Good design solves problems and can sometimes even make a statement about changing human behavior. This refrigerator concept for Samsung by Netherlands’ GRO Design attempts to do just that.
It presents itself as a piece of furniture rather than an appliance to be hidden in the kitchen. Many people simply don’t have room for a traditional refrigerator and may center food consumption around the living room coffee table. GRO also designed the fridge to be as flexible as possible allowing both vertical and horizontal setups, suiting the potential buyer’s individual needs.
Fast Company has more on how it reflects change in the household:
First off, as the modernist tenet of wide-open living spaces has become mainstream, galley kitchens that open onto living spaces have been ubiquitous in contemporary housing layouts–a point proven by the multitude of refurbished “loft” developments springing up across the country. That, in turn, places higher design demands on something like a fridge, which you now have to look at while sitting on your couch.
Second, and more wide reaching, is the fact that the suburbs are in decline. Studies have shown that younger homebuyers are increasingly favoring smaller spaces within the confines of a city. And that probably means that space savings of the sort represented by my own weird-fridge-placement problem are becoming more commonplace.
Fast Company: “How Demographics Can Play Out in Fridge Design”
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I could really use one of these. I recently moved to a studio apartment of just over 300 sq. ft. and my kitchen is too small for cabinet doors let alone a refrigerator. Thusly, mine is in my studio space (and actually functions quite nice as a stand for my record player, but is not in any way as aesthetically pleasing as this one). The woman who leased the space to me suggested that some residents place it in the closet, which is ample. but i just couldn’t do that. A refrigerator that could double as more counter space would be incredible.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:34 am