BLINDSINABOX

Kitchens set to get smarter and greener

Interior design is always changing and the pace of change seems faster than ever. Perhaps this is because we are responding faster to changes in society such as the pressure of reducing our carbon footprints.

Alternatively it could be because people enjoy spending their disposable income on their home more than ever, which is baffling as the recent economic difficulty has forced many to stop spending on their homes. However, if we put that to one side and look further down the road, say thirty, forty fifty years, it is incredibly exciting to think how homes will change.

Today it is encouraged to have a well insulated home by installing double glazed windows and loft insulation. Even little things like cheap window blinds or temporary blinds can improve the insulation of a home by keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

We are already seeing how interactive technology is becoming further integrated into our daily lives. If you consider that ten years ago your mobile phone wasnt capable of much more than making calls and sending text messages, and it is know a powerful media device capable of just about everything, just imagine what your kitchen could do.

Being economical and consuming less are increasingly important in a world with a rapidly expanding population and a planet with limited resources. More consideration will be put into the sustainability and longevity of the kitchen.

The combination of technology and a green consumer focus will produce some very creative kitchens. It is perfectly conceivable that the kitchen will be integrated with a vegetable garden. For several years herb gardens and allotments in particular have been growing popularity.

Growing your own food is a concept that over time will without doubt have to happen and by getting closer to nature again the kitchen will reflect the combination of technology and nature.

The kitchen is the traditional heart of the home and an area where technology is heavily adopted. Efficiency in the home is an increasingly important issue because of the emphasis on carbon footprints. As a result the kitchen is an area which is always undergoing being improved with technology.