From April 13 to May 28, the latest interior design and lifestyle trends are on display at top design fair Casa Décor in Madrid, Spain and Electrolux Group’s premium brand AEG is there. This article shares the key trends that are expected to evolve the performance and enjoyment in the kitchen now and in the very near future.
Last week, Director Product Line Taste, Iberia, Alberto Dani took part in a panel discussion “Design, Functionality and Sustainability,” alongside Anna Ferrer, architect specializing in sustainability and founder of CU4 Studio, and Beatriz Tejada, Design and Creative Studio Director for Spanish furniture manufacturer dica. AEG is showcasing its latest kitchen appliances as part of dica’s design space.
Top trends on display at Casa Décor
A key part of the panel discussion addressed the way in which appliances help people to meet their personal goals and ambitions – whether that be aligned to healthy living or simply indulging oneself with family and friends.
1. Multi-purpose homes
Shrinking home spaces and multi-purpose room use mean that every inch of the home is a valuable canvas for the design-conscious consumer.
People need their home to be an office, a place to relax, entertain, nurture, escape and connect – often at the same time catering for different family members. The many different uses place an emphasis on spaces that can be hidden and yet delight when revealed. This was demonstrated by the number of kitchen spaces placed behind temporary enclosures when needed, only to be shown off when in food and entertainment mode.
2. When it comes to appliances, less is more
Appliances should be simultaneously beautifully understated, but clever in performance by offering multiple functions. At the event, sleek hobs with integrated fans were the norm, as were ovens that could toggle between steam, convection and microwave cooking. All help to reduce visual clutter, whilst the AEG matte black appliances are discreet with a premium finish so that when on display they present a sophisticated design statement.
3. Serious about sustainability: from eco settings to compact spaces
The showcase included no end of sustainable thinking with many design features using recycled material – from PET on ceiling lights to the inner liners of the AEG fridge made from 70% recycled plastic. Trends from the panel discussion also focused on quality, longer lasting materials, as well as personalization when designing spaces. Kitchens and homes can support people far better when done to fit around people’s lifestyles and their sustainable wishes and more of this is being requested. Appliances also offered eco settings that ensure energy use is minimized without sacrificing performance.
Several spaces focused on compact living, with dystopian science fiction predictions (think Bladerunner) also bought to life. Sleeping pods placed on top of kitchens and bathrooms were shared in a couple of spaces, as were beautifully curated nods to Japanese pods.
4. Technology and smart design strengthen emotional connection
”Many of the new experiences on offer in the kitchen could pass you by and your life would be just fine,” says Dani. “But as it should be with smart design and technology working together, once a feature or product offer has been experienced, it is very difficult to settle for less and this helps strengthen the emotional connection to kitchen and user.
Such experiences include the AEG ComfortLift dishwasher that lifts the lower basket of the appliance up for easy loading and unloading, the vacuum sealer that helps keep food for longer and provides new ways to cook, as well as the steam function within multipurpose ovens.
5. People are willing to spend more
“We also see that as people demand more, so they are willing to spend more,” adds Dani. “In Spain, the average price of home appliances has increased by 16% versus pre-pandemic. Part of this is due to inflation, but equally it shows that people invest in their home, especially when you consider that prices of home appliances have been historically quite stable,” he explains.
About Casa Décor
Attracting close to 40,000 people over six weeks, Casa Décor is a platform for interior design and lifestyle which takes place every year in a different location in the center of Madrid. The 2023 edition (at Calle Serrano 92) presents fifty-seven spaces decorated by both established professionals and upcoming stars in the world of interior design.
All spaces at Casa Décor, Madrid: https://casadecor.es/madrid-2023/espacios-decorados/
Can’t make it to Madrid?
AEG has a permanent experience area that welcomes the design conscious and curious. The brand’s latest range will also be showcased at IFA in Berlin, September 1-5, 2023.
