2 minute readCredit: Photography by Eric Lucero, designer EllisDesign, image courtesy of Before you write the back kitchen off as a perk exclusively for larger, high end new homes, NHTI notes that Level 1 by Taylor Morrison in Costa Mesa, CA, includes a prep kitchen tucked behind a red-trimmed glass barn door that provides storage, a second oven, counter space and two windows. NHTI issued a “Stop” command on one aspect of kitchen design that seemed to have become a staple over the past several years: the kitchen desk space. “Despite increased work from home, the two “desk” options (home management and work/homework) are only considered by 40%-43% of homeowners, less than those who consider space to feed their pets,” NHTI writes. “Given increased automatic/electronic bill paying, meal planning/grocery lists on our phones, and the increased need for a dedicated work set-up elsewhere in the home, we wonder if these kitchen workstations are less desired than they were before, just at the same time as more homes are including them.” The exception is with young families, the only demographic category with even a slight majority (51%) who use the kitchen desk for work or homework half of the time. By contrast, 46% of young singles and couples say they would never use a kitchen desk. In the post-pandemic house, work-at-home will need to find another home within the house, which should give builders and architects some pause. On the renovation front, young families are the most likely to undertake a kitchen remodeling, and that, NHTI notes, is good news: “This is the group that uses the kitchen for the most tasks, and is also the most willing to swap out more of their products simply because they do not like how they look.” In other revelations, the NHTI report notes the following prospects for several product manufacturer categories: Countertops, cabinetry, and drawer pulls/handles are the most often replaced for purely aesthetic reasons; appliances the least. Easy-to-clean and low-splash are the largest sink improvement opportunities. Dishwashers are the most frustrating kitchen appliance. Expect large demand for silent dishwashers. Refrigerators are homeowners’ favorite appliance, especially when features include flexibility, smart features, warnings and separated compartments. Widespread appliance “placement” complaints verify the importance of cross-industry collaboration in home design. The perfect appliance (particularly dishwashers) can still be a major point of frustration if it is placed into the wrong space. Stainless steel is important enough to homeowners that it is included in their description of their favorite appliance features. Now, armed with data-backed prognostications, go in your kitchen, ask Alexa to call your bookie, and place your bets.End Trend
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