Millennials are traditionalists, but more traditional than their parents?? Who knew?? According to a recent AIM survey, Millennials are at least more traditional in their kitchen preferences than their Baby Boomer parents. 50% of Millennials prefer "Old School" (Traditional and Country), while only 36% of Boomers prefer this type of design for the kitchen. On the other hand, only 25% of Millennials prefer "New Age" (Contemporary and Modern) compared to 44% of Boomers.
This might account for the growing popularity among young people of retro-look kitchen products such as Big Chill refrigerators, Dualit toasters, Lodge cast iron cookware and Fiesta dinnerware. "Quirky" is the word many Millennials use to describe their design preferences and many young women cite New Girl's Zooey Deschanel as their design inspiration, even for the kitchen.
Amanda, a 27-year-old engineer from Silicon Valley, told AIM, "I want my kitchen to run with the efficiency of the Maglev train in Shanghai, but I don't want it to look like that. I love soft edges and warm colors like red and yellow. And I really love things that have a story behind them." Another Millennial, Joe, a 24-year-old pharmaceutical sales person from New Jersey, added, "My mom's kitchen is way too cold and sleek for my tastes. I like the layout, but she has way too much granite and stainless steel for my tastes. She needs to warm it up with color and more traditional furniture."
[21% of Millennials and 19% of Boomers selected Ecletic or Mixed.]
While I like a traditional, sleek look to my (ideal) kitchen, I think it also needs to have color. I have been into homes where white cabinets and stainless steal appliances are thought to be the "in" look. I guess it is up to each individual's preference, but if you spend anytime at all in the kitchen, efficiency and warm would be important to include.
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