MARKET VIEW: Wayne Dance

01 March 2010

Wayne Dance, managing director of In House Inspired Room Design, looks at the traditional kitchen market...

I've been in the kitchen business since 1983 and I've seen many trends come and go.

In the 1980s oak kitchens were all the rage, which was great as I was involved with Arthur Bonnet and the French were renowned for their oak doors. Then in came Shaker doors and a more arts & craft design. Gradually there was a shift towards more contemporary kitchens with these now dominating the market.

However, in the UK it's not a case of either a contemporary or a traditional kitchen. With today's styling of clean and straight lines there is an opportunity to add traditional details through different door finishes - wood and painted finishes are popular with framed doors providing a more classic look.

A choice of worksurface can make a design feel more classic, with wood and granite for example. Details such as door handles are incredibly important and this simple styling choice can root a design within a specific heritage.

We have also found that while consumers might have strong individual preferences they are also aware of keeping the resale value of their homes. Therefore, they will tend to be more conservative with their kitchen furniture choice so that it appeals to the broadest range of potential home buyers, when and if they put their house on the market.

Personal styling with accessories, colours of the walls and window finishes can then be added without detracting from the return on investment required by a kitchen purchase.

There is of course still a place for highly traditional kitchens. Italian manufacturer Aster still sees good sales on their Opera and Palladio kitchen concepts that have a very classic design with pilasters, cornices and some of the hand-finished details associated with traditional furniture. These bespoke elements are still important to UK consumers who want traditional craftsmanship in their kitchens.

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MARKET VIEW: Wayne Dance	Back
01 March 2010 Wayne Dance, managing director of In House Inspired Room Design, looks at the traditional kitchen market... I've been in the kitchen business since 1983 and I've seen many trends come and go. In the 1980s oak kitchens were all the rage, which was great as I was involved with Arthur Bonnet and the French were renowned for their oak doors. Then in came Shaker doors and a more arts & craft design. Gradually there was a shift towards more contemporary kitchens with these now dominating the market. However, in the UK it's not a case of either a contemporary or a traditional kitchen. With today's styling of clean and straight lines there is an opportunity to add traditional details through different door finishes - wood and painted finishes are popular with framed doors providing a more classic look. A choice of worksurface can make a design feel more classic, with wood and granite for example. Details such as door handles are incredibly important and this simple styling choice can root a design within a specific heritage. We have also found that while consumers might have strong individual preferences they are also aware of keeping the resale value of their homes. Therefore, they will tend to be more conservative with their kitchen furniture choice so that it appeals to the broadest range of potential home buyers, when and if they put their house on the market. Personal styling with accessories, colours of the walls and window finishes can then be added without detracting from the return on investment required by a kitchen purchase. There is of course still a place for highly traditional kitchens. Italian manufacturer Aster still sees good sales on their Opera and Palladio kitchen concepts that have a very classic design with pilasters, cornices and some of the hand-finished details associated with traditional furniture. These bespoke elements are still important to UK consumers who want traditional craftsmanship in their kitchens.