It’s said to be the heart of a home but a new survey* by kitchen expert, The Panelling Centre reveals that 80% of Irish people are unhappy with their current kitchen and 94% are jealous of a friend or family member’s kitchen.
Kitchen envy
So envious are we of other’s people’s quartz worktops and solid wood doors, that over three quarters of those polled (78%) resolved to revamp their own kitchen after visiting a friend or family member’s house. 8% admit to changing their kitchen within months of their visit while 10% say their kitchen got a makeover the following year.
When it comes to what we’re jealous of in other people’s kitchens, it’s all about a stylish design and layout for a third of us, while 1 in 5 say spaciousness is a key contributor to kitchen envy.
Current kitchen woes
According to The Panelling Centre survey, the top three reasons why we dislike our current kitchens are
The cost of kitchen upgrades
Of those questioned, over half are planning to change their kitchen in the next year and 14% have remodelled it in the past two years. Of those 14%, half spent up to €5,000 revamping their kitchen, while 29% spent €5,000 – €10,000 and 21% spent in excess of €10,000.
Researching the perfect kitchen for your home takes time according to The Panelling Centre survey. 1 in 5 spent up to 18 hours in pursuit of the perfect kitchen while 13% say they spent more than 20 hours searching for their dream design.
Kitchen inspo
Pinterest is the number one source for kitchen inspiration among those questioned with 29% admitting to logging on and pinning their favourite designs. 28% say visiting kitchen showrooms is where they get ideas, 23% say interiors magazines are their go-to source for dreamy designs while a fifth (21%) take inspiration from family and friend’s kitchens. Despite being a hub for curated and stylish images, only 11% say Instagram is their top choice for kitchen inspiration.
Dream kitchens
Three quarters say they would happily sacrifice space in other parts of their home for a larger more spacious kitchen reflecting how much time we spend in this room.
When asked what features they would like to include in their dream kitchen, an island was the top choice (75%) followed by a pull-out larder (49%) and an American-style fridge freezer (46%).
Over a quarter (27%) would love to ditch the kettle in favour of a boiling water tap and a third would love to have a Belfast sink take pride of place in their kitchen. Commenting on the findings, Carmel O’Flaherty, Category Manager, The Panelling Centre said:
“The research shows that we spend more time in our kitchen than any other part of our home so it stands to reason that we want to make it a focal point of the house. Often seeing someone else’s kitchen can be the catalyst to give your own home a makeover and we get a lot of people coming into the showroom with a photograph of a family or friend’s kitchen that they loved – so kitchen envy is definitely a common affliction! It’s important to remember that choosing a kitchen is a very personal choice and what looks good in one person’s home may not suit the layout or space in someone else’s.
At The Panelling Centre we recognise that every home is different and we have a team of dedicated designers who work with our customers to create the kitchen that’s right for their home and that will maximise the space that they have. When it comes to inspiration, The Panelling Centre team travel far and wide attending international trade shows. The team also meet with local suppliers and consult our in-house expert designers to ensure we can bring our customers’ dream kitchen to life.”
The Panelling Centre offers an extensive range of design-led kitchens and wardrobes to trade and retail customers. Sourcing the best of Irish and European design, the Panelling Centre offers the latest styles, rooms that are well planned and product that is reliable, guaranteed and promises real value for money.
