The 2009 NKBA/K+BB Student Essay Contest asked: It is the year 2020, what innovations and design trends will your clients want? Twenty-nine students (registered NKBA Student members attending a full- or part-time NKBA Supported or Endorsed Program) responded, and three were selected. The finalists are eligible for a first-prize award of $1,500, a second prize of $1,000 and third prize of $500, in addition to an expense-paid trip to K/BIS in Atlanta, where the winners will be revealed at the K+BB booth (B2242). Following are the three finalists' essays. Congratulations!


There have been times in our not-so-distant past when the world has held its breath, waiting for the dawn of tomorrow. Humanity lived in the shadow of doubt and fear. A great uncertainty held the hearts of all nations' peoples alike. Would the father and son come home from the war? Would the mother and daughter be able to look to the future with happiness? Where did the nations find strength to not only press on, but once again smile and laugh with one another? Winston Churchill, during the perilous days of World War II, lifted an echoing voice of hope: "A love for tradition has never weakened a nation; indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril." Whether it is today or in the year 2020, amidst our current wars, economic crises and changing politics, we ask ourselves where shall we find our smiles, our laughter and our hope? The answers are found in the combination of future technology and a renewal of past traditions, once found embedded in the heart of the home: the kitchen.

Artist Marco Evaristti described the kitchen essentially being the heart of the home in his own personal way: "It means everything, and this is where I feel most at home. The kids come tramping in wearing their dirty shoes and with their friends in tow, throw their books onto the dining table and get on with either doing their homework or playing a game. When I open the fridge, I know that I’ll find pâté, sausage and all the stuff kids like to eat."

This is the traditional kitchen sought after in the year 2020, where we return from the hustle and bustle of the working world to the peace and closeness of family.

Gone will be the sterility of manufactured, streamlined, boxed kitchens. Our kitchens will be tranquil. Organic, curvilinear shapes will influence the island as it wraps around the cook, emphasize the form and aesthetics of furniture that family will gather around to play games and dictate the height of cabinetry as child and adult stand side by side helping each other. Attuned to craftsmanship, the kitchen will come to express the family and be a place where individuals can express themselves.

Vanished will be the cold, muted, feigned-quality materials. Our kitchens will be genuine. Wood cabinetry, natural countertops and other renewable, organic materials will preserve the environment for the benefit of our children and the rising generations. Glass and metal accents in windows, insets, hardware and backsplashes give foresight into the advancements of the future. Focused on the natural and organic, the kitchen will set the stage and ambiance for our family values.

Departed will be the looming, fulsome, forged status of appliances. Our kitchens will be intimate. Traditional atmosphere will be kept through methods of cooking, such as gas, flame creating the sense of comfort and stability. Computer and nanotechnology will aid the advancements of energy-efficient and environmentally conscious refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, ovens and other appliances. Attentive to technology, the kitchen will ease and conserve our efforts and time, precious time better spent safeguarding our family.

Lost will be the flickering, wasteful, insidious lighting. Our kitchens will be loyal. Abundant natural, full-spectrum and efficient lighting will invite child and adult to nestle into home and linger for a longer conversation. Combinations of general, task and accent lighting will make each task more manageable, more focused and more productive. Dedicated to lighting, the kitchen will illuminate our daily lives, drawing the family closer together.

Where materialism, prestige, wealth and expense have brought governments to their knees, kitchens focused on the future of tradition will become a symbol of the family rising from the dust. We will be strengthened once more in our hours of peril. Smiles will be seen from face to face. Hope will be felt heart to heart. Laughter will once more ring ear to ear for, as the Irish proverb says, "Laughter is brightest, in the place where food is." And where is that place? In the kitchen, the traditional heart of the home.

—Lacey Janelle Madsen, Brigham Young University, ID



"Mr. Jones, welcome home. Your turkey is fully cooked and ready to serve," Mr. Jones is greeted by a warm, friendly, automated voice emerging from the wall oven as he enters the sleek, contemporary kitchen after an arduous day of work at the office.

"Potatoes have completed boiling and are prepared for mashing," floats another voice from the primary cook center. "A dash of garlic powder is recommended," the same voice continues as a mechanized spice drawer elegantly floats open in the wall cabinet next to the cooktop, revealing the spices living inside. Mr. Jones crosses the floor to investigate the potatoes on the cooktop and delivers a voice command to turn on the kitchen's digital television and report the basketball scores for the day.

"Milk storage is running low. Refrigerator will prepare to order a gallon for delivery from local grocery store on voice prompt confirmation," chimes the dialogue from the tall, beautiful appliance in the corner.

"Grocery list verified. Please order immediately," replies Mr. Jones.

Moments later, Mrs. Jones enters the room and is greeted, "Hello, Mrs. Jones. Welcome home. Assorted vegetables in the refrigerator are prepared for cooking in the microwave oven. The reheat option is recommended." Within a few minutes, Mr. and Mrs. Jones have collaborated with their intelligent kitchen to create a divine meal that would typically have required hours of preparation—hours that neither had available in their busy lives.

Even though it is still somewhat unbelievable that there are available systems through which kitchen appliances actually "talk" to and communicate with each other and their master, the reality is that 11 years from now, in the year 2020, clients will be demanding more high-tech kitchens than ever. In addition to this forthcoming trend, designing and molding the kitchen to accommodate the predicted specialized needs of the future population in the upcoming decade will also be a determining factor. And one of these future specialized needs will respond to the ever conscious and growing environmentalists, projecting that the "green movement" and sustainable design will gain popularity. Additionally, design for barrier-free kitchens to sustain the aging baby boomers will also be an upward-spiraling trend. Consequently, it is viable to suggest that the increased use of high-tech amenities, sustainability and accessible design will be demanding design trends for clients of the future.

First, an increased demand in technological appliances can be predicted in the future decade. With the surge of technology advances, it is really no surprise that there are now available "smart kitchens" that interact with each other and the client. Nearly everything can be networked to a cell phone, a PDA, email, a telephone, etc. And as the public becomes more aware of this incredible advancement, demand will increase and prices will predictably become more reasonable to many buyers, creating a new hot kitchen trend in reach of the average client. As the busy lifestyle of our world increases, less time to actually spend in the kitchen preparing meals will encourage incorporating time-saver technological mechanisms. Items such as the Polara Refrigerator Oven, which refrigerates food until the programmed cook time and then converts into an oven to have food cooked by the designated time when the client arrives home, will become increasingly popular. The Pandigital Kitchen Technology Center is a touchscreen recipe and resource database located conveniently at the cook's fingertips. The TMIO Intelligent Oven is Internet-, cell-phone- and telephone-controlled. The developing KitchenSense System senses when a person is near an appliance and proposes new techniques or recipes, recommends cooking methods, suggests the use of ingredients or appliances and provides safety monitors, including one for children. Networked kitchen appliances that require nothing more than a program or voice activation will surely be on demand in the following decade.

Additionally, the increase of sustainable or "green" kitchens is another foreseeable design trend. The public is becoming more aware than ever of the rising need for protecting the environment. Even now, the use of eco-friendly products is steadily encouraged in the design of spaces and buildings. In the years to come, green design will be an essential element of nearly every kitchen. As green products continue to be perfected, clients will begin to accept and select recycled or environmentally friendly finishes and materials in the kitchen. Energy-efficient appliances will be an imperative trend. Clients will also request that the design of the kitchen include integral recycling, as well as water- and energy-conservation fixtures. Increased sustainability in kitchens is bound to emerge as a vital craze in the approaching future.

Finally, because of the increased aging population resulting from the baby boomer era, more clients will seek kitchen designs that will "grow old with them" and remain accessible and comfortable for many years to come. Consequently, design for barrier-free living and versatility will also be an upcoming demand. Clients will desire kitchens designed with adjustable sinks and multilevel counters that are both versatile and accessible. Wider kitchen aisles and more accessible cabinetry will also be requested. Furthermore, appliance lifts and other storage mechanism aids that assist those with reduced flexibility and strength will be carefully considered in kitchen design. As a major portion of the population feels the effects of age in the forthcoming years, kitchen design will adapt to facilitate the accessibility needs of many, creating yet another future trend. Thus, it is sensible to conjecture that high-tech, green, accessible kitchens are in the wave of the future for our increasingly knowledgeable clients. No longer will kitchens be adorned with narrow aisles, nonadjustable countertops, exotic woods, non-eco-friendly finishes and tech-free appliances. Over the next decade, as research expands and the public becomes more informed on these issues and the respective kitchen qualities, clients will envision these trends. As these elements increase in popularity and demand, they will undoubtedly become the must-haves of every client. The new trends are already on their way, and by 2020, they will certainly be in kitchens to stay.

—Angela Miller, Brigham Young University, ID



In the year 2020, the buzzword in kitchen and bath design will be "efficiency"—efficiency in every sense of the word. Having weathered the current economy, consumers, wiser to the pitfalls of excessive and showy spending, will be focused on real value. Products will be increasingly time-saving and energy-efficient, and finishes will be more environmentally friendly. Designs will be ergonomically conscious with a mind toward timelessness. Conservation of all resources will be the norm. Clients will have realized that, more than ever, without the burdens of excess, true luxury is fully using and enjoying what you have.

By 2020, consumers will be looking even more to designers to incorporate both energy- and time-saving products into their kitchens and baths. Change may come in the form of alternative technologies as well as in the more efficient use of traditional resources. Appliances in recent years have become gradually more energy and water efficient and this is a trend that will continue. Recent innovations, such as tankless water heaters, will be standard equipment, and solar resources will be maximized as well. As concerns mount for the environment, water efficiency will continue to improve in cleaning appliances as well as in plumbing fixtures. Clients will be looking for cooking appliances that will cook faster and use less energy. Alternatives might include induction and halogen technology. Options in lighting are going to play a significant part in the designs of 2020. As incandescent lamps are phased out, clients will be looking for an attractive and efficient substitute. We will see improved color rendering in LED technology and increasing integration and manipulation of natural light resources in kitchen and bath design. In the future, designers will be called upon to incorporate both time- and energy-saving products into their clients' homes.

As environmental awareness increases, clients will be looking to include more ecologically friendly products and finishes in their kitchens and baths. This may be partially achieved by the use of low- or no-VOC finishes in paints and stains. Additional options could include using less traditional materials, such as recycled concrete and glass or reclaimed woods. We will see existing materials being reworked and repurposed into new designs for our clients. Renewable resources and smartly harvested lumber products will be increasingly in demand. As the general public becomes more educated about the effects on the environment of materials used in building products, they will be looking to their designers to lead them in making more informed choices about environmental impact when selecting new products and finishes for their homes.

As medicine improves and our population continues to age, more thought will be given to the idea of aging in place. Closely related is the field of ergonomics. People of all abilities must be able to fully function in and utilize their environments. By 2020, it will be generally accepted that accessibility is a function that should be incorporated in all good design, for all ages and abilities. Accessibility is personal and varies among individuals. Designers will need to recognize as well as anticipate the physical limitations of their clients, whatever they may be, and use these parameters to design an environment that is most useful to that particular client, both now and in the future. Clients will be looking for design solutions that quietly address these limitations without seeming too obvious or clinical. They will be looking for ways to maintain quality of life and remain in their homes as long as possible. As designers, we have the opportunity to greatly impact that quality of life by designing spaces that are tailored to the unique physical abilities of our clients without forfeiting style.

By the year 2020, consumers will have embraced the notion of efficiency. In its various forms, the term efficiency can be applied to the use of all resources, be they human or environmental. Whether we are conserving gas, water and electricity in the development of energy-efficient appliances or using alternative materials and manufacturing methods that aid in the conservation of those existing natural resources, the designs of the future will have to be more cognizant of these issues. Not only will clients be seeking ways to mitigate the environmental impact of their projects, they will also be looking to designers to come up with viable solutions to address their own individual limitations so that they may live efficiently in their homes for as long as possible. In the decade to come, manufacturers will be charged with developing products that address these concerns and we as designers will be challenged to integrate these products into creative designs that result in beautiful, efficient and timeless environments for our clients.

—Suzanne Walizer, American River College