25-04-2025
How Kitchens Have Evolved From Cooking Spaces To Social And Lifestyle Statements
In India, food is a celebration rather than a mundane everyday chore. While many fondly share stories of their favourite meal cooked by their mothers or grandmother, with changing time men too are taking a keen interest here. Celebrations are incomplete without an elaborate meal, whether it be a festival, a religious get together, a birthday or anniversary.
Selvakumar Rajulu, Managing Director of Nolte FZE Dubai shares how kitchens have evolved from cooking spaces to social and lifestyle statements.
Even in regular days, Sunday may mean special cooking days for the family where everybody finally comes together. On everyday basis too, every family tries to have at least one meal together. Thus, kitchen is rightly the center of a home, the room with the most heart and substance.
In olden times, the kitchen was tucked away in a corner of the house, while modern kitchens are very much the center of attraction. In retrospect, it can be difficult to understand why they were always hidden away in a different area. The rise of kitchens doesn't seem all that shocking or abrupt when we consider the evolution of our society, which includes everything from the Industrial Age to changes in gender roles and the rise in smaller homes. Thus the modern kitchens are now a part of our everyday lives.
During the 18th century, kitchen zoning was heavily influenced by appliances. Families now have the kitchen on the same floor as the living area, which makes it easier to draw smoke away, thanks to the development of gas stoves and chimneys. Concerns about smoke permeating the home and an increase in some families' cooking and show kitchens are still present today. These are less of a concern now that appliances have advanced and living spaces have shrunk.
Families started paying more attention to kitchens in the 1950s, as evidenced by the rise of kitchen "styles" like farmhouse-style wooden cabinetry and pastel-colored cabinetry. This interest was echoed by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright. Trends in Kitchen Island design during the 20th century reflected more general changes in aesthetics, such as the early 2000s' emphasis on clean lines or the rise of maximalism's use of striking contrasts. It blended style and function and was no longer a utilitarian area. This development led to the idea of kitchen islands and breakfast bars. Family gatherings have increasingly taken place in kitchens. This arrangement of living and kitchen areas is also a result of the rise in smaller homes.
Every home's kitchen has evolved into a hub of activity where family and friends congregate. Food is deeply ingrained in our cultures all over the world, but kitchens are now used for more. This lifestyle is here to stay, as evidenced by the advancements in kitchen technology and the rise in stunning kitchens that blend in with living areas. Nowadays, people congregate in their kitchens, where life really takes place.
And the new age consumer is aware that each choice has an impact, thus sustainable kitchens with eye soothing interiors are now ruling the décor trends. Modern appliances that are eco friendly are also a great factor. Hence, kitchens have evolved from a cooking space where women cooked everyday to modern areas where all the members are involved in cooking and they help build a kitchen that will make family bonds stronger over good food and lots of conversations.
