The Kitchen of the Future is Here Today

Technology like smart televisions and digital home assistants have changed the way we use spaces like bedrooms and family rooms but have been slow to arrive in our kitchen and bath spaces. Expect 2023 to be the year when that changes!

The kitchen and bath of the future are here today

Imagine a kitchen or bath where voice- and motion-activated features control your surroundings. Spaces where touchless appliances remind you to purchase more milk when you are low or digital applications let you control lighting, heated floors or appliances like your oven whether you are home or not. 

Technology was relatively slow to enter the kitchen and bath market compared to other areas of the home, but according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s 2023 Design Trends report, 2023 is expected to be a banner year for integration into these important spaces. 

1. Prepare for more voice control assistants  

Many consumers started with digital assistants like Amazon Alexa and Apple HomePods, but want more integrated solutions.  

The NKBA Design Trends report found that homeowners want integrated smart home technology in the kitchen and bath as well. In this case, integrated means making systems like lighting, music, video and appliance control work together. 

These connected features will take some time to develop, but they are already in use in the kitchen and bath sector in the form of digital assistants like Alexa and Siri.  

Many homeowners are using these first-generation devices to control lighting or smart plugs and as entertainment and communication devices. Now, voice control is a high-ranking trend in both kitchen and bath categories. 

2. A move toward even more digital appliances  

Digital appliances make life easier. Though smart appliances were gimmicky at first, they are developing into important time-savers.  

Imagine the convenience of driving the kids home from soccer practice and using a mobile phone app connected to an appliance that allows you to preheat the oven so you can warm up dinner as soon as your family walks in the door. Amazing, right? 

Smart appliances and digital devices can also control refrigerators with cameras—so you can see what’s inside from wherever you are in the grocery store (do you need butter?) and some can even read recipes to you as you cook. 

3. Let there be more high-tech lighting  

Lighting is one area where technology is advancing with gusto in the kitchen and bath industry.  

The smart home assistants mentioned above can be used to set lighting routines such as turning on lights in the kitchen or bath just before you wake up or set the mood for a room, perhaps lowering the lights for a relaxing bath.  

Digital devices can also be used to automatically raise or lower window shades—allowing you to take advantage of natural light or block it out during certain times of the day. Since many smart light bulbs use high-tech LEDs, homeowners can change the color temperature of the lighting as well—while reducing energy consumption.  

4. Always get a good look  

Even typically low-tech devices such as mirrors are getting a makeover. Smart mirrors are networked, lighted and include features like music and “heads-up” displays that can show important information such as rush hour traffic or weather reports.  

Some smart mirrors even allow you to read and answer emails. Mind blown!  Plus, products like the Samsung Mirror Programmable Standing Fabric Steamer, available at Lowe's, offer extra-smart capabilities. Multitask with ease when you smooth out those wrinkles and sanitize your dress shirts while you tackle your morning skincare routine!

5. Fun tech is important, too!  

Entertainment devices such as televisions and smart speaker systems are no longer restricted to recreation rooms or the den. Many designers are creating connected kitchens and baths that include television screens and high-end, integrated audio equipment.  

These integrated devices allow you to pick up a television program exactly where you left off in a different room or listen to music throughout the house. Plus, like lighting, programs can be set to turn music on and off automatically when you enter or leave a specific area of the house. 

Technology for kitchen & bath design  

In addition to all of these design factors impacting the kitchen and bath industry, technology is also making it easier to create dream kitchen and bath spaces.  

Configura offers designers powerful tools like CET Kitchen & Bath, software that can be used to create beautiful and accurate designs. Designers can simply click, snap and stretch 2D and 3D symbols and specify real products in a plan that eliminates errors and automatically generates quotes, bills of materials and lists of products. Designers can create “live” drawings for their customers that include photo-realistic renderings, fly-through video, 3D PDFs and more. Since CET Kitchen & Bath integrates with existing ERP and CRM platforms, it can be used to easily generate installation drawings and other documents.  

European kitchen and bath designers can take advantage of Essential Kitchens. Available for CET Kitchen & Bath in the European market, users can drag and drop generic kitchen cabinets and design in front of clients. This solution greatly accelerates the design process by allowing designers to insert realistic objects in drawings while also creating the ability to export product counts and schematics for accurate pricing.     

With all the technology entering the kitchen and bath, it will become more important than ever for your residence to have a strong Wi-Fi system, not just in home offices and bedrooms, but throughout the entire house. 

When designed properly with integrated technology and smart products, the kitchen and bath of the future can be here today. 

Looking for intuitive and smart space planning and drawing tools? Design organized spaces with CET Kitchen & Bath using one tool for total home success.

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