Kitchens of the Future

Kitchens so smart, so innovative, so downright cool, you might think you're living withThe Jetsons.

When I was growing up watching shows like The Jetsons, I always wondered if things would really be like that in the future? What would our lives be like in 20, 30, 50 years? Well, these days it seems like these amazing advances in technology are practically all coming to life: we've got jetpacks, 3D TV, a portable computer pad and book readers, an all-electric car, a light bulb that can last 17 years and kitchens that make your Mama's electric coil stove look like a dinosaur.

Snaidero's Acropolis kitchen features a seamless countertop design that makes you wonder where did they put all the eletrcical components? Well, they're actually hidden in the stainless steel vertical support. The design is ergonomic and designed to make the chef feel like the center of the kitchen rather than the victim of a predetermined layout. The LED lighting is also a great feature -- no need to add recessed lighting to your existing ceiling. You can also customize the layout and components of the kitchen to your specific needs.

Valcucine, the modern Italian kitchen company, has developed a brand new concept: The Recyclable Kitchen. The entire unit, called Invitrum, is created from secondary (or recycled) aluminum and recyclable glass, making the whole kitchen 100% recyclable. The joints are created using no glue, so there are no toxic emissions. With today's concerns about the environment, it's great to see a company thinking about the future of an entire room in our home and not just one product.

The Avanti compact kitchen is a concept designed for, well, a small population of people. Let's just say if you need this kitchen, you probably live in a studio apartment or a place that's under 400 square feet. Can you believe they squeezed a cabinet, sink, refrigerator and stove into a 30" wide space? That's about the width of an average stove. It may not be for everyone, but it definitely gives you all the essential kitchen needs in one cute compact unit.

The kitchen folding table by designer Olga Kalugina for Hettich morphs from a plain table into an expandable kitchen work surface that includes storage, disposal and a cutting surface. For those of us with practically no counter space, this would be the perfect addition.

Pedini's DUNE kitchen is a curvy kitchen with all the important pieces in one unit: sink, range with exhaust and lots of storage. All you need is a fridge and you're set! It also comes in a rectangular design, but the curved one just makes it feel a little more space-age. These kitchens are a far cry from the off-the-shelf cabinets from your local home improvement store: you can customize it with over 50 wood and glass options!

Although these kitchen pods aren't individually for sale, the kitchen/bathroom units at the Jade by Jade Jagger lofts are certainly like living in the future. Inside the apartments are floating lacquer pods with doors. When you open the doors you are shocked to find your kitchen and bathroom! So, if you're looking for a high-tech loft city living with futuristic decor -- check out the Jade.

And then there are designs that are not in production, but the concepts are brilliant enough to command some attention. For example, the Kitchen Tree is a futuristic kitchen appliance designed by Balin Lee inspired by nature. It was designed for last year's Electrolux Design Lab Competition, whose theme was "a household item for the next 90 years". The center part, or trunk, is a refrigerator and the branches that extend out from the center can be interchanged between each other. They contain a sink, storage unit and burners.

Volare is a concept developed by the Electrolux Global Design team based on consumer insights. The designers took the consumer's need of intuitive, small and convenient, and designed a wall-mounted kitchen that looks like a piece of art. The modular system allows you to build whatever kitchen you'd like based on your needs. Although still a concept, this is likely where kitchens are headed: you tell it what you want with a simple motion and it delivers.