Beyond tomorrow: What will the smart kitchen look like?

Johannes van Graan Johannes van Graan
ULTRA MODERN RESIDENCE, FRANCOIS MARAIS ARCHITECTS FRANCOIS MARAIS ARCHITECTS Modern kitchen
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It’s official: the heart of every home is set to become even more important in the future. And our scoop is thanks to a new report entitled ‘Global Kitchen: the home kitchen in the era of globalisation’. Released by the Silestone Institute, this report is the result of a collaboration with 17 distinguished experts from the worlds of design, cooking, domestic technology, sociology, nutrition and sustainability.

So, what does the kitchen (and home) of tomorrow look like? The answers might surprise you…


1. The smart kitchen: A multi-functional zone

To those who were hoping that the kitchen would disappear and become a hidden space, sorry to disappoint! It is expected that the cooking/social hub of the home is set to develop even more into a multi-functional space than it already is, but with the emphasis placed on the ‘smart’ aspect: hyper-connected and technologically advanced. 

And just how will this happen? The role of smart appliances and mobile wearable devices will become greater, meaning not only shopping and laundry will become easier, but that there will also be endless access to useful information through the Internet of Things.


2. The smart kitchen: Amazing worktops

Start bidding farewell to those current worktops that just stand there and look beautiful, for they are set to become much more amazing in the future. The smart kitchen’s worktops will be able to make calls while cooking, and broadcast your favourite TV shows while providing access to the internet! 

To make them even more convenient and user-friendly, their heights will be adjustable; they will contain recipe databases with professional chefs guiding you through every cooking/baking step; useful information on ingredients will be available at the click of a button; plus, you will be able to weigh your food! 


3. The smart kitchen: The refrigerators of tomorrow

Yes, the future’s fridges will still be able to keep your valuables cold, but they will also provide permanent access to nutritional information on built-in screens. 

In addition, they will also be sustainable (as it is the key term for moving forward), with appliances solar-powered and aligned with ‘Multi- R’ thinking – Rethink, Redesign, Repair, Reuse, Remanufacture, Recover.


4. The smart kitchen: Samsung’s role

Thanks to the geniuses over at Samsung, homes are already starting to enjoy a new level of flexibility and connectivity with technology that offers you more access, more options and greater efficiency. Some of Samsung’s already genius inventions include the Chef Collection ovens which: 

• control the temperature of your oven from your mobile device, 

• prepare multiple dishes, that need different temperatures, simultaneously.  

Already Samsung’s one touch Steam Cook ensures the perfect amount of moisture to food at precise times for a crisp, browned outside, and tender inside.

But let’s not overlook Samsung’s amazing fridges, especially their Chef Collection built-in refrigerators, which will also play a major part in the smart kitchens of the future. How does the following sound: a Wi-fi enabled interior camera which takes a photo every time you close the door so you can see what your fridge’s inside looks directly on your mobile device?  

Even washing dishes is becoming a treat with the Chef Collection WaterWall™ dishwasher. Not only does this amazing appliance target specific cleaning areas, but the AutoRelease™ automatically opens the door when the cycle is done, to speed up drying time. Plus, with the Wi-Fi connectivity, you are immediately informed when the load is complete.  


5. The rest of your smart home

But how will tomorrow’s technology affect the rest of our homes? 

• There is set to be big changes in water usage. South Africa continues to be one of the top 30 water-scarce countries in the world. In the future, more houses will opt for built-in rainwater tanks and dual reticulation greywater systems. That will lead to a decrease in large gardens and swimming pools, and bathtubs may become almost extinct – but the great news is that we can look forward to some amazing new shower designs, like ones that automatically turn off after 2/3 minutes. 

• Garages will go, and we might even see a future with built-in ‘helipads’ on rooftops. But even if air transport doesn’t happen the way a lot of us are hoping it would, Uber, Taxify and lift-sharing apps will definitely continue to grow and cause a decline in car ownership. Thus, there’ll be less use for your standard garage, meaning we’ll either see smaller plots of land or garages being used for other activities, like home gyms. 

• Multi-purpose rooftops will become a thing if food prices continue to rise. Imagine more and more people growing their own produce on their rooftops and walls/vertical spaces as gardens shrink. 

• A new interior design look for your house every day (or as often as you wish), thanks to LED and projection technology. Just imagine choosing Damascus-patterned wallpaper for your living room the morning, and then switching over to a smoky blue paint effect for after-dinner drinks. The importance of TV placements will also decrease, thanks to mobile projectors that will allow us to stream our favourite shows on any wall or surface around the house! 

For more inspiration regarding our culinary spaces, see these 11 smart small kitchen designs.


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