The Way We Use Kitchens Is Changing in 2026, and Smeg's Sculptural New Collection Reflects That
Kitchens are no longer just spaces we cook in, and SMEG's new Isola collection has all the specs, while still allowing space for everything else
Considering my partner is the cook in our relationship, I'll admit that I've never really thought too much about what our kitchen hob looks like — he gets the bigger say, and that tends to prioritize specs over style. But recently, I was invited to visit SMEG HQ in Guastalla, Italy, and while strolling through the brand's gallery-like showroom, it suddenly dawned on me that I'd been sleeping on this seriously big design opportunity.
Specifically, it happened while I watched a demonstration of the kitchen appliance brand's newly launched (just this week, in fact) Isola range. Designed in collaboration with Milano-based Stefano Boeri Interiors (the award-winning studio founded by architect and designer Stefano Boeri), the collection includes induction hobs with integrated extraction, sculptural suspended hoods, and a lighting rail — SMEG's first foray into lighting.
While gas hobs tend to be more architectural (there is more 'hardware,' after all), I was quite taken by the sleekness of SMEG's Isola cooktop. When not in use, it settles seamlessly into the kitchen's design, opening the space up to the abundance of activities it plays host to in 2026. But when switched on, the design is far from invisible and has a few particularly striking features that actually make it quite hard to look away.
"‘Isola’ translates directly into ‘island’ in Italian and nods to having an island as the central focal point of the home," adds Richard.
Combining anodised aluminium with stainless steel, matte black finishes, and black glass, SMEG's Isola cooktop taps into the textural surfaces we're seeing a lot in kitchen trends right now. Some parts bounce light, while others carry a sense of weight and gravitas; every inch feels architectural, though — and very intentional.
But apart from its obvious style, its specs make it an easy sell to my partner, too. You can choose between the Flat (£1,299), Alta (from £1,699), and the Alta Pro (from £2,699), but it was, of course, the latter that wowed me the most. Not just for the sleek lighting strip that runs around its perimeter, but the motorized downdraft system that rises and lowers at the touch of a button, helping to remove steam, smoke, and unwanted odors while you cook.
"This allows for added kitchen flexibility, too," SMEG's product manager, Richard Mackey, tells me, "with multiple options for where the hob can be placed within the kitchen, thanks to it not being limited to where a separate hood would traditionally be."
Then there's SMEG's VIVOscreen tech — a five-inch touchscreen display that includes automatic pot detection and lets you control multizone cooking and adjustable power settings. You can even set it to specific tasks like boiling water for pasta. Cool, huh?
FYI, this has been sped up, but it shows the downdraft lowering.
Image credit: Future/Emma Breislin
"There is also the option to recirculate air if placing the hob on an island or venting outside of the home," adds Richard.
Image credit: SMEG
Apart from the hobs, SMEG's new Isola range also includes suspended hoods (from £2,499) and a lighting rail (from £1,999), which, honestly, feel more like sculpture than functional kitchen appliances. Fitted with its own adjustable lighting, I honestly confuse the suspended hood for an architectural kitchen pendant light.
Then there's the lighting rail, which is 'gesture-controlled' and lets you switch both intensity and the warmth of the light, depending on whether you're hosting or doing homework beneath it. Again — specs meet style. Both are set to launch a bit later in July 2026.
Speaking to the design of the new collection, Stefano Boeri says he wanted to go against the grain. "We imagined hoods and hobs not only as advanced technologies, but as elements capable of furnishing space through the balance of color, form, and light," an official statement reads.
If I took anything away from my trip to SMEG HQ to learn more about the brand, it's that true beauty is often about simplicity, and while SMEG's products are by no means 'simple,' the quiet tech and clever innovation you don't always see make them so easy to integrate into your life; it's effortless, and what's more beautiful than that?
SMEG's Isola collection is the perfect example. It can preempt what you want, respond to subtle gestures, and be seamlessly integrated into your life, the way you want to live with it. "It allows design to shape experience," says Richard. "It represents a more holistic approach to the modern kitchen and reflects the changing role they play within the home today."
For more ways to futureproof your cooking space, this year's kitchen appliance trends show how appliances are shaping our day-to-day culinary experiences for the better.
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