The kitchen as we know it is “morphing” into something else altogether, moving from the room that homeowners cook and eat in to the room they truly “live in.”

That’s the finding of a new consumer survey conducted by Electrolux, the European appliance manufacturer which unveiled its “live-in room” concept during the 2006 K/BIS here in April.

The Electrolux “Live-In Room,” which made its formal debut during K/BIS, is a reflection of a telephone survey conducted by the company among 1,024 American households. In that survey, nine out of 10 respondents said they are involved in some sort of activity in their kitchen besides cooking – from paying bills and doing homework to practicing musical instruments and working on the computer. In addition, more than two-thirds of adults said they use their kitchen, rather than their living or family rooms, to socialize and entertain guests, Electrolux said.

“People are telling us that all things that used to happen in other parts of the house – like eating in the dining room, entertaining in the living room and napping in the den – are moving into the kitchen,” observed Keith McLoughlin, CEO of Electrolux Major Appliances, Americas. “Tomorrow’s kitchen is moving beyond the bread and butter basics – the room we cook and eat in – to the high-functioning heart of the home. It’s the space where we entertain, relax, work and play.”

The Electrolux “Live-In Room,” unveiled at a press conference during K/BIS, is the company’s interpretation “of what the future holds in terms of the kitchen,” McLoughlin said.

Boasting everything from a baby grand piano to a tepanyaki grill built into the countertop, plus the latest suite of stainless steel Electrolux “ICON” appliances, the room is designed to be a space “where comfort rules and almost anything goes.”

According to Florence Perchuk, CKD, the New York-based designer who conceived the space, kitchen planners should “throw out all the old ideas about what this space should, and shouldn’t, be” when creating a redefined room that reflects “how we really live.”

“As kitchens and adjacent rooms continue to merge into single large living spaces, this space is finally getting the attention it deserves,” Perchuk explained. “In the Electrolux Live-In Room, the look is streamlined and clean thanks to a “whole room” approach.”

For example, in the live-in room, Perchuk notes that comfortable seating is a must, as is a highly-evolved floor plan that provides separate yet integrated areas or zones for entertaining, working and cooking. Stainless steel appliances are also a must because they are neutral, clean and can work with design styles from contemporary to traditional, she said.

“With modern life converging in the room ‘formerly known as the kitchen,’ great design has never been more important,” said McLoughlin. “Consumers say they want their heart of the home space to be comfortable, inviting and highly functional, and are looking for a suite of appliances that blend in versus stand out. That’s where thoughtful design comes in.