Talk to Me About Food

A podcast about the news and trends that impact the choices we make around getting, preparing, and disposing of our foods and drinks, seen through the lens of a consumer researcher...consumer...human...me. The podcast covers a range of topics related to the cycle of consuming food. DISCOVERY of new foods and cuisines. PLANNING what you're going to make and eat. SHOPPING for food and beverages. PREPARING meals and snacks. DISPOSING of what doesn't get eaten. EATING OUT when you want someone else to work. The goal is to entertain and inform you so I muse about what's trending in the food world: new products, up-and-coming cuisines, food chain sustainability, "smart" kitchen stuff, digital shopping, and more. The recipe for each episode is simple: 1) A good handful of observations. 2) A couple of spoonfuls of insight from experts. 3) A thimbleful of first-hand experience. 4) A dash of whimsy. 5) Simmer until a story emerges.

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Talk to Me About Food

The Future of Kitchen Design

June 30, 2021 • Ali Tadlaoui

According to Houzz.com, one of the key tastemakers in home design today, 25% of Americans renovated their kitchen in 2019, and we spend a lot more on updating the kitchen than any other room in the house. The open concept kitchen has been on trend for a while now, but that might be changing per the same Houzz survey, as well as HGTV celebrities Jonathan Scott, one of the Property Brothers, and Erin Napier of “Home Town.” That got me thinking about what might be driving the future of kitchen design.

I first speak with Johnny Grey, a kitchen design pioneer about his first principles and how they apply to social and demographic trends, like telecommuting, multigenerational living and Boomers wanting to “age in place.”

I then share some home/kitchen design predictions from IKEA, the largest furniture manufacturer in the world, based on what they’ve seen and heard from consumers during the pandemic.

The episode also explores how kitchen design can influence how we might live more sustainably. I talk about a kitchen concept from GE Appliances exhibited at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2020. I conclude with snippets from a conversation with Clive van Heerden of vhMDesignfutures. Clive led a team that created a provocative, sustainability-first concept called the Microbial Home; a zero waste design featuring five kitchen components.

Sounds courtesy of jjhouse4, pingel,dbosst and dlandat freesound.org