The kitchen of the future will be shaped by three powerful human needs – calm, care and community – according to futurist and author William Higham.
Higham was speaking at The Future Kitchen event hosted by Middleby Residential and its brands Aga, La Cornue and Novy at the Halcyon Interiors showroom on Wigmore Street in London yesterday.
He told an audience of designers, retailers and manufacturers that the world’s growing volatility is changing how people think about their homes. “Consumers are anxious and unsure about the future,” he said. “The home has become their cocoon, the one place that feels stable. And at the heart of that is the kitchen – where calm, comfort and connection come together.”
As daily life becomes faster, louder and more complex, people are seeking out simplicity and products that reduce stress rather than add to it, he said. “We want things to be easy to use, quiet and calming,” he said. “Technology should support our lives, not shout for attention. People want less drama in their homes.’”
Higham (pictured right)described a move toward what he called “quiet technology” – appliances and design features that work intuitively and unobtrusively, blending into the background rather than dominating the space. The focus, he said, will be on intuitive design that feels natural to use and creates a sense of serenity in the home.
He also predicted a new approach to luxury and premium products. “Luxury is no longer about status or price,” he explained. “It’s about comfort, warmth and emotional wellbeing. We’re buying things that make us feel good, not just look good. It’s a more personal, nurturing idea of home.” That shift, he suggested, is reflected in softer aesthetics, natural materials and designs that invite people to slow down, connect and enjoy their surroundings.
The idea of community was another strong theme. Higham noted that hybrid working, multigenerational living and a renewed focus on local life are all reshaping how people use their homes. “We’re seeing more families living together and spending more time at home,” he said. “The kitchen is becoming the social hub – a place to work, eat, talk and share. It’s no longer just a functional space, it’s an emotional one.” He predicted that future kitchen layouts would reflect this growing emphasis on sociability, with larger, more flexible spaces that blur the boundaries between cooking, dining and living zones even more than now.
Looking ahead, he said technology will continue to transform the kitchen, but in subtler, more integrated ways. Artificial intelligence, he suggested, will make appliances more personalised, learning individual habits and simplifying daily routines. “Technology will become invisible,” he said. “It will anticipate what you need and adapt to how you live, quietly making life easier rather than trying to impress you.”
“The kitchen is evolving from a place of function to a place of feeling,” he said. “If we can create calm, comfort and connection there, we can help people feel happier and more secure in their homes.”
