EuroCucina, the international event celebrating the avant-garde in kitchen design, recently concluded its 2024 edition, revealing a fascinating overview of emerging trends in the industry. SLIM has visited the leading kitchen trade fair, a benchmark for design, innovation and sustainability, to keep up to date with current trends and to provide new highlights in line with the new kitchens presented.
Among the many innovations and bold ideas on display, one topic that we are particularly 'sensitive' to caught our attention: lighting as a key element in adding value to household appliances.
What are the new trends in the design of new kitchen appliances? We elaborate on them in this article, specifically:
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Immediately recognised as the main international exhibition in the kitchen sector, EuroCucina has been enriched, since 2004, by the collateral event FTK - Technology For the Kitchen. The latter focuses in particular on built-in technology and cooker hoods, presenting innovative products, concepts and avant-garde visions on the art of preserving and cooking. FTK - Technology For the Kitchen reflects the changes in enjoying the kitchen, which are rapidly moving towards a future characterised by high-tech solutions and creative designs that combine functionality and home automation to meet the growing need for optimisation and customisation of spaces.
Smart elements and hi-tech applications contribute to making the kitchen 'smarter' and facilitate everyday kitchen practices. The concept is based on appliances, connected and at the service of the user, which promote more sustainable and virtuous choices. Smart appliances, controllable via smartphones or voice assistants, offer a higher level of convenience and functionality, helping to create increasingly efficient and interconnected kitchens.
In addition to multifunctionality and technology, there is a trend towards the integration of appliances within kitchen environments. The kitchens of the future are architectural, scenic and convivial spaces that merge and open up to living. This hybridisation of environments promotes a more inclusive and engaging dining experience, where cooking becomes an integral part of sociability and domestic relaxation. To this end, the proposal of some brands in the sector integrates the hood into the hob, a hob that in turn 'merges' into the worktop with the use of special materials.
Another predominant aspect is the return to minimalist looks, with a preference for absolute black, dark colours and materials with character. This clean, sophisticated aesthetic is evident in the furniture, appliances and even in details such as the backlit knobs and taps, which incorporate a light sensor and glow red or blue, depending on the water temperature.
Light is confirmed as one of the design elements of kitchens. In the 'fairground' of Eurocucina 2024 it was evident how lighting was used to accentuate and enhance both furniture and appliances through small details or aesthetic light profiles. Each stand seemed to be immersed in underlines of light, creating suggestive and captivating atmospheres.
In fifty years of evolution, the event has borne witness to the central role of the kitchen in the contemporary domestic environment, anticipating and influencing trends in design, materials, colours and technologies that define the world of kitchens.
Brands in the industry have constantly renewed the language of design, embracing the most advanced technological innovations. However, they have also maintained a respect for traditions and valued new habits related to the kitchen environment, which remains one of the central elements of the home.
Furthermore, despite the emphasis on avant-garde and innovation, Eurocucina saw a nostalgic return to the retro design of the 1950s and 1960s. With convex shapes, pastel colours and chrome finishes, this retro-futuristic trend creates an intriguing and seductive atmosphere in contemporary kitchens. In conclusion, this balance between past and future, between innovation and tradition, helps define the aesthetics and functionality of today's and tomorrow's kitchens.
Are you interested in trends in large and small appliances?
Click on the button below and discover the infographic dedicated to the trends of the home appliance sector.