THE SOCIAL KITCHEN
Mark Elmore, Head of Design at Fisher & Paykel highlights
the need for a social kitchen in the home.
As designers of kitchen appliances, we believe that great
kitchens are crucial to wellbeing. The kitchen is the heart of
the home. It can be both a retreat from a busy chaotic world
and a social hub. It is where we nourish, we collaborate, we
create and juggle busy lives. Its importance in wellbeing and
health cannot be overlooked.
There’s nothing worse than appliances that dominate or
fight with the design of the kitchen and so it is crucial that
appliances seamlessly integrate into the kitchen. As kitchens
evolve to be more like living spaces, technology is becoming
more embedded with a focus on simple, discreet interfaces
that don’t overwhelm.
Our world is changing at a pace never seen before. The way
we live, interact, and what’s important to us as consumers
in in constant flux. We call it Design for a Changing World. It
is the result of macro changes in the way we live, and these
relate directly to our beliefs on health and wellbeing. A
generational shift has occurred – Millennials are now the
largest consumer group globally and with them comes a
different set of values. A willingness to spend disposable
income, a deep care for food and its provenance, a love of
design and a desire for the finer things. They are looking
for something fresh, new and authentic. Global lifestyles,
cultures, mobility and urbanisation are distinct but
intertwined.
52
The predominance of inner-city and apartment living as
populations become more urbanised shapes the choice
a consumer can make around home and kitchen design.
Any home should be a sanctuary and we see demand
for beautiful compact kitchens and appliances that fit
seamlessly into the wider living spaces. Respect for our
interaction with the environment is causing change as
consumers are opting for brands that are serious about
sustainability.
"The kitchen is the heart of the home.
It can be both a retreat from a busy chaotic
world and a social hub."
In kitchen design, the ‘work triangle’ was based on moving
between the key mechanisms of the hob and oven, the fridge
and the sink. This was derived from an efficient time-and-
motion study – based on a production-line metaphor. This
efficiency makes cooking seem a task: something we had
to do alone, as quickly as possible and get out. But now we
create and experiment. The kitchen is now our metaphorical
‘shed’ where we tinker, perhaps making it up as we go along,
perhaps following a recipe. More people are moving into the
kitchen. At parties, rather than just sitting and watching the
theatre unfold, the guest is picking up the wooden spoon
and giving the pot a stir. It is now a team effort.