A recent study by Houzz U.S. gave us a peek inside the design aspirations — and realities — of almost 2,600 U.S. homeowners who are currently undergoing or have completed a kitchen renovation.
Here are some of the highlights from the study:
Islands Continue to Rule
- Nearly two-thirds of renovated kitchens feature an island (61%).
- A third of homeowners add an island if they didn’t already have one (33%).
- 22% of homeowners upgrade their existing island while 5% keep their island as is.
- Among the 46% of renovating homeowners changing the layout of cabinets and appliances, an L-shaped layout is No. 1 (40%), followed by a U-shaped layout (30%).
- Nearly all homeowners who add or upgrade an island include at least some storage in it (98%), with cabinets with doors (79%) or drawers (70%) most popular.
- Rectangular or square islands are most common (84%), and one in three (32%) are quite large, exceeding 7 feet in length.
- More than half (52%) of added or upgraded islands feature new appliances — microwave (32%), dishwasher (31%), garbage disposals (24%) and cooktops (21%).
Vinyl Flooring Rises to Third Place
- After a two-year decline, natural hardwood has returned to the No. 1 spot in kitchen flooring materials (29%).
- Vinyl/resilient flooring moves to the third position at 14% of the market share (behind ceramic/porcelain tile which holds at 23%).
Modern Edges Out Farmhouse
- Among the 85% of renovating homeowners who change their kitchen style, transitional and contemporary styles continue their lead in popularity.
- Modern sits comfortably in third at 15% with farmhouse style dropping to 11%.
White Cabinetry Wins Again
- White cabinets continue to be popular in the kitchen (45%) with wood-tone cabinets collectively occupying the No. 2 position (22%).
- Two in five homeowners choose a contrasting colour for the island cabinets. Gray (26%) and blue (19%) are the most popular colours.
Pantry and Storage Upgrades
Over half of renovating homeowners upgrade their pantry, either via a pantry cabinet (45%) or walk-in closet (7%). Consistent with last year’s findings, many new cabinets are equipped with built-in specialty organizers or drawers. The most popular organizers are for cookie sheets (50%), while the most common specialty drawers are pullout waste or recycling drawers (63%).
High-Tech Growth Loses Momentum
Among those upgrading faucets and appliances, high-tech features appear throughout; however, their growth has stalled. Half of upgraded faucets are high-tech (51% vs. 57% in 2019), boasting water efficiency, no-fingerprint coatings or touch-free activation.
A quarter of major appliances have high-tech features (25% vs. 30% in 2019), with wireless controls in the lead. Charging stations and home assistants maintained their popularity.
Hiring a professional
Given the significant monetary investment, it’s not surprising that 85% of homeowners renovating their kitchen hire a professional, with general contractors (51%) and kitchen designers (22%) topping the list (51 and 22, respectively).
You can download the full 2020 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study here