10 Big Takeaways From the 2022 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study

1. Spending Is on the Rise

The national median spending on kitchen remodels continues to climb for both major and minor remodels. Keep in mind that the median spending level is the midpoint, meaning half of renovating homeowners on Houzz spent more and half spent less.

For major remodels, in which all the cabinets and appliances were replaced, median spending rose 14% in mid-2021 to $40,000, up from $35,000 in mid-2020. Spending on minor remodels increased 25% in mid-2021 to $10,000, up from $8,000 in mid-2020.

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.

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This kitchen by Darci Hether New York highlights many popular trends found in the latest Houzz study, including white Shaker-style cabinets, a contrasting blue island, white countertops and backsplash, island pendants and stainless steel appliances.

The report found that the vast majority of homeowners (70%) keep their kitchen about the same size as their previous space, a 3-point increase in 2022 compared with 2021. A little less than a third of homeowners (30%) increase the size of their kitchen.

The most common kitchen size is 200 square feet or more (54%). That number is also up by 3 points year over year. Some 34% of homeowners have a kitchen between 100 and 199 square feet. And 12% have a kitchen that’s less than 100 square feet, a year-over-year decrease of 2 points.

Meanwhile, 43% of renovating homeowners change their kitchen layout. But the percentage opening up their kitchen to either an interior or outdoor space is significantly lower than in the past three years. In 2022, 38% of renovating homeowners made their kitchen more open to a nearby interior space, compared with 46% in 2020.

When it comes to opening up a kitchen to the outdoors, 18% reported making their kitchen more open in 2021, compared with 20% in 2020.

Anecdotally, this shift in attitude toward openness reflects what some homeowners have been saying throughout the pandemic: that when multiple family members are at home, the need for separation becomes more important.

2. Pro Hiring Continues to Climb

The vast majority of homeowners (89%) hire professionals to remodel their kitchen, the largest percentage in four years. And hiring is on the rise for many types of pros. The majority of homeowners (53%) hire a general contractor, a 4-point increase in 2022 compared with 2021.

Cabinetmakers continue to rise in popularity too. Nearly a third of homeowners (31%) hire a cabinet pro. The hiring of kitchen designers, interior designers and decorators, and kitchen remodelers is up year over year as well.

Schloegel Design Remodel updated this Kansas City, Missouri, kitchen with navy-and-walnut cabinets and created a new layout that includes a large island for entertaining.

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3. Consumers Splurge on Countertops

An overwhelming majority of homeowners (91%) replace their countertops during a kitchen remodel, a 3-point increase in 2022 compared with 2021. And 35% of homeowners say they decided to spend more, or splurge, on their new countertops than they had originally planned.

Engineered quartz remains the leading material for upgraded kitchen countertops, with 42% of homeowners choosing it. That’s a significant drop from 51% in 2020.

Granite remains the second-most-popular choice, though it declined to 24% from 28% the previous year. Quartzite ticked up slightly, to 9% from 8% the previous year. Other countertop materials chosen include laminate, solid surface and concrete. Homeowners could select more than one material for the study.

Renovating homeowners are increasingly choosing white for their kitchen countertops (39%, up from 33% the previous year). That’s followed by multicolored (24%), while gray seems to be falling out of favor; only 12% of renovating homeowners choose it as a countertop color, down from 15% in 2020.

Nearly 1 in 4 renovating homeowners (24%) who adds or upgrades an island chooses an island countertop color that contrasts the color of the primary countertops. White still holds the top spot for contrasting island countertops (32%), but wood tones combined follow closely at 26%.

Anna Butler Designs used a light wood butcher-block countertop for the island in this Chicago kitchen. It adds warmth and contrast to the white perimeter countertops and light gray cabinets.

4. Marble Backsplashes Increase in Popularity

As with countertops, a large majority of homeowners (86%) upgrade their backsplash during a remodel, up by 3 points from 2020.

A fifth of homeowners say they splurged on their new backsplash more than they originally planned. And while most homeowners (56%) are going for ceramic or porcelain tile, 11% are choosing marble, an increase of 2 points from the previous year.

Most homeowners (66%) take their backsplash material from the countertop to their upper cabinets or range hood. But nearly a fifth (19%) choose to only partially cover that area. About 1 in 10 homeowners takes the backsplash from the countertop all the way to the ceiling.

Kitchen and bath designer Lea Biermann took elongated marble hex tile to the ceiling in this Orange County, California, kitchen. Also notice the other kitchen remodel features that the report found to be popular, including white cabinets and countertops, a contrasting blue island and stainless steel appliances.

5. Vinyl Flooring Gains a Foothold

Among homeowners who are upgrading their kitchen flooring, the top choice is stained or unstained hardwood (25%), an increase of 2 percentage points in 2022 compared with 2021.

Vinyl or resilient flooring continues its ascent, nearly doubling in popularity since 2019 and taking the No. 2 spot away from ceramic or porcelain tile, which dropped by 5 percentage points to 19% in 2022 compared with 24% in 2021.

For this Pennsylvania kitchen, Kitchens by Eileen laid vinyl flooring in a herringbone pattern, boosting warmth and visual interest. Also notice the blue island and its wood countertop, which contrast the white perimeter cabinets and countertops. This kind of contrast is a popular trend, per the study.

6. White and Gray Dominate

A generous use of white in a kitchen helps enhance light, mood and a sense of cleanliness. It’s the most popular color homeowners choose for cabinets (41%), backsplashes (40%) and walls (32%), a 6-point increase in 2022 compared with 2021.

Gray is a neutral color that works well with whites and metal finishes often found in kitchens. It’s the second-most-popular color homeowners choose for walls (27%). Similarly, stainless steel is by far the most common choice for the appliance finish. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of homeowners choose stainless, a 3-point increase in 2022 compared with 2021.

This Minneapolis kitchen by Zehnder Homes exhibits a popular kitchen color palette, with gray walls, stainless steel appliances and white cabinets, countertops and backsplash.

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7. Cabinets Capture Focus

The majority of renovating homeowners (65%) replace all the kitchen cabinets, while nearly a third (29%) partially replace the cabinets. Among those partially upgrading cabinets, the percentage refinishing cabinet exteriors jumped by 5 points from the previous year, to 65%. One in 4 homeowners adds some cabinets, while 23% replace only the cabinet doors.

Solid wood is by far the most popular cabinet material chosen by homeowners (76%). And most people (64%) prefer Shaker style, an increase of 8 percentage points in 2022 compared with 2021. Flat-panel cabinets, the second-most-common selection, dropped by 4 points in 2022 to 17% compared with 2021.

Some 43% of homeowners choose custom cabinets, while 35% go for semicustom. One in 10 homeowners chooses stock (11%) and ready-to-assemble cabinets (10%).

As mentioned, white is the most popular cabinet color (41%), followed by medium-tone wood (12%) and gray (10%).

This Columbus, Ohio, kitchen by Home Sweet Home Remodeling highlights a few popular kitchen trends. An updated take on Shaker-style wood cabinets creates a warm atmosphere. Though on the decline, granite countertops are still the second-most-popular countertop material chosen by homeowners (24%), after engineered quartz (42%).

And one-fifth of homeowners (20%) choose a multicolored backsplash like the one shown here.

8. Kitchen Islands Command Attention

A kitchen island is a must-have feature for many homeowners. More than half (57%) add or update an island during a kitchen remodel. But 36% of homeowners still have no island in their kitchen.

The size of kitchen islands appears to be growing. Of the homeowners who upgraded or added an island, 39% went for one that, on average, measures over 7 feet in length, an increase of 5 percentage points in 2022 compared with 2021.

Some 36% of homeowners upgraded or added an island that’s on average 6 or 7 feet, a drop of 4 points, while 25% of homeowners chose one that’s less than 6 feet. Rectangular is by far the most common shape chosen by homeowners (83%).

MA Peterson Designbuild added an extra-long rectangular island to a kitchen addition in this St. Paul, Minnesota, home.

While blue is the most popular color chosen by homeowners for a contrasting island (26%), medium-tone wood islands like the one shown here are rising in popularity. Some 10% of homeowners choose a contrasting medium wood island, a leap of 5 percentage points year over year.

Meanwhile, homeowners use their islands for many activities other than cooking or baking, such as for entertaining (52%) and socializing (44%). One-fifth of homeowners report using their island to do work, a year-over-year increase of 4 percentage points.

9. Beverage Fridges Pop Up

A beverage fridge is a convenient feature for kitchens. It can give family members and guests access to cold drinks away from the main refrigerator and the chef who’s preparing a meal in the kitchen. Nearly 1 in 5 renovating homeowners (19%) incorporates a beverage refrigerator, up by 5 percentage points from the previous year.

This St. Louis kitchen by Detailed Designs By Denise illustrates the appeal of a beverage fridge. You can see how someone grabbing a drink from the undercounter fridge wouldn’t get in the way of someone navigating between the sink, island countertop, range and main fridge (which is to the right of the range, out of view).