Once hidden away at the back of the house where all the labour of housework was carried out, kitchens have become a social space where gadgets rule says Carol Burns
The smart kitchen concept is still a new one to many who still consider the programmable thermostat as the height of technology, and perhaps think all this techie stuff is a bit of a fad. So we asked Karen Chugg from smart kitchen experts Intelligent Abodes to share their day in the life of a smart kitchen.
“When we wake in the morning, the kitchen is generally the first place we go, for that morning cup of tea, this is so easy with the instant Zip hot water tap. Super convenient.
On cold winter days, it’s great to turn up the heating from my smart tablet next to the bed – it makes it perfectly warm when I get downstairs. Mornings can be a peaceful opportunity to catch up on my paperwork, so I select my ‘Reading mode’ on my Lutron light switch, providing focus where I need to work and a gentle dimmed effect throughout the kitchen, so it feels cosy and doesn’t alert the animals that its breakfast time.
As the natural light of the day increases, the automated blinds intuitively and gradually open. The children appear eager for breakfast, select their favourite radio station on the Multiroom system and adjust the lighting to ‘Morning mode’. And so the day begins!
At weekends, the kitchen is definitely the place to congregate – friends gather to chill, animals find cosy places to sleep and children are in and out for food and company. The responsive heating and lights that can be changed to suit the task makes the room feel intuitive, creating the right mood for whatever you want to do.
On the days when I have prepared a meal in the morning, as I leave work, I can switch the oven on from my smart phone, knowing it will be perfectly cooked when we all get home hungry. Once again the home is the centre of activity as we share the day’s events over dinner. We select ‘All On’ lighting mode as we clear the kitchen and stack the dish washer; then we adjust to ‘TV mode’ and settle down to watch a family programme while we all relax.
Later in the evening, the kitchen becomes a peaceful haven for the adults to enjoy a glass of wine, listening to our favourite music, dimming the lights and shutting the blinds from the comfort of our cosy chairs.
The kitchen is the central meeting point of every household. From breakfast to relaxing with friends, its design needs to meet the requirements of all of its users.”
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