Futuristic kitchens.

A recent report on futuristic kitchens , has revealed that by 2040 the kitchen will be so technologically advanced it will respond automatically to individual needs.

The independent Future Kitchen report, carried out by The Future Laboratory on behalf of IKEA, revealed that in 30 years time kitchens will be able to respond to energy levels, nutritional needs and moods of its users and even with this extensive use of technology will be sustainable and eco friendly.

IKEA has created three hypothetical kitchens of the future to reflect the findings of this report into social trends and factors that will influence our lives and homes by 2040.

The INTUITIV kitchen of the future features sensors that can read brainwaves and adjust the kitchen to suit the mood of the user. It even has aromatherapy infused walls that can be synced with the user’s calendar to calm you before a meeting or energise you before a gym session.

“The INTUITIV kitchen is a possible kitchen of the future with over one third of the population (41%) expecting that by 2040 we won’t even have to cook for ourselves,” said Carole Reddish, deputy managing director of IKEA UK and Ireland.

The report found that 44% of the people surveyed believed that the most important feature in our kitchens in 2040 will be energy saving. According to the survey, over two thirds of UK consumers (67%) currently try to buy energy efficient appliances suggesting that ‘green awareness’ is on the increase.

IKEA developed the ELEMENTRA back to nature kitchen that encourages you to grow your own food and be self-sufficient with a garden or mini allotment as a standard extension of the room. Food will be kept cool through larders and recycling facilities will be seamlessly incorporated into the kitchen.

With over 57% of people thinking that technology will boost our overall kitchen experience IKEA designed the smart kitchen, SKARP. This intelligent kitchen predicts the needs of its inhabitants using smart technology. Synchronised appliances will make everything happen at the touch of a button, communicating through iPad style devices, acting as the brain of the home.

For the 41% of Britons who expect that they will no longer need to clean their kitchens in 2040, the SKARP kitchen has smart surfaces creating self-cleaning kitchens.

SKARP also encourages energy efficient behaviour with devices like phone applications to control carbon emissions and thermostats which respond to voices and fingerprints.

“IKEA is constantly innovating behind the scenes to respond to changes and challenges to life at home so we can offer solutions that best meet people’s needs,” said Reddish. “We think that the economy, social changes, concerns for our health and especially the environment will greatly influence kitchen design in the future.”

The survey polled the opinion of 1,895 respondents aged between 18 and 65 years old living in the UK and was carried out as part of IKEA’s ongoing project focused on how best to provide for consumers’ lifestyle needs in their homes both now and in the future.