Space-age kitchen blends fashion and function

Ever wonder what would happen if Apple did a show on Food Network? Well, nothing about that is on the horizon as of yet, but if the creators of the iPhone put their heads together to develop a design-inspired kitchen creation, my guess is that it would look something like the new futuristic kitchen collection by Gorenje Ora-Ïto.

European appliance giant Gorenje has already earned a reputation for their signature blend of unique designs and advanced technology, and by enlisting the help of younger French designer Ora-Ïto, they hope to bring the futuristic kitchen to a younger generation that is now so addicted to modern clean lines, simple color profiles, and smooth surfaces. And they seem to have chosen wisely: according to Mr. Franjo Bobinac, the president of Gorenje, "Ora-Ïto is the perfect choice for Gorenje. He combined the simple shapes that surround us into an image of a futuristic kitchen of today, tomorrow, and the day after. I am convinced that the new product range designed in his distinctive minimalist style and featuring the cutting-edge technology of Gorenje appliances, will indeed enchant numerous consumers across Europe, and remain the trend for quite some time."

Ora-Ïto's minimalist culinary philosophy emphasizes cutting down on every possible element in the kitchen until only the essentials are spared. Doing so allows for a kitchen to include only elements that are intentional and serve not only as functional parts of the kitchen, but pieces of the design too. As he said in an interview, "The design aspect of the appliances that we use daily, and this also includes household appliances, is often completely neglected." Here, here. Since the coral and lime green appliance boom ended in the mid-1900s, it's only recently that our choices have really stretched beyond white, black, or stainless steel.

The futuristic collection has earned its kitchen street cred. as a nominee for the 2008 Wallpaper Magazine Design Awards, in the company of other household appliances like loudspeakers Katamari 01 by Giyanze, retro TV set Alpha TV by Brionvega, a Plus Minus Zero heater, and a marblewashbasin L10 designed by Norbert Wangen for Boffi. (credit http://news.archiexpo.com) It also earned 15 minutes of fame as the spokes-kitchen for the advertisements associated with the Croatian 'Ahead of Time' campaign. But don't worry, the kitchen manages to earn its fashion stripes without skimping on function: the fridge and freezer combination earns an A+ for energy with it's low energy consumption, the hob is touch-control and blends right in with the attached wrap-around counter, the oven features deep and shallow frying pans, an infrared heater, and Eco Enamel, the dishwasher can be decorated with an attachable decor panel, and the hood works just as well as the next one, but is hidden in the ceiling behind a sleek, integrated design. The collected comes either in all black or silver and black. check out the space-age futuristic kitchen from the Gorenje Ora-Ïto collection for yourself.