Flexible flavour
The kitchen is still the meeting point of every home, informed by aesthetics, hyper-functionality and super-smart designs
Whether space is at a premium or an irrelevance, the kitchen remains the meeting point of the home—an area where every inch counts. Aesthetics, hyper-functionality and super-smart designs inform every bit of it, from humble mixing bowls to souped-up appliances.
We’ve come such a long way from the days when kitchens were tucked neatly away behind doors and walls, the mess and drudgery (and often solitariness), neatly contained and out of sight. Far from those bygone days, current kitchen designs – whether for a small space or sprawling culinary epicentre – continue to embrace open-plan living, with the kitchen serving as the anchor of home life, a place where family and friends now gather to share food, drink and conversation. Not only that, this region now plays host to various entertainment needs and the at-home office for many. This arrangement, where the kitchen is open to public scrutiny day or night, a place that welcomes intimate friends or virtual strangers, has made every inch count far more. So while these multi-purpose open areas may have some drawbacks, they have generated tremendous innovations. From the creation of kitchen systems that can be electronically stowed to sophisticated appliances worthy of displaying, everything that goes into the kitchen must be aesthetically driven and fully functional. Yet top minds are not merely regurgitating past ideas or designs, they are coming up with cutting-edge solutions that focus on aesthetics and technology as much as functionality.