Ep 42: AI Kitchen & Bath Tech- Pre-KBIS 2025 Predictions

Written By Jenna Gaidusek

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AI Kitchen & Bath Tech: Pre-KBIS 2025 Predictions | AI for Interior Designers™
AI for Interior Designers™ Podcast

AI Kitchen & Bath Tech: Pre-KBIS 2025 Predictions

From wireless countertop charging to AR cooking surfaces and autonomous bathroom cleaning robots — a look at what stood out in 2024 and 10 predictions for where AI in kitchen and bath design is heading next.

Ep. 42 Solo Episode KBIS 2025 ✦ Jenna Gaidusek February 2025
This blog was written using AI as a recap from the recording, then edited by the author for accuracy and details.
Key Takeaways
  • AI in kitchen and bath is not about futuristic gadgets for their own sake — it is about reducing friction in daily life. The technologies gaining real traction are the ones that handle repetitive tasks (cleaning, monitoring, adjusting) without requiring user input every time.
  • FreePower's wireless countertop charging, LG's home assistant robots, and the Digs project management platform stood out from 2024 — each addressing a specific friction point for either homeowners or designers.
  • The sustainability angle is increasingly significant. AI-powered water management, food waste tracking, smart energy systems, and inventory management all reduce resource consumption — a growing priority for both designers and their clients.
  • For designers, AI in kitchen and bath creates both an opportunity and a responsibility: the opportunity to specify smarter, more integrated systems for clients, and the responsibility to understand how these technologies actually work before recommending them.
  • Jenna spoke on the AI panel at KBIS 2025's The Next Stage — bringing the designer's perspective into a conversation that is often dominated by manufacturer and tech company voices.
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KBIS 2025 — Las Vegas
Jenna on the AI Panel at The Next Stage
Speaking Tuesday at 4 PM on how AI is shaping the future of kitchen and bath design — the designer's perspective in a room full of manufacturers and tech companies.

What Stood Out from 2024 — Three Products Worth Knowing

Before looking ahead to what KBIS 2025 might bring, it is worth grounding the conversation in what already shipped and made an impact. Three products from the past year are worth understanding specifically because each one addresses a real friction point rather than a speculative future use case.

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FreePower — Wireless Countertop Charging
Built-in wireless charging integrated seamlessly into countertop surfaces — no charging pads, no cords, no visible hardware. Works for kitchens, bathrooms, and bar areas. Multiple devices charge simultaneously. The design implication: a charging solution that does not compromise the visual integrity of the surface. For designers specifying high-end kitchen finishes, this is the kind of technology worth knowing before clients ask about it.
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LG Home Assistant Robots
AI-powered robots designed to assist with cleaning tasks, laundry notifications, and home monitoring. Not a Roomba — these are more interactive, more capable, and more visible in the home environment. The hesitation around robots in living spaces is real, but LG is pushing the intuitive and accessible angle — and the category is developing faster than the design conversation has caught up to.
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Digs — AI for Design Project Management
A platform built for designers and builders that uses AI to organize schedules, material selections, and floor plans. Its standout feature: an AI chatbot that extracts key details from uploaded project documents — eliminating the manual review of lengthy specs and coordination emails. For kitchen and bath projects with multiple contractors and product timelines, this kind of intelligent document processing is practically valuable rather than theoretically interesting.

10 AI Predictions for Kitchen & Bath Design in 2025

These predictions are grounded in current development trajectories — not science fiction. Each one represents a category where the underlying technology exists and the remaining question is pace of refinement, cost reduction, and mainstream adoption.

01
AI-Optimized Smart Ovens
Ovens that monitor food via camera, adjust temperature automatically, and optimize cooking time — consistent results without babysitting the oven.
02
Smart Refrigerators with Inventory AI
Track what is inside, flag approaching expiration dates, suggest meals based on current contents, and reduce food waste systematically rather than requiring the homeowner to manage it manually.
03
Voice-Activated Kitchen Assistants
Beyond playing music and setting timers — step-by-step cooking guidance, grocery list management, substitution suggestions, and real-time troubleshooting. Closer to a sous chef than a speaker.
04
AI Food Waste Management
Smart waste systems that track disposal habits, identify patterns, remind homeowners to use or freeze items before they spoil, and provide reporting on household waste reduction over time.
05
AI-Controlled Faucets & Showers
Water systems that remember temperature preferences per user, adjust flow based on detected activity, and actively manage water consumption — without requiring manual adjustment every time.
06
AR Countertop Surfaces
Interactive countertops that display recipe guides, portion measurements, and cooking instructions directly on the surface — eliminating the need to check a device or tablet while cooking.
07
AI-Enhanced Bathroom Mirrors
Mirrors already used in the fitness and beauty industries for skin analysis, hydration tracking, and personalized recommendations — moving into residential bathroom design as the technology matures.
08
Autonomous Bathroom Cleaning
Robots or built-in systems that disinfect surfaces, scrub floors, and monitor hygiene without requiring user activation — particularly relevant for high-traffic or high-maintenance spaces.
09
Smart Ambient Lighting Systems
Lighting that adjusts automatically based on time of day, occupancy, activity type, and user mood — without requiring manual programming of every scenario in advance.
10
Personalized Cooking Assistants
AI systems that go beyond recipe suggestions to real-time ingredient preparation guidance, technique coaching, and adaptive adjustments mid-recipe based on what is actually happening in the pan.

The Bigger Picture — What AI Is Actually Doing for Kitchen & Bath Design

Taken together, these innovations have a common thread: they reduce the cognitive and physical load of home maintenance and daily tasks without asking the homeowner to manage or configure anything complicated. The most successful kitchen and bath AI will be invisible — doing its job so naturally that users stop thinking of it as technology and start thinking of it as just how their home works.

For designers, that creates both a specification opportunity and an education responsibility. Clients will increasingly ask about smart appliance integration, connected water systems, and AI-driven lighting — and the designers who can intelligently advise on these decisions will be the ones clients see as genuinely forward-thinking partners rather than people who pick fabrics and move furniture.

Task automation — home maintenance tasks that required regular attention (cleaning cycles, temperature management, lighting adjustment) handled without user input
Food waste reduction — inventory tracking and expiration management that reduces household waste, a sustainability priority that aligns with values many design clients already hold
Energy and water optimization — smart systems that reduce consumption without requiring the homeowner to actively manage it, potentially relevant for LEED certification and sustainable design projects
Personalized experience — systems that learn individual preferences and adapt automatically, delivering comfort without a manual setup or interface for every interaction

"AI in kitchen and bath design isn't just about futuristic gadgets — it's about improving efficiency, sustainability, and user experience. The most impactful innovations are the ones that make daily life better without requiring effort."

— Jenna Gaidusek
Frequently Asked Questions
Start by understanding the client's actual pain points rather than leading with technology. If they mention that they hate cleaning their shower, an autonomous cleaning system is a relevant conversation. If they complain about food waste, smart refrigerator integration makes sense to raise. The goal is not to specify the most technologically sophisticated kitchen possible — it is to identify where AI-driven systems would genuinely improve this specific client's daily life. Clients who feel their specific needs drove the technology recommendation are far more likely to commit to the investment than clients who feel like they are being sold the latest thing.
FreePower is a built-in wireless charging system that is integrated directly into the countertop surface rather than sitting on top of it. Unlike standard Qi charging pads, FreePower works through the countertop material itself — meaning the surface looks and functions like a normal countertop with no visible charging hardware. Multiple devices can charge simultaneously anywhere on the designated charging zone, not just on a specific pad. It is currently available for integration into kitchen, bathroom, and bar countertop fabrication, and is compatible with Qi-enabled devices. For designers specifying high-end finishes, it eliminates the charging pad as a design compromise.
Digs is an AI-powered project management platform built for designers and builders that helps organize schedules, material selections, and floor plans in one system. Its standout feature for kitchen and bath work is the AI chatbot that can extract key project details from uploaded documents — specs, product sheets, coordination emails — eliminating the need to manually review and summarize lengthy files. For kitchen and bath projects specifically, where product lead times, contractor coordination, and material sequencing are particularly complex, this kind of intelligent document processing has practical value beyond general project management. It is worth evaluating if you work with design-build teams or manage complex multi-trade projects.
Treat AI-integrated appliances with the same evaluation framework you use for any specification: what problem does it solve, how reliable is the manufacturer's track record, what does the support and warranty look like, and how does it integrate with the other systems in the home? AI appliances add a software dependency that traditional appliances do not have — which means you also need to consider how the product will function if the manufacturer discontinues software support, whether the features require ongoing subscription fees, and how tech-comfortable the client is with managing firmware updates and app-based controls. The technology is genuinely exciting; the infrastructure questions are practical and worth asking before you commit a client's kitchen budget to them.
These categories exist in varying stages. AR countertop surfaces are in active development and have been demonstrated at trade shows — they are not yet widely available for residential specification. Autonomous bathroom cleaning robots are also in development; some prototype systems have been shown, but they are not yet at the point of reliable, affordable residential deployment. Smart bathroom mirrors with AI features are further along — several products with skin analysis and personalized recommendation features are currently available. Jenna's consistent framing: these predictions are based on current technology trajectories, not wishful thinking. The question for each is not whether it will arrive, but when and at what price point that makes it relevant for client specification.
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Disclaimer: This blog was written using AI as a recap from the recording then edited by the author for accuracy and details.

 
 
Jenna Gaidusek
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