What people want from functional kitchen design

Häfele UK has teamed up with TV architect and designer Laura Jane Clark to share exactly what drives homeowners’ buying decisions when it comes to their kitchens.

The aim of the company’s new whitepaper is to help studios and designers gain a competitive edge in the industry.

Earlier this year, Häfele – a leading hardware manufacturer – undertook research with more than 2,000 homeowners to explore kitchens, including what they’re used for, the biggest pain points, most desired or useful features, and how they impact homeowners day-to-day.

Shared findings

The findings have now been shared to provide kitchen studios, designers and installers with advice on how to capture greater market share with great-looking, functional kitchen designs.  

The launch of the whitepaper comes off the back of an exclusive online masterclass held by Laura Jane Clark for Häfele’s Studio Partners at the Birmingham NEC in February earlier this year.

Kitchens are the central hubs of homes

Natalie Davenport, head of marketing for Häfele UK, said: “The way we use our kitchens is continually evolving. Once a small add-on to a home used purely for cooking, kitchens are now the central hub packed with appliances, technology and features to help households achieve multiple purposes within the space.

“Since March 2020 in particular, the way we use and inhabit in our homes has transformed, but our research shows that in many cases, kitchen design today isn’t being maximised to help customers achieve their ambitions when it comes to functionality and how they use their space.

“The findings demonstrate that functional kitchen design is integral to the way we live, and if kitchens are not delivered well, they can affect our wellbeing and mental health and negatively impact how we engage with our homes. For example, while homeowners use their kitchens for everything including socialising (26%), playrooms (11%) or makeshift offices (10%), one in five people don’t like their current kitchen, with badly designed storage, limited space and poor layout cited as the top three bugbears.

“As a result, 21% of respondents said that next time they purchase a kitchen, they will shop around to get the best functionality for their budget – offering the industry a huge opportunity to improve their bottom line.”

The whitepaper is available for download here.