Do you know how often you open your cutlery drawer every year?
Or how often you will open it over a period of twenty years?
If you’ve never thought to keep count, then you don’t have to. Experts at the Furniture Industry Research Association and Blum UK have worked this, and the way you use the rest of your kitchen, out for you.
The findings from a first of its kind, three year study into the way UK consumers use kitchens have been announced today, with some interesting outcomes which will affect the whole industry.
Monitors and sensors were placed in kitchens in UK households to gather information about the way real-life kitchens are used in order to assess the impact on design, manufacture and installation of furniture fittings.
The Furniture Industry Research Association collaborated with Blum UK on the project and funded the data collection and analysis, the findings of which were presented at a seminar at the kbbreview Kitchen Conference.
Dr Asli Tamer-Vestlund, FIRA International’s Research and Consultancy Manager, said: “This study is the first three-year study of its kind in the UK and will help us gain an in-depth understanding of how kitchens are used in comparison with the rest of the Europe. Information about how a family treats a kitchen is of vital importance to its design, manufacture and installation. This data helps us to identify trends in family life, look at areas that would benefit from improvement and innovation and review current Standards to ensure kitchen furniture and components meet the requirements of the UK consumer.”
Overall, the results have shown that the way that kitchens are being used is evolving, with heavier items being kept in drawers and lifting systems being used more and more.
The study will also allow conclusions to be drawn between kitchen usage in the UK and other parts of Europe.