He Said, She Said... A Robin Rogers Exclusive Report

 What do men and women want in their dream kitchen?

Shattering a common stereotype many people cling to about the sexes, men and women are more alike than different. At least this is true among men and women in the über-attractive upscale consumer segment. But there are a few critical differences between the sexes.

Researchers at RICKI, the Research Institute for Cooking & Kitchen Intelligence, dug deeper into data from their recent study titled, “Top of the Line: Insights into Upscale Consumers & their Kitchens.” The analysis focused on 700 upscale consumers or those in households with incomes of $100,000 plus (251 men and 449 women).

MARKETING DREAM KITCHENS TO THE SEXES

When men and women were asked to select words they associate with their dream kitchens out of a list of nearly two dozen options, the top two picks of upscale men and women were reversed. Upscale men tended to select as their first choice “well-equipped,” referring mostly to appliances, whereas upscale women picked “organized.” It’s interesting that out of a list of 23 words they could pick from to describe their dream kitchen, men are significantly more likely than women to pick only one word—the word “modern”—whereas women focus on more nesting-oriented words like “family” in the top five and, on down the list, words like ‘warm’ and ‘social.

Furthermore, when presented with a list of 25 distinct products found in today’s up market kitchens—from pizza ovens to wall-mounted pot fillers to cabinets made from exotic woods—a number of meaningful differences among the sexes emerged. Upscale women are really looking for ways to make their kitchens work better for them and men are focused on function somewhat as well, but guys really want more power. Men, for example, want bigger dishwashers, commercial-grade or at least commercial-looking appliances and ventilation that make a statement.”

SIMILAR ATTITUDES

Nevertheless, when study respondents were shown a dozen statements dealing with attitudes about design, brands and the home, responses from men and women were surprisingly similar when saying which described them “completely.” There were few differences between the sexes on statements about liking to cook, trying new recipes and wanting their kitchens to say something about them. Statistically meaningful differences emerged for only three of the 12 statements:

• My kitchen is my favorite part of my home. (24% of upscale women “completely agree” with this statement vs. 18% of men)

• I like to coordinate all of my metal finishes in a room such as the appliances, lighting, door and cabinet hardware and faucets. (39% of upscale women “completely agree” with this statement vs. 28% of upscale men).

• If I have to choose between brand name and features, I will chose features. (30% of upscale women “completely agree” with this statement vs. 24% of upscale men).

The research indicates that upscale men are more brand-conscious than women. “Yet the majority of both upscale men and women say they are willing to pay more for products that reflect their personal style.”

LOOKING FORWARD

When survey respondents were asked what would most likely motivate them to remodel their kitchens, the top response for both upscale men (41%) and women (33%) was that they were thinking about staying in their homes for a long time.

“One of the findings that stands out for me is that around three in 10 upscale consumers overall are more inclined this year than they were a year ago to remodel a kitchen or bath.”

Invest in yourself and don’t hesitate – call Robin Rogers Interior Design to get your remodel going today: 369-3800.