Skip to main content

People want big kitchens, but aren’t really interested in having others over

2016 houzz and home survey kitchens jeff pelletier box remodel kitchen04
Board & Vellum/John Wilbanks
It’s cliché to say that the kitchen is the center of the home, but we’re going to do it anyway — if only because two recent surveys prove the old axiom.

Last week, Ikea released its Life at Home report, based on its survey of 12,000 residents of Berlin, London, Mumbai, New York, Shanghai, Toronto, and five other cities. Today, the Houzz & Home survey of more than 120,000 U.S. respondents came out, detailing the remodeling and decorating site’s findings on 2015 renovations.

Recommended Videos

Not only is the kitchen the third-largest room in many homes (behind living rooms and master bedrooms), it’s where the bulk of remodeling money goes. Those with kitchens over 200 square feet spent an average of $28,800 updating the room; those with smaller kitchens averaged around half that, according to Houzz.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Expensive appliances, spendy materials for countertops, plumbing, and electricity all likely contribute to those high prices, but Ikea’s survey might shed some light on why so many people make the kitchen the focal point. Sixty-three percent of respondents said they “cook to create the feeling of home.” Tech comes into play, because the survey found that even though people were eating alone, they would actually connect with family and friends via video to create a virtual, collective dining experience.

Maybe that’s why the Ikea report found that 23 percent of those surveyed would rather have good Wi-Fi than a gathering space for friends in their homes, and 19 percent said keeping connected with friends online is more important than inviting them over. Who needs someone making more dirty dishes when you can stay in your own homes and Skype in a dinner party?

“The idea of people watching TV with five people on the sofa is dead,” Chris Baumann, an organization and technology expert, said in the report.

About a quarter of those renovating updated the plumbing or electrical system, but 19 percent added or upgraded a home automation service. Back in 2014, only about 13 percent of homes had at least one smart-home device, according to one survey, and Houzz indicates that it’s the young ones (those aged 24 to 35) who are most likely to buy into home automation right now, though it was only 26 percent of them.

Demographics are definitely something to consider with this data. The majority of Houzz’s respondents make over $100,000 a year and live in a single-family home that’s larger than 2,000 square feet. Maybe that’s why the average remodeled kitchen was 250 square feet: Try fitting that in your 650-square-foot condo.

Jenny McGrath
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…
These Linkind smart bulbs are 37% off, and have one of the best apps I’ve used
Linkind A19 E26 color smart bulbs matter support -- smart bulb deal

I know some people think that a lot of smart home tech is frivolous, and some of it is, I'll agree, but there are certain things that make daily life a little better. For example, I have security cameras, a video doorbell, smart lights, a smart garage door, and all of these things make living in my home convenient. With my lights, for example, I can create on-off schedules and I don't have to get up to use them. After a long day, that's a welcome feature, believe me. It's especially helpful with Christmas lights and decorative lights -- like the ones I have set up to automatically turn on at sunset on my patio.

With a smart video doorbell, I can answer my door, converse with parcel delivery teams, and shoo off solicitors -- we get a lot of them where I live. But among all of those experiences and devices, one of my biggest qualms is with the apps you use to interact with this tech.

Read more
This smart display alternative can now use AI to plan all your meals
The Skylight Cal Max installed on a wall.

Skylight is a smart home company that produces a variety of smart display alternatives, such as the Skylight Cal Max. These serve as a central hub for all your daily planning -- they’re primarily used as a digital calendar, but you can also use them to track chores, make lists, or meal prep. That last aspect just became much more exciting, as Skylight is officially introducing Sidekick, an AI-powered assistant that can plan all your meals in just a few minutes.

Sidekick is a new AI feature for Skylight devices. It’s capable of generating personalized recipes based on your budget, family size, and dietary restrictions, and it’ll even create a shopping list and load up step-by-step cooking instructions. Skylight hopes the new feature will save families 10 hours every month, as they’ll no longer need to worry about the logistics surrounding meal prep.

Read more
Get cleaner air for less with the Dyson Purifier Humidity+Cool for $200 off
The Dyson Purifier Humidity+Cool on a white background.

It’s easy to not think about the air around you. After all, it’s invisible, right? But good air quality makes a huge difference to your quality of life. Right now, you can buy the Dyson Purifier Humidity+Cool for $200 off at Walmart. Normally costing $1,000, it’s down to $800 today and it’s ideal for keeping your living space cool, as well as providing purified air. Here’s all you need to know.

Why you should buy the Dyson Purifier Humidity+Cool
Responsible for some of the best humidifiers out there, Dyson knows how to provide everything you want. With the Dyson Purifier Humidity+Cool, it automatically senses, captures, and traps pollutants so you gain cleaner air with no hassle or requirement to do a thing. It’s able to detect and destroy formaldehyde as well as many other pollutants so you’re in safe hands.

Read more