Published by The Silestone Institute, Cosentino unveiled its 2017 Global Kitchen Study, which examines and forecasts the main design and usage trends between now and 2042. Findings were compiled from 17 international experts and 842 kitchen and bath retailers.
President of the Silestone Institute Francisco Martínez-Cosentino notes the aim of the project is for Global Kitchen to “become an essential reference for professionals and consumers.”
A few takeaways from the study:
- Nearly 9 out of 10 professionals (87 percent) confirm the tendency for the kitchen to become more significant in the home. Because of the space’s growing relevance in a home, 82 percent of professionals indicated they believe the role of the room should play a more important role in the collective planning/building of a home.
- Connecting the kitchen to the internet and devices and smart appliances stood out as the main technological innovation in the short to medium term; this came in ahead of sustainable solutions, like water and energy saving or waste managment.
- When it comes to the properties and functions respondents would like to see countertops have in the future, there is a growing demand for multipurpose design including cooking directly on a surface (43.1 percent) or a smart screen integrated into a surface directly (41.7 percent).
- Users’ kitchen style preferences in the future are virtually split between modern-minimalist and classic-traditional. The U.S. landed in the classic style preference.
- Across all respondents, most of refurbishment investments are allocated to new cabinets (77.4 percent), followed by new countertops (64.6 percent) and large appliances (60 percent). In the U.S. alone, however, more importance is given to structural elements, like space organization and new walls and floors.
Two general trends were mostly agreed upon by the Global Kitchen Study’s expert panel: “the recovery of the kitchen as a central socialization space in the home and the deployment of technology in all kitchen areas.” Because of the kitchen’s centrality in a home space, experts believe materials will continue to evolve to accommodate a multiplicity of users.
Find the full 2017 Global Kitchen Study from The Silestone Institute here.