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ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM KITCHEN ENVY?

Oct 17, 2018 | General News

94% of us are jealous of other people’s kitchens

Key findings

  • 94% admit to being jealous of a friend or family member’s kitchen
  • Over 3 in 4 have vowed to revamp their own kitchen after seeing someone else’s kitchen
  • Over half spend most of their time in the kitchen when at home 
  • 80% are unhappy with their current kitchen
  • 3 in 4 say they would sacrifice space in other parts of their home for a larger more spacious kitchen.

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

  1. Outdated kitchen units
  2. Lack of counter space
  3. Awkward design / poor layout

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.

*Survey carried out among 301 Irish adults aged 18+ (95% female, 5% male)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Siobhan Grogan | Sarah Halpin | Angie Grant

Teneo PSG

grafton@teneopsg.com

01 661 4055

About the Panelling Centre

Since 1973 the Panelling Centre has supplied design-led kitchens and wardrobes to Ireland’s trade and retail customers. From the company’s beginnings in Richmond Rd, Dublin, the Panelling Centre has led the way in identifying trends and developments in the industry and our wide range of products and expert team is reflective of this.

Today the Panelling Centre is part of the Irish founded Chadwicks Group (formerly GMROI) plc. With stocked branches in Santry, Long Mile Rd, Deansgrange and Limerick the Panelling Centre is proud to also have a presence in selected Chadwicks, Heiton Buckleys and Cork Builders Providers stores. To find out more about the Panelling Centre’s products and services, customers can contact their local tradesman or drop in to their local branch to speak to one of our representatives.

About Chadwicks Group (formerly GMROI)

Chadwicks Group (formerly GMROI) is Ireland’s leading building merchanting company with 49 stores in the Republic of Ireland. It employs 1,300 people and offers unrivalled value, service, expertise and knowledge to the sector. Chadwicks Group (formerly GMROI) has contributed to the fabric of everyday life in Ireland for 200 years, supplying products and building materials to homes, hotels, buildings and transport networks throughout the country.

Chadwicks Group (formerly GMROI) currently operates the Chadwicks, Heiton Buckley, The Panelling Centre, Sam Hire, Plumb Centre, Telfords, Cork Builders Providers, and Davies builders’ and plumbers’ merchanting businesses in the Republic of Ireland.  Chadwicks Group (formerly GMROI) is part of Chadwicks Group plc.

SpeakUp is our reporting service for colleagues and anyone (e.g. customers or suppliers) connected to Chadwicks Group (part of Grafton Group) to report concerns. This action, is also commonly known as 'whistleblowing'. If you ever see something in your interaction with Chadwicks Group that could be deemed unsafe, unethical or unscrupulous, please SpeakUp! We take concerns given in good faith very seriously and will not tolerate retaliation of any kind to anyone who reports such instances.

You can raise your concerns through the dedicated SpeakUp website here.

Please note that this service is not to be used for customer service enquiries or issues. Please contact your local Chadwicks Group branch for such enquiries.

 

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