadeupof separateunits, eachwith

differentfunctions.Astheideaofthekitchencontin-

uedtodevelop,an interest in incorporatingnewma-

terialsandtechnologypersisted.Thepoliticalclimate

encouragedsocialiststyleexperimentationwhich in-

fluenced some designers to re-conceptualize home

andkitchenlife.

Innovation + Tools

By the 1920s, nearly every kitchen had an ice box and

pantrieswerefilledwithstorebought,pre-packaged

food.Kitchenswerestill,however,madeupofseveral

separatekitchenunits,usuallyawoodburningstove,

a stand alone sink, a hotwater tank and awooden

table for cuttingandorganizing food.Linoleumcov-

eredsomekitchenfloors.

IMAGE 125- A kitchen from the year 2000 as imagined by an

illustratorfrom1900.

Materials + Color

Continuingthetrendofpastdecades,theearlytwen-

tieth century kitchen, cookstoves made from cast iron

continuedtodominatethekitchenalongwithwoodta-

blesandwhiteceramicsinks.Bythelate1920s,color

wasbeingintroducedintothekitchen.Linoleumwasa

newmaterialusedtocoverkitchenfloors.

IMAGE 126 An early kitchen features individual stand-alone

unitsofvaryingheights.

Stylistic Influences

After World War I, the political climate encouraged

a socialist outlook, one that celebrated the worker.

These ideas, most dominant in Germany and Austria,

werealsobeingexploredinlargeurbanAmericancit-

ies includingChicago,SanFranciscoandNewYork.

Stylistically,Edwardian influenceswerestillapparent

butschools liketheBauhaus inGermanywererevo-

lutionizingthewaydesignersapproachedarts,crafts

andarchitecture.

IMAGE127Bythelate1920s,colorwasbeingintroducedinto

thekitchen.

Socialist Housing’s Centralized Kitchens

One of the first individuals to Re-conceptualize the en-

tireideaofthekitchenwasOttoBauer.In1919,Bauer,

a leader of the Austrian social democratic movement,

introduced the ideaofcommunalhousing, known in

1900 - 1920: The Kitchen Space Redefined

16 17

IMAGE135MarcelBreuer’sBauhauskitchenfrom1923influ-

encedthestreamlinedkitchenofthe30sand40s.

Stylistic Influences

The 1930 – 1940swas a period ofmajor innovation

and change. Kitchen technology and style reflected

every-thingfromFord’sassemblylineprocesstothe

ArtDecomovementandFrankLloydWright.

InGermany,however,theBauhausmovementencour-

aged a design approach free from extraneous details

and over-exaggerated uses of color. In linewith the

Bauhaus school, Marcel Breuer created a kitchen

withoutornamentationandsweepingcountertops.He

also was the first designer to include wall-mounted

overheadcabinetsintothekitchen.

IMAGE136The1940skitchenincludedwhitecabinetrymade

frommetalandlittleornamentation.

Materials + Color

Kitchens in the 1930s included many coordinating

colors and patterns that referenced the Art Deco

movement.Boldcolorslikered,yellowandbluewere

used together against neutral white, tan and black

backgrounds.Brightlycoloredaccessorieslikecanis-

tersandteaservicecaddieswereplacedasaccents

through-out the kitchen. The use of linoleum floors

continued.

IMAGE 134 A kitchen from the 1930s reflect a color palette

influencedbytheArtDecomovement.

By the 1940s,many kitchenswere fittedwithmetal

cabinets(oftenpaintedwhite).Kitchenswereembold-

enedwithbrighter,morecontrastingcolorslikestrong

reds,greensandyellows.Bythispoint,kitchensbe-

came more streamlined and less reliant on artistic or-

namentation.Theuseofcontinuouscountersurfaces,

wall mounted cabinetry and kitchen floor planning

werethistime,commonplace.

During this time period, tin, chrome-plating, stainless

steelandbrasswerematerials incorporated into the

kitchentoolsmanufacturingpress.Rustproofkitchen

toolsandcutleryweredeveloped in the30s.By the

1950s the color palette included lots of pinks and tur-

quoise.

By the 1930s, the idea of the kitchen as a place for

awoman’spersonalexpressionreallystartedtotake

root.Itwasalsoaperiodofmajorkitcheninnovations.

As such, kitchens became more streamlined and

multi-purposed. Advertisers and manufacturers en-

couragedwomentocolorcoordinatethekitchenand

take advantage of the conveniences of modern tech-

nology.Although theUSsuffered through the1930s

with the Great Depression, by the 1950s, American

domestic life and kitchen consumerism reached its

peak. Kitchen culture flourished with new gadgets,

technologiesandidealisticvisionsofthefuture.

1930 - 1950: The Beginnings of Modern Conveniences

IMAGE 132 The Kelvinator refrigerator includes double the cool-

ing capacity of other refrigerators of the time according to this

1937 advertisement

18 19

IMAGE143Travellinesareshownhereintwodifferentkitchen

layouts.Walkingthroughthelowerplanrequirestheuserto

walk29yardsmorethanthetopplan.

IMAGE1401936floorplansshowbefore-and-afterkitchen

renovations.Thenewplanincludesacontinuouskitchen.

IMAGE141Thediagramtotheleftshowsthedifferenceoflay-

ingoutappliancesfurtherawayfromeachotherversusplacing

themclosertogether.

IMAGE142Intheearly1940’s,thetrianglemethodoforganiz-

ingkitchenapplianceswasfoundtobethemostefficient.The

three defined areas include storage and preservation, cleaning

andpreparation,andlastlycookingandserving.Thetriangle

relationshipshownhererepresentsthethreemostusedappli-

ancessuchassink,cooker,andrefrigerator.

IMAGE 139 A Crosley refrigerator advertisement from 1956

boastingside-be-siderefrigeratorandfreezerunits.

Kitchen Layout

Designers and engineers began experimenting with

kitchen layouts as soon as kitchens started to include

moreappliances.Whattheyattemptedtodowasfind

themostefficientwaytomaneuverfromoneappliance

to another. In 1949, Alfred Levitt, in a radicalmove,

switchedthekitchenfromthebackofthehousetothe

fronttocreategreaterefficiencyforthehousewife.The

conceptdidnothavemuchlongevity.

During the 1950s, architects and builders attempted to

createmoreintegratedlivingspaceswithopenplans.

The ideaappealedtomanyhousewiveswhowanted

tocompletetheirchoresandstill interactwith family

membersinadjoiningrooms.

Russel and Mary Wright revolutionized tabletop de-

signwiththeirsleek,modernistaestheticinthe1940s.

Theconceptbehindtheirdesignsrelatedtothenew

relaxedlifestylefollowingWorldWarII.

IMAGE137RusselandMaryWright’sdishwareappealedtothe

post-WWIIAmericanseekingasimpleandrelaxedlifestyle.

IMAGE 138 1948 General Electric refrigerator advertisement

20 21

Innovation + Tools

Although Percy Spencer invented the microwave in

1946,acceptanceofthenewtechnologytookseveral

decades. Itwasnotuntil1975,whenthemicrowave,

due to technological advancesaswell asanafford-

ableprice tag,was finally embracedby the average

consumer.

Other innovations included the first self-cleaning oven

(1967) and the first through-the-door refrigerator ice

andwaterdispenser. In the1980sdishwasherswere

morecommonplaceandrefrigeratorswereequipped

with a beepingmechanism that alerted users when

thekitchendoorwasopen.Thegarbagedisposalwas

alsoanotherpopular1980skitcheninnovation.

Materials + Color

The concept of the “state-of-the-art” kitchen devel-

opedinthe1960s.

Formica started to be used to make cabinets and

countertops.Hardwoodcontinuedtobeusedinclud-

ingwalnut,oakandcherry.Historicorgeographically

themed kitchens gained in popularity during this time,

including,forexample,VenetianorRiviera.

A trend of the 1970s was the second recreational

kitchen, most commonly used by men to clean hunt-

ingand/orfishinggame.Fashionablecolorsofthe60s

and 70s included avocado greens and golds although

stylesandcolorsvariedwidely.Theuseofplasticlam-

inatecountertopsandwoodpanelingwerecommon.

The kitchen color palette became much more neutral

by the 1980s. Kitchen cabinets were usually made

fromatreatedhardwoodsuchasoak.Somekitchens

included wall-to-wall carpeting however linoleum or

ceramictilingwasmorecommon.

By the 1960s, kitchen appliances and their configura-

tionswithin the kitchenwerewell established. Inno-

vations were more materials based. Kitchen styles,

colorsandtrendswereturningtomorepersonal, in-

dividualized tastes. Asmore andmore women held

full time jobs, kitchen spaces changed to accommo-

datetheprofessionalwomenwhowantedtospendas

muchtimeasshecouldwithherfamily.

IMAGE146Themicrowavebecameacommonkitchenappli-

anceby1975.Affordabilityandnewtechnologicaladvance-

mentsledtoconsumerinterest.

IMAGE 147 An advertisement from the 1960s promotes a Tap-

pangasrange.

Innovative Appliances + The Future Kitchen

Frigidaire continued a vision of “the kitchen of the

future” in 1957 completewith fully automated appli-

ances. Several technological innovations Frigidaire

predictedareactuallycurrentlyunderdevelopment.A

“machine”inyourkitchenthatstoresrecipes,advises

youwithdinneroptionsandbalancesyourcheckbook

is feasible with the Internet and smart refrigerators.

Howeveranautomatedcontraptionthatacceptsfood

orders, prepares dishes and then replenishes its stock

ofingredientsinminutesisstillstrictlyfantasy.

Many of the innovations during the period involved

refinements to the refrigerator. Ice trays, stainless

chromium shelves, glass topped food hydrators, and

greaterenergyefficiency.

IMAGE144-Juvenilecookbooksfromthemid-twentiethcentu-

ryencouragedgenderdifferentiation,especiallyinthekitchen.

IMAGE145Frigidaire’s1957KitchenoftheFutureenvisionedsomeofthetechnologycurrentlyunderdevelopmenttoday.

1960s - 1980s: The Established Kitchen Environment

22 23

IMAGE 153 This energy con-

serving kitchen relies on solar

power.Theskylightsfilterout

undesirablesolarrayswhile

panels on the roof collect

enough energy to heard and

coolthehouse,yearround.

IMAGE 154 The sink of the

future, as conceptualized by

Elkay in the 1970s, includes

spaces for food preparation,

cookingandclean-up.Italso

integrated a small TV and a

smallcomputer.

IMAGE155 Westinghouse

developedthe“Homemaker’s

CommandPost”which

centralizeddoorandwindow

locks, and stored up to 500

phonenumbers.

IMAGE156Honeywellimag-

ined a homemaker planning

menus and maintaining the

family budget on this fiber-

glass“computer.”

IMAGE 151 An advertisement from the 1970s feature avocado

greenappliances,apopularcoloroftheera.

Future Innovations

During the 1970s an interest in environmental con-

cernsledtothedevelopmentofaconceptsolarpow-

ered home. The kitchen’s appliance all ran on solar

power energy.Other conceptsdeveloped in the70s

included a computerized sink, a computer to help the

housewifeplanmenusandmaintainthebudgetanda

“Homemaker’sCommandPost.”

Bythe1980s,itwaseconomicsthatinfluencedchang-

esinthehome.Asmoreandmorewomenworkedfull

time, kitchen spaces opened up andwallswere re-

movedsowhentheprofessionalmomwasathomein

thekitchen,shecouldalsospendtimewithherfamily.

IMAGE152The1980sincludedkitchenswithaneutralcolor

paletteandanopenfloorplan.

IMAGE 148

IMAGE149,150Kitchensinthe1970sweredominatedby

avocadogreens,golds,woodpanelingandplasticlaminate

countertops.

Stylistic Influences

Americawasinfatuatedwiththespaceageduringthe

60sand70s.NeilArmstrong landedon themoon in

1969 and movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

andStarWars (1974) captured the cultural zeitgeist.

Perhaps this explains the resurgence of future kitchen

technologyduringthe70s.

24 25

IMAGE162Morehomeownerswanttocreatethestyleandenvi-

ronmentofindustrialcommercialkitchens.

IMAGE163Today’skitchenincludeairyspacesandfeatures

likebutcherblockcountertopsandstainlesssteelappliance.

Colorsandstylisticinfluencesvary.

IMAGE160Dishdrawersinnovatethestandarddishwasherby

keepingcleandishesinonedraweranddirtydishesinanother.

IMAGE 161 Modern kitchen color palettes tend to integrate dif-

ferentintensitiesofthesamehue.

A successful presentation includes careful consider-

ation of color, shapes, textures, portion size, flavor and

temperature.Eachofthefoodsonaplateshouldbal-

ancebytasteandappearance.

Presentation can include flourishes called garnishes

which are edible, complimentary elements. Lemon

zests,saucesandherbsarecommongarnishes.

A current presentation trend includes food presented

plainlyonaplainwhiteplate.Inthisway,foodispre-

sented in an honest and humblemanner,where the

flavors and textures of the food become the focus

ratherthanaestheticpresentation.

Stylistic Influences

Kitchens in today’s home vary in style. Country or

retro kitchens continue to be popular, however, the

dominant trend remains the stainless steel, industrial

style kitchen.Modernwith clean lines andutilitarian

functioning, the refrigerator, stovetops and sinks are

generally oversized like commercial kitchen grade res-

taurantappliances.

Food Presentation Trends

Asourtastesforfoodhavebecomeglobal,wearebe-

coming more interested in other cultural methods of

preparing and presenting foods. Japanese sushi re-

quires particularly exacting presentation techniques.

Today’sKitchen

Inmore recent times, kitchens have returned to it’s

utilitarian beginnings, although with a modernist’s

edge.Thecleanlinesfromthe40sand50sreappear,

influenced by the appliances and countertops of com-

mercialrestaurant.Kitchenscontinuetobedominated

with stainless steel appliances and fixtures and an

abundance of kitchen tools, made from steel and more

recently,siliconerubber,floodthemarket.Thekitch-

en is less of a space divided by gender and is more

equallyenjoyedandusedbymenandwomenalike.

IMAGES 157, 158 This collapsible strainer is one of many recent

cookingtoolsmadefromsiliconerubber.Halogenovens,made

fromrecentlydevelopedtechnologycooksfoodquicklywith

oven-roastresults.

Innovations + Tools

There isnoshortageof innovations in today’skitch-

en industry.New featuresand toolsareemergingat

an accelerated pace as materials and technologies

continue toevolve.Potfillerswhichoriginated in the

commercialkitchen,allowuserstofillpotswithwater

directly on the range. Thehalogenovencooks food

as quickly as the microwave but the resulting food

tastessimilar toastandardovencookedmeal.Dish

drawersarebeingpromotedaspracticalandeasy-to-

usedishwasheroptionthatstoresdirtydishesinone

drawerandcleanerdishesinanother.Siliconerubber

tools are becoming more common as the heat resis-

tant, manufacturing friendly appeals to practical and

cost-consciousconsumers.

Colors + Materials

Most luxury kitchens include stainless steel appli-

ances, stone or wood butcher block counter tops.

Although stainless steel appliances dominate the cur-

rent market, appliances continue to be available in a

wide array of colors, from bright green, yellow and

redtoneutralblacksandwhite.Kitchenspacecolor

palettesalsovaryaccording topersonalstyle.Color

trends, however, generally seem to include different

intensitiesofthesamehue.

IMAGE 159 Pot fillers originated in commercials kitchen and

haveonlynowstartedenteringdomestickitchenspaces.

26 27

IMAGE170IntheL-kitchen,thecabinetsoccupytwoadjacent

walls.Theworktriangleispreserved,andtheremayevenbe

spaceforanadditionaltableatathirdwallprovided.Itdoesn’t

intersectthetriangle.

IMAGE171AU-kitchenhascabinetsalongthreewalls,typi-

callywiththesinkatthebaseofthe“U.”Thisisatypicalwork

kitchen,too.

IMAGE 172, 173 The block kitchen (or island) is a more recent

development.Thiswouldappearinkitchensthatareavailable

inopenspace.Here,thestoveorboththestoveandthesink

areplacedwhereanLorUkitchenwouldhaveatable,ina

freestanding“island,”separatedfromtheothercabinets.In

anopenkitchen,itwouldmakethestoveaccessiblefromall

sidessuchthattwopersonscancooktogether,andallowsfor

contactwithguestsortherestofthefamily.

The Layout of the Kitchen

Kitchens are used to prepare food. The layout and

area of the kitchen depended on the design of the area

wherethekitchenwouldbelocated.Therearediffer-

ent types of arrangements of the kitchen that consist

ofkitchencabinets,sink,stove,andrefrigerator.

One of the arrangement is the single kitchen or the

one-waygalleywhichhaseverythingalongonewall.

Thissolutionwouldbeusedifthespacewasrestrict-

ed.Thismaybecommoninanatticspacethatisbeing

convertedintoalivingspace,orastudioapartment.

IMAGE 168

The double-file kitchen or two-way galley has two

rowsofcabinetsatoppositewalls,onecontainingthe

stoveandthesink,theothertherefrigerator.Thisisthe

classicalworkkitchen.

IMAGE169

IMAGE 165, 167 Fogu fish, saffron and game meat are all con-

sideredluxuryfoods.

Luxury Foods

Luxuryfoodsexistinallculturalcuisines.Theycanbe

defined as gourmet, generally rare, hard to prepare,

dangeroustoeatand/orexpensivefoods.

Examples of luxury foods include the Japanese fogu

fish(apoisonousblowfish)thatmustbepreparedbya

trainedchef.Onewhoeatstheshrisksdyingfromthe

poison.Saffronandtrufflesarealsoluxuryfoodsdue

totheirrarityandareexceptionallyexpensive.Luxury

foodsalsocanincludedishespreparedwithuniqueor

unusualcombinations.

IMAGE164Japanesemakirollsandsushirequirespecialprep-

aration.Particularattentionispaidtoitsaestheticpreparation.

28 29

Different Kitchen Layouts in Present Time

IMAGE 177 For this particular layout, the kitchen is placed on

itsrightbutwithahallwaythatdirectlyleadstotheliving/dining

roominsteadofopeningintothekitchen.

IMAGE 176 Housing layouts usually have the dining room before

the kitchen so that any guests or house member traveling in

throughtheentrancewouldnotinterferewiththekitchen.

IMAGE 174 You can see that upon the entrance of the apart-

ments, the first room is usually the kitchen and then the dining/

livingroom.

Apartments

IMAGE 175 Studio lay out

IMAGE 178

30 31

Two-Story Homes

Brown Stones

One-Story Homes

IMAGE179Forthistwostoryhome,thekitchenislocated

right near the garage for better transport of groceries from the

vehicles.Typically,thegroundfloorwouldbewherethekitchen

andlivingislocated.

IMAGE180Typically,thegroundfloorwouldbewherethe

kitchenandlivingroomislocated.

IMAGE 181 For this one story home, the kitchen is adjacent to

thediningroom.

IMAGE 182

IMAGE183ForthisTownhouselayout,thekitchenislocatedto

thepatiosidesothattherewillbebettersupervisionifchildren

arearound.Or,itmaybegoodforeasypatioaccessforout-

door cooking

32 33

Materials + Resources

Future kitchens will be made with locally produced

materials(ifpossible,within300miles,toreducethe

carboncostsof transportation).Kitchenmanufactur-

ers will bemore aware of protecting resources and

willusematerialsfrommanagedforestsandrecycled

glass, plastic and paper. Kitchen sinksmay also be

made from silicone rubber which withstands great

heat and absorbs or prevents breaking glasses and

dishes.Waterconservationwillbeanincreasinglyim-

portant issue; future kitchenswill include adjustable

heightsinkswithtwotaps;onefordrinkingandcook-

ingwater,theotherthatfunnelsinrecycledrainwater.

Allapplianceswill includewaterconserving technol-

ogy.

Appliances

Smart technologywillbe incorporated intomostap-

pliances.Akettle, forexample,will includeadisplay

thatwillinformusershowmuchtimeisleftbeforethe

waterboils.Refrigeratorswithbuilt invideocameras

andmonitorswillnotifyusersofwhattoaddtotheir

grocery shopping lists. Youwill also be able to call

yourrefrigeratortondoutwhatyouhaveonhandfor

dinner or leave reminder messages to yourself or to

familymembers.Thecooktopwillbeself-cleaningon

command.

IMAGE 185 OLEDs

IMAGE 186

The Future Kitchen

Thekitchensofthefuture,asweimaginethemtoday,

rely on computer based technologies, hidden features,

neworrecycledmaterialsandaninterestinrenewable

energy.Somedesignershavefocusedmoreonmate-

rialsandformwhileothershavebasedtheirvisionon

techno-logicaladvancements.

Future kitchen concepts continue to include an airy,

largemulti-functionalenvironmentforrecreation,work

and play. The activity of cooking becomes just one

moreoptiontoconsiderinthekitchen.

IMAGE 184 A future kitchen include integrated technological

innovations rather than large stand alone computer units as

envisionedinthe70s.

Technology

“Historically, technology has entered the home

through the kitchen,” says Ted Selker, an associate

professoratMITwhose labexplores the technology

offuturekitchens.Hisproposedtechnologyincludes

a “hydroponiccupboardwithanultrasonicevapora-

tor” thatkeeps leafygreensandherbs freshaswell

asa“warmcompartment”withintherefrigeratorwith

a special atmosphere that prevents the oxidation of

fruitsandvegetables.Healsoenvisionskitchenappli-

anceswithtouchscreendisplays.Computermonitors

will be built into kitchen units to provide the conve-

nienceofinstantaccesstoinformation.

InnovatorsatGEhavedevelopedkitchenswith“pre-

dictivecomputing”toanticipatetheneedsofitsusers.

ThekitchenwillbelinkedtotheInternetandallother

systemoperationsinthehouse.Organiclight-emitting

diodes(OLEDs)will illuminatethekitchenfromfabric

ceilingsoreventhefloor,withoutglare.Lightswitches

willbecomeunnecessaryassmartlightingwilldetect

when a user is coming or going. The entire kitchen

surfacewillbetouchsensitivewith“multiplelevelsof

interaction”and“complexinformationnavigation”ca-

pabilities.GEalsoenvisionsclean,bacteriafreewater

purified via ultraviolet light

34 35

Hidden Features

Doors slide open to reveal hidden cutting boards,

burners,hardwareandjoints.Invisiblesensorsreveal

faucets,turnonlightsandopendoors.Spaceandsur-

face,ratherthanfeatures,becomethefocalpoint.

IMAGE 194 Minotti introduced the monolithic Terra kitchen in

2004.Itsapproachistohideallevidenceofthekitchenuntilit

actuallyneedstobeused.

Integration

Futurekitchenswilllinkmulti-functionalproductsand

appliances with interactive controls. Some designs

appeartotakeonalinearmonoblockapproach.Other

kitchens emphasize the unique qualities of furniture

styledunits.

IMAGE189GE’sconceptkitchenreliesheavilyonnewmethods

oftechnologyintegration,energyefficienciesandwatercon-

servation.

IMAGE190VervebyErnestomedaplayswithsurface,reflection

andlight,intersectingthekitchen’senvironmentwithitsinterior

cabinetspace.Thereflectionofthekitchenaccentsthesurface

ofthecabinetswhilethecabinets’contentsarejustvisible

throughthefrostedglassdoors.

Design Trends

Thekitchenisbeingviewedlessasautilitarianspace

andmorelikethenucleusoffamilylife.Kitchenswillre-

flect this concept, accommodating multiple activities,

usersandneeds.Thedominant themesarewarmth,

comfortandpersonalization.Familieswillcongregate

in the kitchen rather than the living room for entertain-

ment,workandsocializing.

IMAGE187Applianceswillintegratetechnologythatinteracts

withusers,homesystemsandtheinternet.

IMAGE188Ernestomeda’sSolarisisacountertop,cookingunit

andaworktablewithabuilt-insinkandburners.

IMAGES191,193Bulthaup’sb3kitchenunits’handle-free

doors and hidden joints enhance the stainless steel and glass

surface.

36 37

Sculptural

Unitingnew technologywith futuristic forms,several

kitchen manufacturers are developing kitchen units

withsculpturalelements.Theseunitsincorporatethe

functionality of a standard technologically enhanced

kitchenbutpushtheboundariesofwhatkitchenunits

canorshouldlooklike.

IMAGE 195 The Bo Zone kitchen hides appliances and shelving

behindslidingco-planardoors(openinglikeanaccordion).The

kitchen’sotherfunctionalelementsarealsoconcealeduntil

needed.Doorhandlesare“invisible”andastainlesssteelwork-

topappearstooatontopofitsaluminumframe.A“blu-motion

seal-mechanism”imbeddedintothecabinetryensuresthat

doorswillshutquietly.

IMAGE196ZahaHadid,inconjunctionwithDupontCorian

andErnestomeda,createdZ.Island,akitchenwithtwofree

standingunits.The“Fire”unitincludesacooktopstoveand

multimediatechnology.Thehexagonallyshaped“water”unit

comeswithasink,built-indryingrackanddishwasher.

IMAGE197DesignedbyEnzoEusebiofNothingStudio,

NotForFoodisafurniture/kitchenconceptbyBerloni.

Made from carbon ber, the kitchen unit includes a seating

area,worktop,diningareaandtheintegrationofamusic

systemandtheInternet.

38 39

Unique Surfaces

Although most kitchen are still dominated by the use

ofstainlesssteelorwood,afewkitchendesignersare

experimentingwithnewanddifferentsurfacetextures

and materials. DuPont’s corian looks like stone but

embodiesthedurabilityofmoretraditionalmaterials.

Other interesting options include glass, fabric, plastics

andcarbonfiber.

IMAGES198,199StratoCucinecreated“UniquePieces,”a

kitchenmadeprimarilyfrompolishedandopaquesteel.The

kitchen stresses the importance of aesthetics in even the most

utilitariansettings.

IMAGE203Venus’byPininfarina’sinnova-

tive use of coral red steel counter tops

createadesirablytouchablesurface.It’s

“microtouch”finishinmicrofiberhasa

uniqueleather-likefeel.

IMAGES200,201Santambrogiomilano’sSimplicityProjectisoneofthefirstkitch-

enstomakeuseofthetransparentqualityofglasstohighlightitseverydayuses.

Withglassastheirbackdrop,waterandreseemtooatinmidair.

IMAGE202UsingBrazilianSukupirawoodandbronzemetal,ArmaniCasa’s

Bridgekitchenwascreatedtoshowcasethebeautyofthematerialsononeside

andthefunctionalityofthekitchenonitsreverse.

40 41