Research from Resi, the country’s biggest architecture platform, found that the room that generates the most conflict between household members is the kitchen, with 15 percent of respondents saying it is causing them issues with their family or housemates.
In comparison, while you might think many households see arguments over who uses the shower first in the mornings, only seven per cent said the bathroom causes conflict.
On top of that, only seven per cent said they most enjoy socialising in the kitchen, with 65 percent choosing the living room as their favourite to spend time with people in. More than half (54 percent) believe the living room is most relaxing, compared to just four per cent who chose the kitchen to unwind.
Resi commissioned the study, titled The Science of a Happy Home, to find out how we really feel about where we live and polled 2,005 people.
Their research data partner Focaldata used personality traits from the OCEAN profiling model used by psychologists to assess how happy people’s homes make the
The research found six qualities that are needed in a happy home, they must be: secure, adaptable, relaxed, connected and reflective of who we are.
A massive 49 percent said the living room is the most important room to them, compared to just 17 per cent who said the kitchen.
Of all the rooms in a home, 30 percent of us would prioritise investing in our kitchen over anywhere else, a figure that jumps to 74 per cent for those who don’t have an open plan space. Two thirds of us (64 percent) do not have an open plan kitchen.
A quarter (25 percent) also said the kitchen needs the most improvement out of all the rooms in the house, a figure that jumps to a third (36 percent) among those who are unhappy more generally with their home.
Plus, 36 per cent said it requires the most maintenance, more than any other room in the house.
Alex Depledge, co-founder and CEO of Resi, said: “The reason the kitchen is the root of so much frustration is because it’s the room we care most about. We start and end our day in it, we feed our kids and entertain in it — it’s the centre of our very existence and wellbeing.
“Because of this it has to perform the juggling act of both being a pleasing space in which to spend time while also being functional — we all know the rage of banging our heads on poorly designed cupboards or struggling to get a turkey in a cramped oven. Because of this duality, it’s harder to get it right.
“Whereas we might be able to give the living room a splash of paint and kick back on the sofa to watch TV, the ideal kitchen requires proper planning and investment. We find one of the main reasons our customers come to us is so they can turn the kitchen into what it should be — the heart of the home.”