Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
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Consumer Buying Trends { Demographics & buying patterns for the home } June 2014 ForResidentialPros.com | 9 A CYGNUS BUSINESS MEDIA PUBLICATION SALES OFFICES EAST/SOUTHEAST Joanne Naylor 540 Lee Court Wyckoff, NJ 07481 Phone: 201/891-9170; Fax: 201/839-9161 E-mail: joanne.naylor@cygnus.com Vaughn Rockhold 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Phone: 216/272-1008 E-mail: vaughn.rockhold@cygnus.com WEST/SOUTHWEST Kim Carroll 7355 19th Avenue NW Seattle, WA 98117 Phone: 206/781-0714; Fax: 206/473-0724 E-mail: kim.carroll@cygnus.com MIDWEST Jim Philbin 3030 W. 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Salt Creek Lane, Suite 300 Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Eliot Sefrin, Publisher Emeritus E-mail: eliot.sefrin@cygnus.com Mark Taussig, Group Publisher E-mail: mark.taussig@cygnus.com REPRINT SERVICES For reprints and licensing please contact Nick Iademarco at Wright's Media 877-652-5295 ext. 102 or niademarco@wrightsmedia.com. SUBSCRIPTIONS, BACK ISSUES 1233 Janesville Avenue Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 Tel: 920/563-1761; Fax: 920/563-1704 MAILING LIST RENTAL Elizabeth Jackson Tel: 847-492-1350 ext. 18 E-mail: ejackson@meritdirect.com Web site: www.ForResidentialPros.com ® Upscale Design Focus Seen as Sign of Stronger Market WASHINGTON, DC — Providing a clearer sign "that the housing market has returned to a mode of steady growth," households are apparently placing a growing emphasis on upscale kitchens and baths, according to the latest informa- tion culled from residential architects. According to the latest in a quarterly series of "Home De- sign Trends Surveys" conducted by the American Institute of Architects, a sizable share of residential architects report that both the number and size of kitchens and baths are increasing. Just as tellingly, the upscale features and products used in these areas of the home are also growing in popularity, the AIA reports (see graphs below; related Editorial, Page 5). "During the housing downturn, households tended to simplify design elements in their homes and selected fewer high-end products," the Washington, DC-based AIA observed. "[But] now that house prices have hit bottom and are beginning to recov- er, households are more willing to invest and un- dertake higher-end home improvement projects." Ac c o r d i n g t o t h e AIA, kitchens and baths "tend to be the areas that households look to frst when they want to upscale their home as markets improve, just as they remained a high priority even during the depths of the downturn." In its latest survey, residential architects re- ported "a strong increase in interest in kitchen ar- eas" – the strongest gains since the housing down- turn began – according to the AIA. Almost a third of respondents indicated that the number and size of kitchen/food prep/ food storage areas was increasing, up from about a quarter who reported this trend when this survey was last conducted a year earlier. Likewise, a much smaller share of respondents indicated that the number and size of kitchens was decreasing. While the overall space devoted to kitchen activities sug- gests resurgence, the emerging popularity of select kitchen features points to a more upscale focus, the association pointed out. While the integration of kitchens with family space and emphasis on adaptability and Universal Design remain popu- lar, other priorities are beginning to re-emerge, the AIA said. The share of respondents reporting increasing interest in wine refrigeration or storage areas jumped sharply with the latest survey, as did the share reporting a general increase in pantry space. More functional features in the kitchen – such as computer work or recharge areas – were reported to be in- creasing in popularity by a much smaller share of respondents. The emerging focus on kitchens is demonstrated by the revival of upper-end products, which were reported to be in- creasing by over one-third of respondents – double the share reported just a year ago. Specifc upscale kitchen features growing in popularity include under-counter appliances and built-in appliances. While residential architects report a strong upturn in interest in kitchen features and products, the renewed focus on bathrooms is a bit more modest. While the latest survey indicated a rise in the share of architects reporting increases in both the number and size of bathrooms, the overwhelm- ing majority indicated that bathrooms were stable along these dimensions. In contrast to emerging trends in kitchen design, the fea- tures increasing the most in popularity in bath design address a growing desire for accessibility, the AIA said. Larger walk-in showers were a feature added to this quarter's survey, which struck a strong note among residential architects; more than 60% of respondents indicated that this feature is increasing in popularity. A similar share of respondents reported that bathrooms generally designed for adaptability with Universal Design features were growing in popularity. Additionally, many residential architects reported that baths designed with only a stall shower and no bathtub were increasingly popular. Popular bathroom products refect growing attention to accessibility issues, sustainable design and reviving appeal in more upscale items, according to the AIA. While LED lighting topped the list of products reported as growing in popularity, many respondents reported that both doorless/no-threshold showers and hand showers were also becoming more popular. Water-saving toilets are also among the products increasing the most in popularity, indicating that sustainability concerns continue to rank high on consumer preference lists. At the same time, there has been renewed interest in upper- end bathroom products, the AIA reported, noting that the use of upscale showers, sensor-operated faucets and double-sink vanities are seeing increases in popularity. THE GROWING CONSUMER EMPHASIS ON KITCHENS CHANGE IN THE NUMBER & SIZE OF KITCHENS BY % OF RESPONDENTS INCREASE 25 30 11 5 22 31 67 62 11 7 64 65 INCREASE STABLE NUMBER SIZE STABLE DECREASE DECREASE Source: American Institute of Architects 2012 2013 KBD_8-9_BarCBT.indd 9 5/14/14 10:37 AM