Ten years ago, IKEA tasked design firm IDEO in London and a group of students from Lund and Eindhoven universities to think about how our kitchens might look differently in 2025. The team spent months researching people’s attitudes and habits around cooking and eating before they built a full-size prototype, dubbed Concept Kitchen 2025, at Salone Del Mobile in Milan. The space (take a look at it here!) didn’t feature any fancy robots or laser beams that zap food into existence, but rather a handful of genius—and pretty doable ideas—for reducing waste. With the new year right around the corner, we decided to look back at their predictions and see how close we actually got to them.
What IKEA Predicted in 2015
- Open shelving will dominate and will largely replace cabinets altogether.
- Tech-savvy worktops outfitted with cameras and projectors overhead will tell you what ingredients you have, and what you can make with them.
- Pantries with induction-cooling shelves will keep cold items refrigerated, because they’ll be able to detect the RFID stickers on the packaging and figure out just the right temperature.
- Tippable sinks with a drain on each end will allow you to lean it in one direction to save H2O that could be reused for plants. Tip it the other way to dispose of contaminated water.
- An automated recycling system will crush, vacuum-pack, and label your items for pick-up.
How Close We Got in 2025
Sort of True: Open Shelving Will Dominate
The IKEA team guessed we’d be all in on open shelving by now, allowing us to clearly see what pantry items we have so we feel inspired to use the food we’ve got around us. While it’s the norm to see an accent shelf or two in kitchens today, the preferred organization method is drawers, drawers, and more drawers. Designers are finding that you can simply fit way more stuff in a space this way. So, in part, IKEA was right that we are shifting away from upper cabinets.
True: Our Kitchens Are Telling Us What to Eat
Our countertops aren’t tricked out with smart tech yet, but our refrigerators are. Samsung’s latest AI-enabled version of its Bespoke fridge comes with an internal camera that will keep track of expiration dates, that way you can actually come up with a meal plan that puts those soon-to-be-spoiled goods to use—what IKEA wanted all along.
Sort of True: Our Pantry Shelves Can Keep Items Cold
The idea of not having to look at a bulky refrigerator in our kitchen sounds like a dream, but we are still a long way off from IKEA’s vision of induction-cooling pantry shelves. That said, some homeowners like Courtney Halverson are throwing it back by putting larder pantries in their spaces, which keep items like eggs and butter naturally cool during the winter months.
False: We’ll Be Able to Save Water with Tippable Sinks
Our sinks are very much still stationary, but conserving water is top of mind for many designers, including Chris and Julia Marcum of Chris Loves Julia. The pair just installed Principal Faucet’s foot pedal system in their house, which allows more precise control over usage and pressure.
False: Recycling Will Be Automated
While IKEA and IDEO knew we’d still be manually separating our recyclables from our trash, they also dreamt up a tool in our home that crushed, sealed, and labeled said recyclables. Lately, we’ve just been focusing on improving the first part. By incorporating compost bins (large and small) into our lives, we’re starting to get the sorting thing down.
Okay, IKEA, now tell us what we can expect in 2035.
