HOW OUR KITCHEN HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS
As we have said previously, the kitchen has been the heart of almost every home for many many years.
Though the importance of the kitchen has never wavered, functions and styles have evolved with time.
From 1980 till date, we have seen lots of changes that have brought us the current luxury kitchen designs seen today.
The 1980’s
Before the 80’s, the kitchen had exclusively been the women’s domain, but because of the increasing rate of women building careers and societal norms shifting, it was rapidly becoming more of a shared space. Also with these changes happening, there was there is less time to spend in the kitchen. A microwave oven became a ‘ must have’ to save time to make sure there was hot food on the table within a few minutes.
Aesthetically, Kitchens were mainly tiled, which were often ceramic and sometimes handed painted. During this decade, most cabinets were made of pine or oak and only a few different styles of doors existed. Cabinets of the 80s rarely had handles, most doors had lipped tops and bottoms.
Kitchen of the 90s
The kitchen island became the microwave of the 90s. Though this feature existed since the 50s, it became extremely popular in the 90s, reinforcing the kitchen as the centre of the home. During this period, islands were no longer solely for prepping or eating; They became hubs for homework, socialising and planning. Also this is the time when more homeowners were looking at making the kitchen their own and islands and other worktops were moving towards a solid surface often made of granite or wood..
Grey kitchens also became popular during this time, mimicking the perceived minimalistic style of the kitchens of the future. Add to this separate hobs and ovens and evolved lighting, not just functional, but pleasing to the eye (popularly under unit / ceiling downlights) The kitchen truly evolved.
Kitchens from the 2000s
Significant advances in kitchen technology brought amazing computer enhanced support to the design process, transforming how ideas were easily incorporated into a client’s dream kitchen. Ovens and hobs became multifunctional, most being hybrids of a fan and a convection oven, with the ability to bake, grill, and roast.
Stones, especially quartz and marble, took over from granite as the standard for a kitchen surface. Both being sleek and easy to maintain whilst being incredibly long-lasting, brought style, options and opulence to what was once just a functional surface..
Kitchens from 2010 till date.
Now kitchens are mainly about saving time and increasing convenience. Smart Technology has taken over virtually every aspect of life where you can now control ovens, freezers and fridges from smartphones. We also now have coffee makers, motion-sensing taps and smart refrigerators that can monitor whether or not the food within is out of date or indeed needs replenishing..
Most of these appliances came out in this decade and have shown how much people value time-saving tech.
Advances in manufacturing and design technology has made kitchens (particularly surfaces) available in almost any colour / style or design. Every space can been utilised creatively, with flare.
