KITCHEN DESIGN AND THE REGION OF TWO HALVES.

HOUSING UNITS

PRESS RELEASE

March 02, 2010.

KITCHEN DESIGN AND THE REGION OF TWO HALVES.

There’s a north-south divide opening up in the north-west of England, with traditional playing contemporary in a game of two kitchen halves.

“In the south of the region the trend is towards open space and contemporary ‘footballer-chic’ kitchen design, while in the north of the region we’re seeing traditional kitchens scoring with homeowners,” said Mark Gilligan of The Kitchen Design Centre at Housing Units, Failsworth, Manchester.

“More than 70% of the kitchens we’re designing and installing in Manchester and Cheshire now involve knocking down an interior wall, and creating one big kitchen and living space that becomes very much the centre of household life.

“We’re seeing this as a great family benefit in an era when families seem to spend more time apart, even within the home, than ever before.

“The contemporary open-space kitchens usually feature a breakfast bar at the heart, and areas that draw different family members in – but in to what has become the same room: mum can be cooking or reading a magazine, dad can be maybe having a glass of wine and catching up on some emails, the kids are watching the TV or playing games.

“But traditional kitchens have a similar effect – around 70% of kitchens in the north of the region are ‘traditional’ - those sorts of households like the kitchen dining table to be at the centre of things, and the family gathers for meals.

“In each case, we’re seeing circumstances in which families are spending more time together. But we don’t just design the kitchen for aesthetics, we also find something out about the lifestyle of the family, and that can often determine some very specific design elements aimed at making the kitchen fit the family rather than the family fit the kitchen.”

The Kitchen Design Centre, www.kitchendesigncentre.com, is a concession at Housing Units’ Failsworth, Manchester, retail park.  KDC specialises in premium kitchen design and construction. It also has branches in Blackburn and Colne.

Housing Units – known for its top-hatted doormen - was established in 1947. It is a family-owned furnishings retailer based in Wickentree Lane, Failsworth, Manchester M35 9BA, next to Junction 22 of the M60. It stocks 30,000 high-quality lines across a range of departments in two buildings and prides itself on its unique style of customer service, the value of its goods and the shopping experience it provides.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

0161 929 0446/07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.housingunits.co.uk