Over the course of my life, I’ve lived in almost every type of home. A suburban single-family house, a floor through flat, a townhouse, a city studio apartment, a penthouse, a triplex apartment, and an industrial loft. In every case, and for over fifty years, all of the kitchens in all of my homes have pretty much been the same. While some were larger than others, and some had fancier appliances than others, all of these kitchens had more similarities than differences. All of my past kitchens, with one exception, were designed for a different time when we used our kitchens and homes in a different way. I have sold thousands of homes and have seen thousands of kitchens. Other than the customized kitchens I’ve seen for the top 1%, there has been very little innovation in the distribution and use of the space.
We spend an inordinate amount of time in them. They are the hearth, heart, and soul of the home. They are where we congregate as a family and share not only our food, but our stories and experiences. What we eat and how we eat is deeply rooted in how we express ourselves and our connection to our traditional and culture. It is the place in the home where we come together as a family. Most of my favorite family memories were borne in the kitchens of my past. I remember baking and icing my first chocolate cake (Mrs. Tilley Hyman’s famous secret recipe), with my mother at the age of 7. I ate the whole thing by myself. This past Passover my mother helped me recreate her latke dish for the family over FaceTime. I failed miserably.
Having been in quarantine for the past two months, I’ve used my current kitchen far more than any other in my entire life, and I believe it’s time to rethink the fundamentals of the way the space is distributed. For starters, I think kitchens are way too small. The kitchen should be the largest room in the house, but all too often, it’s the smallest. I’ve had kitchens that were smaller than my bathroom. There has never been enough storage in any of the kitchens in the homes I’ve lived in. I need to be able to store more food. Kitchens should have more refrigerators, freezers, cabinets for food, plates, and utensils. I could use more appliances. I’d love special storage for fresh fruits. A pantry. In half the kitchens I’ve owned, I’ve had to store my pots and pans in the oven. There should be bigger countertops where I can bake and prepare food without moving everything else off it. I’ve never met anyone who said they have enough counter space. Knowing that we spend this amount of time in our kitchens, they should be designed to accommodate more seating. My family would use a well-designed banquette far more than we use our table in the dining room. I would even sacrifice my dining room and part of my living room if I could get everything on my wish list for a better-designed kitchen.
All of these lifestyle changes present an opportunity. I’m looking forward to working alongside architects and developers to create the kitchen of the future and bring it to our projects. I know what’s on my wish list. I’d love to hear what’s on yours.