Hot Trends in the Kitchen Category

Kitchen upgrades drifted to the back burner for many homeowners during the recession years, but a growing number of consumers can now afford the extra home improvement projects.

One-third of more than 3,500 respondents to a Houzz survey say they finally have the financial means to update their kitchens. About 40 percent of the respondents hadn’t remodeled their kitchens in more than 15 years.

So what do these homeowners want for their kitchen upgrades?

Respondents indicated they want modern conveniences mixed with style and design trends such as open-concept kitchens and stainless steel appliances. They desire kitchen entertainment space that has plenty of storage for all of their housewares items, according to the survey results.

Below are kitchen trends identified in the Houzz study.

Cabinets

Nearly 50 percent of respondents chose white as their cabinet color of choice. Shaker cabinets were the most popular style and raised panel cabinets came in second.

Backsplash

Most homeowners still opt for subtle backsplashes, but homeowners older than 35 are more likely to pick a statement backsplash. The most popular colors for backsplashes were white, beige and gray.

Kitchen Appliances

More than 80 percent of respondents preferred stainless appliances over any other finishes, an increase from 65 percent last year.

Sinks

In order, the favorite kitchen sink styles were double bowls, single bowls and farmhouse sinks. The top finish for kitchen sinks was stainless steel.

 Countertops

Suburban and rural homeowners picked granite as their countertop of choice, whereas urban dwellers preferred quartz.

Stovetops

Gas ranges were the preference for stovetops.

To see the full results from the study click here.