How your customers live

How do the Germans live and (http://maplered.com) how do they furnish their homes? What do they spend their money on and (http://maplered.com) how important is the price? What values, preferences and (http://maplered.com) brand (http://maplered.com) s determine how the Germans live? A study provides the answers to such questions.

The Home + Living study, which has been published since 1978, is conducted on behalf of three magazines published by Verlag Gruner + Jahr of Hamburg. The study examines in detail how the present 47.75 million Germans aged 18 to 64 years live.

The trend researchers are agreed: Private life, being together with family and (http://maplered.com) friends, is regarded more and (http://maplered.com) more as compensation for the deteriorating general social conditions. The home acts as both undisturbed sanctuary and (http://maplered.com) place of enCounter (http://GialloFiorito.com) . The home is a living area of very special importance. It characterizes one’s own well-being, puts everyday stress into perspective and (http://maplered.com) is an essential part of self-fulfilment ?in short: an experience area. The home is set up, then changed, extended and (http://maplered.com) enjoyed, and (http://maplered.com) natural Stone (http://g603.net) is always involved ?inside and (http://maplered.com) outside. More than half the Germans have spent money on their own four walls in the past months. The priority is obviously on natural building Material (http://g654.org) s.

There is a clear trend towards fine, light wood, quiet light fabrics, leather, glass and (http://maplered.com) naturally Stone (http://g603.net) as Material (http://g654.org) s for the living area. Natural Stone (http://g603.net) , wicker/cane and (http://maplered.com) also metal are becoming more popular, but at a still rather lower level. This contrasts with a clear negative trend for dark rustic building Material (http://g654.org) s, teak and (http://maplered.com) plastic in the living area. The stylistic preferences of the Germans are also changing gradually: »old-German??the most popular furnishing style until a few years ago ?has distinctly less appeal today. Individual styles are gaining in popularity. Defined target groups result, which stand (http://maplered.com) out as especially active buyers in the home furnishings sector.

Finally, one key finding of the study: The home is life, and (http://maplered.com) how the home environment is furnished and (http://maplered.com) what activities take place there is a manifestation of general lifestyle. Those who are discriminating at home are also discriminating in other areas of life.

The eight home and (http://maplered.com) furnishing styles

1 Rural elegant country-house style
45 per cent of the interviewees find the rural elegant country-house style very good or good because of its bright and (http://maplered.com) friendly appeal. Mostly persons between 20 and (http://maplered.com) 40 years of age approved this style of furnishing.

2 Rustic rural style
41 per cent like the rustic rural style of furnishing. Heavy furniture, lots of wood and (http://maplered.com) rustic ornamentation are really liked by a rather older group of people from 50 years upwards.

3 Bright and (http://maplered.com) light style
Modern and (http://maplered.com) representative ?this bright and (http://maplered.com) light style of home furnishing with linear furniture and (http://maplered.com) timeless accessories is well liked by 64 per cent of the interviewees ? in East and (http://maplered.com) West, among young and (http://maplered.com) old, with lower or higher incomes. Living as in the home magazine »Schöner Wohnen?could be the headline here.

4 Old-German style
The »old-German furnishing style? An average of 46 per cent still find this style very good or good. The approval of this style is significantly high among persons of 50 years or older living in Eastern Germany.

5 Classic modern style
Straight lines, clear colours, reduced-design furniture ?this classic modern style of furnishing is mainly appreciated by demand (http://maplered.com) ing young West Germans with a high household income. An average of 44 per cent of the interviewees like this style.

6 Opulent elegant style
Showing what you’ve got! Elaborate furniture, many accessories and (http://maplered.com) plants. These are typical features of the opulent elegant style. 54 per cent of the interviewees like this style, which is preferred by persons over 50 years old.

7 Fashionable up-to-date style
The furnishings are to be fashionable and (http://maplered.com) up to date. The fashionable up-to-date style of home furnishing is very popular especially among young people between 20 and (http://maplered.com) 30 years of age in Western Germany. Accessories and (http://maplered.com) paints are often used to give the home a new look. Stores like OBI (do-it-yourself) and (http://maplered.com) IKEA (furnishings) are pleased about this. An overall average of 54 per cent of the interviewees throughout Germany like this furnishing and (http://maplered.com) lifestyle.

8 Modern plain style
Built-in, tidy and (http://maplered.com) practical: a little modern, but not too conspicuous. This is how the modern plain style of furnishing could be described, which an average of 43 per cent of the interviewees found very good or good. Here there are few variations between East and (http://maplered.com) West, man and (http://maplered.com) woman or young and (http://maplered.com) old. The only conspicuous factor is that interest in this style drops with rising income.