When you’re a leader in the luxury kitchen appliance market and renowned for championing innovative design, you want to be always at the top of your game and focused on what your target customer is craving now and down the line. With that as a backdrop, the team at Benton Harbor-based JennAir has launched its first ever Trend Report to accomplish that task.
The team at JennAir has surveyed interior designers and architects at both national and regional levels delving into what today’s modern luxury consumers are craving.
The new Trend Report from JennAir offers an in-depth look at the luxury kitchen trends impacting home design throughout the nation. Findings reveal that custom kitchens are on the rise, statement pieces are the new standard to bring individuality to design, and sleek, modern appliances are replacing the cookie-cutter designs of kitchens past. The results make a clear statement that today’s modern luxury consumers are more passionate than ever about customizing a kitchen that is bespoke to their personalities and breaks through the monotony of basic materials and finishes.
Lauren Bigger, Senior Brand Marketing Manager for JennAir, tells us, “JennAir stands for progress and the departure from traditional standards of luxury. With this trend report, we aimed to highlight how today’s modern luxury consumers’ desires have evolved in the past year,” and adds, “The results push us further down the path of progress and suggest that, with more time being spent at home, our customers are craving a space that reflects their personalities. We plan to continue offering configurations and distinct designs to inspire customization and personalization at every step of the kitchen design journey.”
A Growing Desire for Individuality in Design
Luxury designers and architects know their clients are looking to stand out from the crowd, setting the stage for appliances that can transform kitchens into bold, individualized spaces.
- 90-percent of designers and architects agree that their clients are more focused on designing a space that reflects their own personality than the resale value of the design
- 89-percent say customizing a kitchen design plan has become more important to clients over the past 1-2 years
- 58-percent say clients are asking for a home that reflects their personality more than a home that reflects common trends
Prioritizing Form & Function
For modern luxury consumers, the marriage of form and function is key. This year has marked a renewed interest in appliances that set kitchens apart— with consumers willing to pay the price.
- 90-percent agree that clients are looking for statement pieces to make their kitchens stand out from the crowd
- 98-percent agree that appliances should be as beautiful as they are functional
- 51-percent of architects and designers say sleek and modern appliances are the most common growing trend in 2021
The Impact of COVID-19
The impact of COVID-19 touched every industry, and with more time spent in the home and kitchen than ever before, consumer design preferences also transformed.
- 73-percent of designers and architects say COVID-19 at least somewhat impacted client’s design preferences
- 60-percent of respondents say client interest increased for professional-style kitchen appliances since the COVID-19 outbreak
- 43-percent say clients are asking for more advanced technology features in kitchen build outs than prior to the pandemic
- 63-percent of designers and architects are predicting demand for urban living is more likely to increase over the next 12 months as the COVID-19 pandemic eases
Regional Spotlight
Top industry trends vary by region, as designers and architects are tailoring kitchen designs to meet the unique expectations of their local clients. The JennAir trend report separately surveyed five markets — New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and Chicago —to uncover region-specific insights.
- Price Tag. Trends come at a cost, and it’s one clients are willing to pay. Designers and architects report their clients budget an average of $20,211 for the perfect suite of appliances. In fact, 30-percent say their clients are willing to spend more than $20,000, with NYC- (16%) and LA-based (20%) designers and architects particularly likely to report clients willing to pay more than $50,000.
- On Location. Sleek and modern appliances are specifically popular in NYC (64%) and Chicago (54%). Both NYC (88%) and Chicago (84%) are most likely to strongly or completely agree that high-end kitchen appliances should be as beautiful as they are functional. In LA (60%) and Miami (54%), consumers are particularly interested in marble countertops, with the results suggesting that consumers are prioritizing kitchen finishes as design accents.
- Trending In Texas. Architects and designers in Dallas (50%) place professional, restaurant-grade appliances as their top trend, and place higher-end appliances (46%) as the top kitchen design feature clients are now asking for.
- Expert Opinion. With respect to appliances, designers and architects in NYC (54%), LA (66%) and Dallas (56%) place glass and mirrored kitchen design accent panels as the top design feature they would recommend to achieve a personalized space, while those in Miami (54%) and Chicago (56%) say distinctive interior lighting is the top design feature they would recommend.
Products for the Discerning Consumer
Rooted in deep consumer insights, JennAir approaches product design and execution with its Bound By Nothing ethos in mind. Designed to meet the evolving cravings of the modern luxury consumer, many products are newly available to the market, including:
- RISE & NOIR: The RISE and NOIR design expressions are two distinct designs across the full kitchen suite — empowering consumers with choice rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to luxury. The sleek and modern aesthetic of NOIR can serve the growing trend for appliances meeting this aesthetic.
- Urban Living: Highlighting the importance of a flexible small spaces appliance lineup, and available across both the RISE and NOIR design expressions, the Urban Living line-up will be available this spring in anticipation of return to city centers in the year ahead.
- Smoke & Brass Professional-Style Range: Smoke & Brass ascends to new heights of art and craft, created to stand out from the crowd. Each refined piece features a distressed smoke finish, brazen brass accents, plus an anodized handle and knobs. With only a limited amount available, no two will be the same, offering select owners a fearless statement unlike anything else.
- Burlesque Column Refrigeration: With only 13 available globally, Burlesque is marked by its rich and sensual burgundy-hued interior inspired by the deep reds often seen in luxury cars and the lush, velvet interior of an antique jewelry box. JennAir delivers modern edge to classic luxury and proves that form and function can live in harmony with this option, which can be paired in a number of ways, including with JennAir stainless steel panels or leather Cuts.
Consumers and designers alike are invited to immerse themselves in the JennAir products that meet the revealed modern luxury consumer demands. Locations to see the RISE and NOIR design expressions include the A&D Building in New York City, Pacific Sales and Howard’s in Los Angeles, Capital Distributing Showroom (Ferguson Enterprise) in Dallas, Ferguson in Miami, ABT in Chicago and more.
The survey, conducted on behalf of JennAir by Wakefield Research, included 500 luxury interior designers and architects, with 250 across the U.S., and an additional 50 in each of five markets — New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and Dallas. The data illuminates how they overwhelmingly agree that kitchen customization and design reflective of personality rather than common home trends is important to their luxury clientele.
Defying physics with the invention of downdraft ventilation, Lou Jenn forged the path to an open concept and changed the kitchen forever. Founded in that progress, JennAir fearlessly carries his torch — hell-bent on burning down the tired conventions of luxury. JennAir crafts distinctive luxury kitchen appliances that push form and function to transform spaces. With exceptional performance, masterful execution and provocative design, JennAir offerings are powerful, yet bespoke to individual tastes, shattering norms to deliver the progress that today’s luxury consumer deserves. To speak with a concierge at the JennAir Epicenter or learn more about the new offerings from JennAir, you can visit http://JennAir.com or join the discusson on instagram.com/JennAir, twitter.com/JennAir and youtube.com/JennAir.
