The kitchen has always been the heart of the home but the pandemic has supercharged its importance in our lives. Houzz has taken a deep dive into the data to reveal some big ideas and trends for all things kitchen in 2022. Let’s jump in and see what’s new, now and next.
Show Me the Money
Consumers are spending more to remodel their kitchens. Major remodels (all cabinets and appliances replaced) were up 14% to $40,000 and minor remodels up 25% to $10,000 in 2021. Large kitchen remodel spending increased for the fourth year in a row to $50,000. Nearly 80% of respondents say that they splurged on at least one new kitchen feature during renovation.
The pandemic was no doubt a factor driving the desire for an enhanced kitchen but the number one trigger cited was finally having the means (45%), followed by no longer being able to stand the old kitchen (35%) and having an old kitchen that deteriorated (29%).
Fabulous Features
Countertops led the way as the number one feature upgraded during renovation (91%), followed closely by backsplash (86%), sinks (84%), and faucets (81%).
Refrigerators remain the top choice for new or upgraded appliances followed by dishwashers and microwaves. Notable jumps include garbage disposals and beverage refrigerators, the latter trending in kitchen islands. Small appliances are also making a big impact with coffee makers, air fryers, and storage containers topping the list.
Homeowners are spending more to get the latest technology. More than a third indicate that at least one upgraded appliance has high-tech features—from wireless smartphone and tablet controls to color touchscreen displays or built-in apps. These are smart kitchens with 41% investing in a home assistant.
Small appliances are also making a big impact with coffee makers, electric slow juicers, air fryers, and storage containers topping the list.
Most homeowners are also choosing to replace all of the kitchen cabinets (65%) with nearly a third replacing a partial amount of the cabinets (29%). Among the latter, refinishing the exterior is the number one improvement, up 5 percentage points to 65%.
Size Surprises
While most homeowners report that the size of their renovated kitchens is about the same as before, the final size of renovated kitchens is increasing with more than half measuring 200 square feet or more this past year.
Kitchen islands are also getting a lot bigger: nearly 40% are more than 7 feet long, a big jump from last year. Top activities include “the expected” like cooking, eating/dining and baking on to entertaining, socializing and working, up 4 percentage points from the previous year. Hello work from home.
Style Matters
Farmhouse chic is losing some of its appeal as transitional makes a significant jump to bolster its number one position as top kitchen style (25%). Contemporary also leapfrogs modern for the number two most popular style.
White is still winning the color battle as the preferred choice for countertops, cabinets, kitchen walls, and backsplashes. Gray continues to shine as well, as the second choice for many, except for backsplashes where homeowners are open to pops of color. Kitchen island cabinets are also seeing some color contrast with blue (26%), black (10%), and green (5%).
And materials matter. While marble jumps a few points for backsplashes, ceramic and porcelain are far and away the number one choice for that focal point (56%). Quartz is still king for upgraded countertops with butcher block the top contrasting material for upgraded islands. Solid wood continues to be the primary choice for cabinets at 76% with shaker style doors up significantly from the previous year. Stainless continues to slay as the overwhelming choice for appliances (74%).
Vinyl is making a comeback for flooring, overtaking tile for the second choice behind stained or unstained hardwood. Resilient flooring like vinyl has nearly doubled in popularity since 2019.
Let’s not forget décor. Close to 90% of respondents report that they added new furnishings and accessories to their kitchen space. Bar stools lead the way followed by wall art/décor and window coverings.
Let There Be Light
Leading the way for upgraded lighting are undercabinet lights (67%) followed closely by recessed lights (66%) and pendant lights (57%), which are the top choice to spotlight upgraded islands. More is more with 39% of respondents installing two lights above their islands and 36% installing three.
DIY or Hire a Pro?
Homeowners may be doing a lot more DIY projects at home but when it comes to kitchen renovation, the majority are hiring a professional (89%), the highest level in four years. More than half are hiring a general contractor to do the work (53%), followed by cabinet makers (31%) and kitchen designers (23%).
Learn More
Interested in seeing the full report? Click here for all of the latest data including detailed tech trends, kitchen bestsellers, more on drawers, and historical trends.
