A growing number of homeowners are making their kitchens more open to other interior spaces and to the outdoors. Many are revamping layouts, modifying walls and requesting longer islands. Spending on kitchens is also on the rise, while pro hiring remains strong. Learn more about these and other important remodeling behaviors — and get kitchen design inspiration — from highlights of the just-released 2024 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study.
Clearcut Construction, Inc.
This North Carolina kitchen by Clearcut Construction shows many features that are popular according to the study. The space opens to an outdoor area through sliding glass doors. White Shaker-style cabinets, white backsplash tile and white countertops are also sought-after elements.
1. Open-Concept Kitchens Are on the Rise
After the share of homeowners opening their kitchens to nearby rooms dipped from 53% in 2019 to 43% in 2021, the trend is on the rise again, back to 43% in 2024 compared with 38% of those who renovated in 2022. Renovating homeowners are also increasingly opening their kitchens to the outdoors (23% in 2024 compared with 18% in 2022).
Among homeowners making their kitchens more open to nearby interiors, nearly two-thirds (64%) go for completely open, and a quarter (25%) choose somewhat open — via double doors, a row of doors or a wide opening, for example. The most popular method to open up a kitchen more to outdoor areas is with double doors or a row of doors (46%). Meanwhile, 11% use a moving or folding wall system to integrate their kitchen with the outdoors.
Improving functionality is the driving force behind creating an open-concept space (64%), while 54% of renovating homeowners want to enhance their entertaining space and 47% simply appreciate the layout’s aesthetic.
“We’re seeing a return to more open-concept spaces following a brief drop in interest during the pandemic, when people sought separation and privacy from other household members,” Houzz staff economist Marine Sargsyan says. “Creating a more open kitchen appeals to homeowners for both functional and aesthetic reasons, but doing so may impact the project’s overall budget, requiring more technical changes, such as modifying walls and changing the layout.”
Woodland Road Design
This Hanover, Massachusetts, kitchen by Woodland Road Design is completely open to the surrounding spaces. Double doors connect it to an outdoor area. A blue island, white Shaker-style cabinets and quartz countertops are other elements popular with homeowners now.
Find a pro to help with your kitchen remodeling project
2. Substantial Structural Work Is Popular
Though changing the kitchen’s style is the top trigger for a renovation, many makeovers involve substantial structural work. Among renovating homeowners, 45% reconstruct the kitchen’s layout and 43% upgrade systems. As for other structural changes, 39% of renovating homeowners modify kitchen walls and 7% completely change the kitchen’s location; those percentages have increased by 3 points each year over year. Nearly 1 in 7 renovating homeowners (13%) modifies the kitchen ceiling, and 5% modify the flooring by reframing or adjusting the height.
Deidre Interiors
Deidre Interiors expanded the footprint of this West Olive, Michigan, kitchen. Watery blue backsplash tile nods to the home’s lake location; it extends to the ceiling, a choice that 10% of renovating homeowners make. (See more on backsplash trends below.)
Shop for kitchen products inspired by trends from the study
3. Pro Hiring Remains Stable
Homeowners often turn to home professionals for assistance with more technical projects. In fact, more than 4 in 5 homeowners (84%) rely on professional help during a kitchen renovation.
General contractors are the professionals most commonly hired for kitchen renovations (55%), followed by cabinetmakers, which are at a four-year high (35% in 2024 compared with 26% in 2020). A quarter of renovating homeowners hire a kitchen designer, and 16% bring in an interior designer for their kitchen remodel. Architects (15%) and kitchen remodelers (11%) are also sought after.
Supple Homes, Inc
General contracting firm Supple Homes helped turn this Menlo Park, California, kitchen into a light and bright transitional-style space with white Shaker cabinets, zellige backsplash tile and stainless steel appliances.
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4. Investment in Kitchens Reaches New High
The median spend on kitchen remodels in 2023 is up 22% from the previous year, to $55,000, among homeowners undertaking major remodels. (“Major kitchen remodel” refers to a remodel in which at least all the cabinets and appliances are replaced.) Also worth noting: The median spend on major kitchen remodels is up 57% in 2023 compared with 2020; three years ago it was $35,000.
The median spend on minor remodels continues to increase as well. It was $18,000 in 2023, increasing by 29% year over year, and has more than doubled since 2020, when it was $8,000. (“Minor kitchen remodel” refers to any remodel that is not considered major.)
Economists like to reference the median, or midpoint, figure rather than the average for this kind of data because the average can be skewed, can be volatile year over year, and can be misleadingly high or low because of a single project that costs far more or less than others.
Nicole Forina Home
Designer Nicole Forina gave this high-end kitchen in a Colts Neck, New Jersey, Colonial home many elegant features, including stone countertops and slab backsplashes, brass finishes and an antiqued-mirror-wrapped range hood.
5. Preference for Long Islands Grows
More than 2 in 5 homeowners (42%) opt for islands that are 7 feet or longer, with the share increasing by 10 points since 2020. Islands shorter than 6 feet are losing popularity, down by 5 points year over year. This trend might be influenced by homeowners’ reported usage of islands for entertaining (54%) and socializing (44%) post-renovation.
Space Lab Design Services LLC
This Seattle-area kitchen by Space Lab Design Services features an extra-long island with roomy seating and plenty of countertop workspace. A custom metal range hood and moody rough-cut backsplash tile coordinate with abundant wood elements to create a rustic modern mountain style.
10 Kitchen Island Features Pros Always Recommend
6. Majority of Cabinets Still White
White continues to be the most common cabinetry color (46%), and the percentage is up by 6 points year over year. Wood (25%) and green (4%) inched up by 1 percentage point each during the same time. After holding steady at 10% for the past three years, gray has decreased by 2 percentage points.
Despite a slight dip in popularity as a primary cabinet color (to 4%), blue remains a top pick for island cabinets that are a different color from the main cabinets (25%). Green jumped in popularity for island cabinets that are a different color from the main cabinets (10%, up from 5% in 2023).
Elemental Interiors
This New York kitchen by Elemental Interiors features popular white Shaker-style cabinets and a blue island. White countertops, white backsplash tile and white walls are also top choices among homeowners.
The 10 Most Popular Kitchens of 2023
7. Interest in High-Tech Appliances Rises
More homeowners (54%) prefer to replace all the appliances during a renovation, rather than just a few (34%). Homeowners increasingly are opting for appliances with high-tech capabilities, with the percentage up by 5 points, to 44%. Nearly a third of homeowners (30%) choose appliances with Wi-Fi connectivity, and 29% opt for models that can be controlled with a smartphone or tablet; both those figures rose by 5 percentage points year over year. Interest in features such as touch-screens, smart home connectivity, and built-in apps and cameras also has grown since last year.
Jordan Design-Build Group
Jordan Design-Build Group included a smart refrigerator in this Washington, D.C.-area kitchen. The space also features marble countertops and backsplash tile, white Shaker-style cabinets and a stained cherrywood island base. Among renovating homeowners, 8% of those who choose an island color that’s different from the main cabinetry color go for dark wood.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
8. More Backsplashes Replaced
The vast majority of homeowners (86%) replace the backsplash during a kitchen renovation, and that share is up by 2 points since last year. Backsplashes most commonly extend to the cabinets or range hood (62%). But 1 in 10 (10%) renovating homeowners covers the entire wall up to the ceiling. The most popular backsplash material is ceramic or porcelain tile (54%), followed by engineered quartz (11%). Natural stone is sought as well, with homeowners choosing marble (9%), quartzite (6%) and granite (4%).
Other popular kitchen upgrades include countertops (91%), cabinets (85%), faucets (83%), light fixtures (79%), flooring (68%) and the replacement of all appliances (54%).
Design-build firm took the backsplash in this Rye Brook, New York, kitchen to the upper cabinets and range hood, a strategy favored by a majority of homeowners.
20 Eye-Catching Kitchen Backsplash Ideas
9. Many Homeowners Plan Ahead for Aging
Among renovating homeowners addressing special needs in the kitchen, the most common reason is to accommodate aging household members’ future needs (36%) and current needs (27%).
Functional elements incorporated for the current and future needs of aging household members include pullout cabinets (58%), extra lighting (54%) and wide drawer pulls (48%). Safety features, including nonslip flooring (37%) and rounded countertops (34%), are also a priority.
Design Studio West
This San Diego, California, kitchen by Design Studio West includes many features that address aging in place, such as adequate lighting, wide drawer pulls, rounded countertops and wide pathways. See more results and download the full study
The 2024 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study gathered information from 3,437 Houzz users who reported being 18 years old or older, being homeowners, and having completed a kitchen remodel or addition project in the past 12 months, or currently working on one or planning to start one in the next six months. The survey was fielded between July 19 and July 27, 2023.
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