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10. januar 2018
Houzz Study Finds Kitchen Updates Address Decluttering Obsessions
Design differences abound among urban, suburban and rural homeowners


Kitchen remodelers are clearing their countertops, according to the 2018 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study. The survey of over 1,700 U.S. homeowners using Houzz who are in the midst of, are planning, or recently completed a kitchen project, found that kitchen remodelers are obsessed with decluttering their counters (75 percent), putting things away (66 percent) and recycling (49 percent). Similarly, the majority of homeowners also prioritize storage over all other functions of their kitchens (63 percent), followed at a distance by a space in which it is easy to work, play and live (38 percent), entertain (32 percent) and clean (32 percent).

With nothing visible on their countertops, it’s no surprise that homeowners want and need to make updates that include a variety of cabinet storage and organization features, including pull out waste or recycling baskets (67 percent), cookie sheet/tray organizers (58 percent), revolving corner trays (44 percent), deep drawer organizers (42 percent) and pull or swing out trays and shelves (42 percent). Homeowners may be focused on decluttering in order to show off their beautiful new countertops, which are the most common major feature upgraded during renovations (94 percent) and most commonly splurged-on item (42 percent). Following growing interest in engineered quartz, it is now the most popular countertop material (43 percent), overtaking granite (34 percent). Granite has seen a three-year decline in popularity (45, 41 and 34 percent in 2016, 2017 and 2018 studies, respectively). For additional storage and countertop space, nearly two in five homeowners are adding kitchen islands, with those in rural areas being twenty percent more likely to add an island than those in urban areas.

“Our annual kitchen trends surveys reveal that consumer preferences for products, design, and technology vary not only across urban, suburban, and rural areas, but also evolve over time,” said Nino Sitchinava, principal economist at Houzz. “Countertops in particular are having a real moment today as homeowners focus on decluttering surfaces for a sleek and tidy kitchen post-renovation.”

As homeowners look to personalize their kitchens, there has been a 12 percentage point increase since last year in the number of homeowners changing their kitchen style completely (87 percent in 2018 versus 75 percent in 2017). The most popular new styles are transitional (25 percent) and contemporary (17 percent). Both are popular in suburban (30 percent and 17 percent, respectively) and urban (20 percent and 24 percent, respectively) areas but less so in rural areas (15 percent and nine percent, respectively). Half of kitchen remodelers also update their kitchen layout (50 percent), with L-shape (35 percent) surpassing U-shape (32 percent) as the most popular layout, following a three year upward trend for L-shape (up from 26 percent in 2016)*. Urban homeowners also opt for galley kitchens more often than suburban and rural homeowners (20 versus 14 and 13 percent, respectively).

Costs for kitchen renovations vary widely based on size, scope and metro area, among other factors. The average spend on a major remodel, which includes replacing at least all of the cabinetry and appliances, for a 200 square foot or greater kitchen is $42,000, while a major remodel of a smaller kitchen averages $25,800. Among the top 20 metro areas, San Francisco, CA spends the most on kitchen renovations, averaging $70,000 for a major remodel of a 200-plus-square-foot kitchen, compared with Miami, FL and Riverside, CA, the least expensive of the top 20 metro areas at $31,500 and $31,200, respectively.

Additional findings include:

  • A Recipe for Technology: Among homeowners incorporating new electronics in the kitchen during renovations (14 percent), there has been a three-year decline in the demand for TVs in the kitchen (64 versus 79 percent in the 2016 study).* Home assistants are becoming increasingly popular, as evidenced by nearly a quarter being added to kitchens during electronic upgrades (22 percent). Wireless and voice-controlled kitchen appliances are also on the rise (five, seven and 11 percent in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 studies, respectively, among the 90 percent of homeowners who are updating kitchen appliances).
  • White Continues to Rise: White continues to gain popularity year-over-year in updated kitchens, with white backsplashes, countertops and wall finishes gaining six percentage points each in 2018 versus the 2017 study (36 percent versus 30 percent, 27 versus 21 percent, and 24 versus 18 percent, respectively). Rural kitchens reflect more variety in their color palette.
  • Hardwood Makes Way for Wood-Like Materials: One in two homeowners are choosing wood or wood-like materials (53 percent), among those updating their flooring (73 percent). While natural hardwood continues to be the most popular (29 percent), its popularity is on a decline (34, 31 and 29 percent in 2016, 2017, and 2018 studies, respectively). In contrast, wood-like flooring such as engineered wood or laminate are on the rise (19, 21 and 24 percent, respectively).
  • Switching to Shaker: Shaker cabinets are the most popular door styles (57 percent) among those updating cabinets, followed by flat-panel (18 percent) and raised-panel (17 percent) cabinets. After shaker, urban homeowners are more likely to choose flat-panel (26 percent) cabinets, whereas suburban and rural dwellers opt for raised-panel cabinets (19 percent and 18 percent, respectively).
  • Home pros lend a hand: Nearly nine in 10 homeowners hire a professional for their kitchen renovations (86 percent), with nearly two-thirds of renovating homeowners hiring general contractors or kitchen remodelers (63 percent combined).

You can download the full 2018 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study here.

Houzz has over 15 million photos of professionally designed interiors and exteriors, including completed kitchen projects, and more than 1.5 million active home remodeling and design professionals including kitchen and bath remodelers, kitchen and bath designers, architects and general contractors. The Houzz Shop offers more than 10 million products from over 20,000 sellers, including items for the kitchen from cabinets and storage to fixtures to tile.

The “U.S. Kitchen Trends Study” is an online survey fielded to U.S. Houzz users between September and October of 2017. n=1,734.

* Data for this question is collected every other year.

About Houzz
Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a small room to building a custom home and everything in between, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community empowered by technology, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Moscow, Tel Aviv and Tokyo. Houzz and the Houzz logo are registered trademarks of Houzz Inc. worldwide. For more information, visit houzz.com.