Rise Of The Smart Kitchen

17th July 2018

If we look back through a history of the kitchen, there were many significant developments that changed the face of modern life. For example, the fridge. 


Invented in 1913, fridges weren’t common in the UK market until the middle of the century. Initially, this large buzzing robot was met with trepidation. It wasn’t until the summer of 1959 (the second hottest on record) that fridges finally overtook the cold slab in British kitchens. So where have we come since then?


The mid-century seemed consumed with large-scale technology; fridges got bigger and new machines were growing in popularity throughout the 1950s. Washing machines were more affordable by the 1960s and by the 1970s, dishwashers were commonplace in the kitchen.


Now, fast-forwarding to 2018 and beyond, modern day technology in the kitchen is not only shrinking, it’s disappearing altogether. Simon Gosling, an expert in future gazing, cleverly summaries: “If the 1950s home was about visible devices such as the dishwasher, the future home is about tech disappearing.”


Here we will look at some of the trends and our recommended products.


Without a doubt, one of the biggest developments is connectivity. It’s all about technology working together. Whether we’re saying “Alexa”, “Siri” or “Ok Google”, we are surrounded by interconnective apps that make our lives easier by instructing other apps to do as we ask.


Now you can turn your kitchen lights on and off using your phone when you’re out of the house. One of the leading products in this area is Philips Hue. Whether you have pendants, ceiling or under cabinet lighting, you can benefit from smart light technology. Hue offers task lighting for food preparation, ambient lighting for dining and accent lighting throughout the kitchen.

Philips Hue LED Starter Kit, £59.95


For a more decorative option, the Philips Hue Ambience Amaze Pendant Light is ideal for dining areas. It incorporates energy-saving LED lights (85% less energy) with dimmable options in four light ‘recipes’: Energise, Concentrate, Read and Relax.


This leads us to another trend: the marriage of design and technology. A good example of this is Bang & Olufsen’s modular BeoSound Shape speakers. The sound system is made of hexagonal speakers and acoustic panels that can be arranged to look like walls tiles. The honeycomb-like panels cannot only boost sound but also absorb noise to improve indoor acoustics. The perfect combination of form and function.

Bang & Olufsen ‘BeoSuond Shape’, £2,695


If you like the sound of smart interconnected tech, you can expect to see more of this incorporated into smaller domestic appliances too; starting with the kettle. It should come as no surprise that kettles have also been advanced through smart technology. Appkettle is described as “the smartest kettle in the world” and allows users to control via the app and, for the first time, with voice control. This is another example of interconnective technology designed to make day-to-day life a bit easier.

Appkettle, £129.99


It also claims to make your ideal cup of tea with integrated timers and temperature control, so you get a perfect brew every time!


A helpful tip for technological teamwork is the IFTTT applets, which is free to download and enables you all your apps and devices to work in harmony with one another. You can even set your lights to flash when your Uber arrives!


If you want more design inspiration, request a copy of our 80-page brochure or browse our blog and Instagram page for recent case studies. Alternatively, book a complimentary consultation in your local Harvey Jones showroom to discuss your kitchen design with our expert designers.