Kitchen Design Matters More in Modern Homes
People are moving into the kitchen with their hearts on their sleeves and design on the brain, according to housewares industry experts. “People have completely changed what they expect out of the kitchen… The changes are coming from consumers and their current standing situation,” says Janine Michalek, Vice President of Market Intelligence at Design Research.
Three years ago, the setting that consumers wanted in their kitchens was a cozy and warm environment, but, according to Michalek, that’s kind of history. “So in terms of the kitchen, what we’ve seen for several years is we wanted a warm, inviting environment. If we look back to 2015, 2016, we’ll see that we wanted a kitchen that was welcoming, friendly and full of comfort, but those things all plummeted this year. That’s in the past. It is the most dramatic change we’ve ever seen in our reports…” she says.
What surged to the top this year, Michalek says, was all things sleek and luxurious – an extremely different kitchen atmosphere from the vibes we gravitated towards in past years.
Michalek says that in her 14 years at Design Research, three cultural trends have collided in people’s homes and kitchens to usher in this new attitude towards kitchenware design: Firstly, people are looking at their kitchens without as many financial burdens and without being so afraid of the economy. “Years ago, consumers were cocooning,” says Michalek. “Their home was their refuge, a place of shelter and protection and a place to get away from it all, but you know, we don’t really hear much about cocooning anymore. Consumers are feeling better about the economy. They are feeling better about their current situation, and they seem to be wanting to show off a little bit more because they do feel more positive about their circumstances.”
Secondly, the decrease in household sizes is thought to have contributed to the recent change in style trends. Now two-thirds of all households are occupied just by either one or two persons. The average household consists of just 2.5 people in the United States; a distinct contrast from a generation ago, when households were almost double the size. This has created a demand for smaller kitchens, which offer less storage space, resulting in less demand for specialty kitchen tools and more purchase for storage-friendly kitchenware items.
Michalek says smaller households also mean that a greater proportion of these households have no children in them. “There are a lot fewer families and there are a lot fewer children. So the needs of the kitchen have changed,” she said. Since families are a lot smaller than they once were, adults are creating homes that are more fit for cocktail parties than play dates and midnight feedings, which entails a demand for more drinkware, more modern vibes and a sleeker, cleaner feel.
Thirdly, the kitchen, which used to be set off in a corner somewhere, as if it were a laundry room or bathroom, has been opened up and joined to the rest of the house. It became less secluded and moved to the center-stage of people’s lives as a place not just for eating, but as the heart of the home, a place for entertaining, gathering and experiencing life. “When people remodel their home, a huge percentage is focused on the kitchen, and it’s always an open concept,” Michalek says. “So people want to open up their kitchens to the rest of the home. So, you know, if you’re in the living room, or you’re in the dining room, you’re in the family, you can see the kitchen now because it’s one big space. So that has made kitchen decor and kitchen products so much more important because they have to work with the rest of the house.”
