One in four new kitchens in Belgium comes from Ikea, and despite selling 35,000 kitchens here last year, the Swedish mega- retailer slashed prices this year by 10% to attract an even bigger market share. "The kitchen is becoming more important in our lives, and that's what we want to play on," said Olivier Baraille, general manager for Ikea Belgium.

Experts agree on the main reasons for Ikea's success: a minimum standard of quality; value for money; simple design that's attractive to a wide range of customers; and the possibility of building up combinations of elements from various ranges and price categories. On the other hand, the sheer ubiquity of the chain means their furniture is instantly recognisable.

However, Ikea's constant rise is not a threat to the home-grown kitchen industry, said Chris De Roock of the industry federation Fedustria. Ikea, he explained, competes with the likes of Brico in importing kitchen elements from low-wage countries. The Flemish kitchen industry, on the other hand, offers custom work as part of a total package. Despite the continuing economic crisis - with people putting off decisions on major spending items like house renovations - the sector lost only 0.5% in sales last year.

Luckily for them, we're a disgruntled lot when it comes to our kitchens. One in four believe our kitchen is too small, and one in five finds it not functional enough, according to Ikea research. Only one in three has the space required to install the open-plan kitchen they dream of, but 47% said the kitchen was the most important part of the house.