According to a nationwide study by construction resourceHouzz, designers and remodeling experts expect that expenditure on home improvement will continue to rise far beyond 2025, with consumers especially eager to pay for large and luxurious kitchens for cooking, eating, and entertaining.
Over one-third of homeowners expand their kitchen’s footprint while renovating, according to the 2025 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study. Building an extension or enlarging an existing area, such as a dining room, living room, or closet, will increase the available space.
According to a news release from Houzz staff economist Marine Sargsyan, nearly half of all homes in the United States are 42 years of age or older and were constructed to accommodate homeowners from a different era. In order to accommodate their needs, homeowners are choosing to give up adjacent rooms and outdoor areas in favor of larger kitchen square footage as kitchens become increasingly vital to daily activities.
Many of the 1,620 survey participants stated that they were renovating their kitchens either recently or in the future to address age-related and other special needs, such as installing nonslip flooring, lower counters, wheelchair-accessible entrances, and more lighting, or because their kitchens were deteriorating and dysfunctional.
According to Houzz, 28% of homeowners want to customize a newly purchased house, and nearly a third are motivated to act by financial considerations.
According to Houzz, the median cost of kitchen renovations worldwide is now $60,000, up from $55,000 the year before. Major kitchen renovations that are high-end and include new appliances and cabinets may cost $200,000 or more. 86% of the study’s participating homeowners hire a general contractor, kitchen designer, architect, design-builder, or kitchen remodeler for their kitchen projects.
With energy- and water-efficient appliances and fixtures, coatings free of volatile organic compounds that release greenhouse gases, eco-friendly flooring and materials, and sustainable, nontoxic cabinets, many homeowners place a high value on environmental friendliness. Just 2% of respondents said they had advice from an environmentally conscious practitioner.
Additionally, Houzz discovered that when upgrading their kitchens, over 50% of homeowners either install an island or renovate an existing one. The majority of remodeled islands are rectangular and longer than seven feet, which allows for additional counter space as well as space for storage drawers and a microwave.
As demonstrated by this kitchen created by Le Belle Maison Interiors, kitchens are growing to accommodate cooking, eating, and entertaining.Photography by Stacy Markow
According to Houzz, 25% of homeowners choose transitional cabinets, followed by traditional style (14%), modern (12%), and contemporary (11%). The most common finishes for updated kitchen cabinets are wood and white. According to a poll, about 25% of homeowners remodeling their kitchens select different hues for their top and bottom cabinets.
The most popular kitchen cabinet door type is shaker cabinets, which have a recessed center panel and a classic appearance. Glass-front accent cabinets are used to display cookbooks, glasses, dishware, and other objects.
The study also found that 67% of homeowners like backsplash wall covering from counters to cabinets or range hoods, while 12% want backsplashes that extend to the ceiling. The majority of homeowners choose rectangular tiles made of quartzite, ceramic, porcelain, or engineered quartz.
Nearly two-thirds of homeowners choose white for their main kitchen counters (41% white and 23% off white). Nevertheless, according to the poll, black is the second most popular color (8%), and almost one in five homeowners install black for contrasting island counters (18%).
Popular options for kitchen flooring include ceramic or porcelain tile, vinyl or resilient flooring, and hardwood. The most popular appliance material is stainless steel, while 45% of homeowners choose pantry cabinets over walk-in pantries.
Ovens with specialized features, such as phone monitor controls, remote timer activation, control locks, precise temperature management, and automated cooking, are desired by nearly two-thirds of homeowners.
In addition to more than 25 million images of expertly designed interiors and landscape ideas, Houzz offers a database of over 3 million home renovation and design experts who can help with home projects.
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Janet Eastman writes on trends and design. You can follow her on X@janeteastman and contact her at 503-294-4072 and [email protected].
