Forget about new bedspreads, shower curtains and entertainment centers. When it comes to redesigning the home, a recent Amana brand survey revealed that consumers would most like to redesign and bring some style to their kitchen. In fact, of the bedroom, kitchen, living room and bathroom, the kitchen is the No. 1 room (34 percent) consumers would most like to see get a design facelift.
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In partnership with Apartment Therapy's thekitchn.com, the Amana survey asked nearly 1,000 consumers about their thoughts on design and the home, to get a sense of how and where personality is expressed through home decor. Overall, 65 percent of those surveyed believe their home represents their sense of design, with the majority of these consumers identifying the kitchen as the hub of their home. In fact, 43 percent indicated the kitchen was the room they could not live without, and nearly a third chose the room as the best for entertaining. While all of this data seems to point to the kitchen as the new living room, only 17 percent believe their kitchen best represents their sense of style - making it apparent that consumers are still figuring out how to add their style in the kitchen.
"Many consumers believe it's difficult to add fresh style and personality to the kitchen without a complete remodel," said Thom Filicia, interior designer and Amana brand ambassador. "Forget the cheesy food-themed artwork and the oversized wall-fork; there are simple, inexpensive ways to bring warmth, color and personal style into our favorite room in the home. Consider comfort items like decorative throw pillows, quality window treatments or interesting artwork; and integrate controlled lighting to create an inviting atmosphere. Finally, lose the matchy-matchiness when it comes to appliances by coordinating a stainless steel stove and dishwasher with a super fabulous plaid refrigerator and a fun color on the wall that ties it all together."
The survey further revealed that 89 percent of consumers are willing to integrate new color into the house, with 35 percent of that willing to bring the splash of color to the kitchen itself. With an array of refrigerators that incorporate color, texture and pattern, Amana brand has a refrigerator to meet an assortment of decor needs.
"The Amana brand is focused on providing consumers the ability to express their personal style in the kitchen at an affordable price," said Carlos Johnson, Amana brand manager. "Whether you want to add a pop of color in the kitchen with a new red refrigerator or update your appliances to a stainless steel suite, Amana offers choice to the style-driven consumer."
In regard to design inspiration, consumers turn to many outlets, from friends and family to blogs and magazines. Overwhelmingly, 61 percent of those surveyed who are under the age of 30 turn to word of mouth first for design inspiration, relying on tips from blogs or family and friends. Tips and inspiration can come from sites like Facebook and Twitter, as well as thekitchn.com and Amana's StyleFile.
Going beyond color, and looking to be an innovative appliance source for design inspiration, Amana brand is leading the way in providing appliances to personalize the kitchen.
For more information, visit http://www.amana.com/, follow Amana on Twitter at http://twitter.com/amanastyle or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AmanaBrand.
About Amana
Established in 1934, Amana has a history of designing innovative cooking, dish, laundry and refrigeration household appliances. With its introduction of the original countertop microwave in 1967, Amana was put on the map as a brand dedicated to bringing convenience to consumers' lives. Amana brand is part of the Whirlpool Corporation, the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion, 70,000 employees, and 68 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. For more information on Amana brand appliances, visit www.amana.com.
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