http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...148926950.html
Apparently there's a new trend in residential kitchens which for me makes complete sense. The move is towards functionality and away from traditional kitchen design.
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"We are in a movement where we're suddenly focused on what the kitchen should truly be," said Eric Ripert, the famed chef at New York's Le Bernardin. "And what we've seen is that most residential kitchens, while sleek, are totally dysfunctional. They were built by an architect to be beautiful, not to be used by a cook."
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I'm not a chef or trained as one, but I like to cook. My particular kitchen is traditionally styled which makes it frustrating at times. Not just dealing with the nic knacks that find there way into the working area, but the lack of clarity or priority of design related to the main activities which takes place in kitchen: cooking.
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Dacor, Sub-Zero, Kohler and Kraus are among the companies that have released products geared toward "chef-style" kitchens, including wine stations, extra-wide refrigerators and storage units for pots and pans. Earlier this year, the German brand Dornbracht unveiled an electronic sink-and-faucet outfit that can be controlled by a foot sensor, a feature inspired by professional kitchens.
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On one hand, creating a more efficient working area is a step in the right direction. However, the up scale appliances with the eye popping price tags are not my idea of an improvement. Maybe for the one percenter who has a passion for cooking. Personally, I believe the key and dramatic changes will relate to cooking surfaces and utilizing restaurant style sinks which make cleaning pots and pans easier. An example would be the kitchen designed and built by Cheng Design.
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http://www.chengdesign.com/
Fu-Tung Cheng is the most instrumental person in the concept of concrete countertops and most of his kitchens have a feng shui feel to them leaning towards simplicity and efficiency.
In this regard, I had a intense discussion with a designer friend of mind. It's my belief that in the future there will not be living rooms and kitchens as we know it; there will be living kitchens. A place where folks congregate while food is being prepared and eaten. It will be the central hub of the family.
It will be interesting to hear the opinions of our in-house food experts related to this subject.