It seems that everyone spends more and more time in the kitchen, even as the home-cooked meal declines. It has become the living room of yesterday, full of televisions, food, and family. On average, you will walk about 61 miles in your kitchen per year. Traditionally, women used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing meals and cleaning up after the family. However, as many women today have careers, men are spending more time in the kitchen — whether that is scouring for food, or helping to cook, prepare, and clean up after meals.

A recent study found that a man spends 7 hours and 6 minutes a day in the kitchen, while the average woman spends 6 hours and 52 minutes. Over the course of the year, the average man will spend 15 weeks and 2 days in the kitchen. The only room that you might spend more time in than the kitchen is the bedroom, but most people only use that room for sleeping.

As the kitchen becomes more prominent in the lives of many Americans, many people remodel their kitchens to make them more comfortable and efficient. One reason why people remodel their kitchens is that the main purpose of the kitchen is changing. Before, most people would use the kitchen for eating and cooking, but activities such as using the internet, socializing, and doing homework/work have started calling the kitchen home.

Another reason why many people remodel their kitchens is that there are just so many things to remodel: cupboards, the floor, counters, sinks, fridges and other appliances, shelves, knobs and handles, islands, back-splashes, etc. Many people even add additions onto their homes to expand their kitchens. Small kitchen renovation projects will cost about $10,000. Larger projects run around $40,000 to $60,000. On average, homeowners spend between $11,000 and $28,000 (an average of $19,833) to remodel their kitchen. If you remodel your kitchen, expect the monetary breakdown to be as follows (according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association):

  • 4% of the total cost will go to design fees
  • 17% to installation
  • 14% to appliances and ventilation
  • 29% to cabinetry and hardware
  • 10% to counter-tops
  • 5% to lighting
  • 7% to flooring
  • 4% to doors and windows
  • 5% to walls and ceilings
  • 4% to faucets and plumbing
  • and 1% to miscellaneous costs

Wickes Kitchens and Bathrooms conducted a study on how women and men interact with the kitchen. The study found that If women are in charge of remodeling the room, they will first look at how the space can be better utilized for cooking and socializing. On the other hand, if men are to evaluate the same room, they look for how they can best prepare quick meals and how good the gadgets are.