B&Q Uncovers Emerging Trends Within UK Households

Pets taking priority, the rise of the utility room and the decline of the open plan: the trends revealed in the B&Q A Slice of Home Life 2023 Report   

• B&Q has released its ‘A Slice of Home Life 2023’ Report, revealing the top emerging themes for 2023, including the death of open plan, the rise of the utility room, accidental sustainability and pets taking priority 
• 38% of Brits admit they have restyled their home to make space for their pets’ items and almost 2 in 5 have considered moving home to make more space for their pet 
• 89% of Brits say keeping energy bill costs down is important to them, meaning households are becoming accidentally more sustainable 
• The utility room is the new middle-class ‘must-have’, with 2 in 5 describing it as the most useful room in their house 

Today B&Q has released its ‘A Slice of Home Life 2023’ Report, exploring the mindset of UK households, how they’re living in and adapting their homes to cost-of-living and other challenges. From 1 in 3 (34%) of pet owners admitting that their furry friends dominate their home, to the utility room being the new unexpected middle-class ‘must have’, the study of 2,000 people highlights the ways in which Brits are evolving their home within the current climate.    

The top emerging trends from the A Slice of Home Life Report are: 

• Pets take priority 
• The rise of the utility room 
• The death of the open plan 
• Accidental sustainability 

Download the report here 

Pets take priority 

Whilst pet ownership has boomed over the last few years, accommodating them in our homes presents a challenge, with more than a third (38%) revealing they have restyled their home to make space for their pets’ items. As well as restyling homes to suit individual needs, it’s also the needs of our pets that we are factoring into our home design with over 2 in 5 (43%) admitting that their pet has a big impact on their interior and design decisions. Compromising is also not an option for some with the report unveiling that almost 1 in 5 (17%)have even considered moving home to make more space for their furry friends.   

The rise of the utility room 

Meanwhile, the new middle-class home ‘must-have’ may come as a surprise – the humble utility room - with 2 in 5 (39%) noting that a utility room would be one of their most important rooms if they had one.  With more pets, people and possessions crammed under one roof and with storage at a premium, the often overlooked, yet functional room is one of this year’s must-haves. The report unveiled that 1 in 5 (22%) of us already have a dedicated utility room, as Brits look to only showcase the best of the home.  

The death of the open plan 

With more Brits under one roof than ever before¹ and with our homes continuing to serve as multifunctional hubs - from working, to entertaining, to enjoying quality ‘me’ time - Brits have become more innovative with ways to ensure their homes are more flexible. Rather than get the builders in, the new report has unveiled that over half (54%) of Brits now find the idea of temporary partitions, such as adding doors to divide up their open plan living area more appealing, in order to create more private zones, such as a cosy living room for film nights.   

In addition, as households spend more time together in their homes, and with the kitchen and dining area being the hub of the home, people are looking to make the area more comfortable by bringing in soft furnishings like sofas and rugs to create a communal vibe.  

Accidental sustainability 

In addition, the B&Q ‘A Slice of Home Life 2023’ report revealed the unlikely way households are becoming more ‘accidentally sustainable’. With energy bills rising, the majority (89%)of Brits say that keeping costs of energy bills down is important to them, which has resulted in households making decisions that have a positive impact on energy use, for reasons aside from protecting the environment.   

Over a third (36%) now say their homes are quite or extremely environmentally friendly, with the nation’s increased awareness of their energy usage due to the recent price rises, playing a significant role. In an effort to save energy, B&Q saw residents plugging draughts, insulating lofts and turning down the boiler temperature, which can all be beneficial for the environment.   

Graham Bell, CEO at B&Q said, “Having lived through a tough year of economic uncertainty, it’s interesting to see how we have continued to adapt our homes to meet our changing needs. This year, with many of us staying in and socialising at home more, we’re continuing to evolve the way we live. Long gone are the days of rooms being used in their traditional sense, as we now look to create flexible homes. B&Q’s ‘A Slice of Home Life 2023’ Report reveals the desires, regrets and innovations of households to help inform how we can help customers with their future home improvements. With our ongoing focus on great value and convenience, we aim to make home improvement easier and more accessible for everyone.”  

The report can be viewed on the B&Q website www.diy.com/change-made-easier.

Source : B&Q

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