See the Top Trends in Kitchen Cabinets, Countertops and More

This coastal-style Boston kitchen by McPhee Associates of Cape Cod has many features popular among homeowners, according to the study. They include white Shaker-style cabinets, a white rectangular tile backsplash in a horizontal brick pattern, white countertops, stainless steel appliances and pendant lights over the island.

1. Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are a top priority for homeowners remodeling their kitchen. Nearly 7 in 10 renovating homeowners (69%) replace all of their cabinets as part of a kitchen upgrade. Only a small portion of homeowners (4%) leave them untouched.

More than a quarter (27%) of renovating homeowners take on partial cabinet projects, which can vary widely in scope. Of these, 55% choose exterior refinishing, making it again the most popular partial cabinet upgrade, though it declined 4 percentage points year over year. Among homeowners undertaking a partial cabinet upgrade, 27% add some cabinets and 25% replace some. Notably, refinishing the interiors of existing cabinets has gained traction, increasing by 4 points, to 17% — its highest share to date.

Fully customized (45%) and partially customized (32%) cabinets are the most popular types of new cabinets. And it’s worth noting that 32% of homeowners hire cabinetmakers during a kitchen remodel, the most-hired professional after general contractors (50%). Meanwhile, stock cabinets are on the rise, increasing in favor by 3 points year over year, to 12%.

Shaker leads in cabinet door styles at 61%, far outpacing flat-panel (22%) and raised-panel (12%) designs. Solid wood is the overwhelming favorite material for new kitchen cabinets, with 72% of homeowners selecting it. Medium-density fiberboard (10%) and plywood (8%) are much less common.

For cabinet finishes, the majority of homeowners (57%) choose paint. Despite a rise of 3 percentage points, stain still follows distantly (17%). Only 7% of homeowners select wood veneer.

In this Washington, D.C.-area kitchen, designer Marisa Moore used a combination of painted and stained finishes. The warm greige cabinets are painted Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams.

With the Houzz Pro 3D Floor Planner, pros can create detailed 2D floor plans and 3D models that include kitchen cabinetry, appliances, sinks, faucets and more.

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When it comes to cabinet color, white (33%) and wood (23%) reign supreme. Bold colors are used for a small percentage of upgraded kitchen cabinets, with green and blue appealing to 5% of renovating homeowners each.

Nearly a quarter of renovating homeowners (24%) choose contrasting colors for their upper and lower kitchen cabinets. As with cabinets in general, white is the top choice for upper cabinets, with 2 in 5 homeowners choosing it. Off-white follows at 19%. As for lower cabinets, wood tones lead the way at 33%, with medium-tone wood accounting for 18% of that figure. Blue also is a popular choice, selected by more than 1 in 5 homeowners.

This San Francisco kitchen remodeled by Broad Oaks Construction features a two-tone cabinet look with white uppers and medium-tone wood lowers.

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In many cases, what’s inside the cabinets is just as important as what’s on the outside, and homeowners continue to add specialty storage solutions to their upgraded cabinets. Pullout waste or recycling bins top the list, selected by 67% of homeowners. Cookie sheet and tray organizers follow closely at 59%, while storage for spices and microwaves are also popular, chosen by 43% each. Other widely embraced features include cutlery trays (39%), lazy Susans (36%), deep drawers (36%) and utensil organizers (35%). Smaller shares of renovating homeowners opt for bookshelves (14%) and appliance lifts (13%).

Accent cabinets that differ from the look of the main cabinets can help break up a monotonous expanse of cabinetry to add interest and texture. More than half of renovating homeowners (52%) add or upgrade an accent cabinet or shelf while renovating their kitchen. Glass-front cabinets rank highest, selected by 36%, followed by Shaker-style cabinets at 23% and open shelves without doors at 16%.

Homeowners use these accent cabinets and shelves to showcase various items. They most commonly display glassware (52%), followed by decorative items (43%) and dishware (34%). Cookbooks (23%), collectibles (21%) and china (18%) round out the list of display items.

This Philadelphia kitchen by Bella B Home Designs has reeded glass-front accent cabinets. Interior lights illuminate dishware and enhance the reed detail.

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2. Countertops

Countertops are an important kitchen element that not only add work surface but can greatly impact the overall style of a kitchen because they take up so much visual space. Engineered quartz continues to be the countertop material of choice, with 39% of renovating homeowners opting for it. This material has held the top spot for longer than a decade, despite a 7-point decline from the previous year. Granite follows in second place, though its popularity has declined slightly, from 20% to 19% year over year. Quartzite (11%), butcher block or wood slab (9%) and marble (4%) are holding steady.

As for the edges of upgraded countertops, nearly 2 in 5 renovating homeowners choose square, followed by eased (30%) and beveled (12%) edges. Among patterns of countertop material, veined is the overwhelming favorite, chosen by 74%, while speckled and evenly distributed patterns trail far behind at 13% each.

As with cabinets, white is the top choice for upgraded kitchen countertops, with more than 2 in 5 homeowners (41%) selecting it. Nearly a quarter (23%) opt for off-white countertops. Additionally, black countertops are more popular than gray and beige. Nearly a quarter of homeowners choose different countertop colors for their main cabinets and island. Black is the second-most-popular contrasting color for island countertops (18%), ahead of wood tones (with 14% choosing a medium tone and 10% choosing a light tone), beige (7%) and gray (6%).

While engineered quartz is the top choice overall for countertops in renovated kitchens, 24% of renovating homeowners use different materials on their island countertop and main countertops. When these materials differ, butcher block or wood slab leads for island countertops, selected by 31%. Engineered quartz follows somewhat closely, chosen by 23%. Natural stone makes an appearance too, with some renovating homeowners choosing granite (16%), quartzite (10%) or marble (7%).

Designer Alicia Torosian, who uses Houzz Pro business software to manage her projects, combined quartzite countertops on the perimeter of this Orange County, California, kitchen with granite for the island countertop.

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3. Backsplashes

As with many kitchen elements, white is the most popular color choice for backsplashes. Combined, white and off-white account for the majority of chosen backsplash colors (57%). Followed distantly are blue (8%), gray (7%) and beige (7%).

More than three-quarters of homeowners (76%) select tile for an upgraded kitchen backsplash, compared with about a quarter (24%) who choose a slab material. Ceramic remains the top material choice for upgraded backsplashes at 34%, followed by porcelain (17%), engineered quartz (10%) and quartzite (8%).

Full coverage up to the cabinets or range hood is the most popular backsplash coverage choice, selected by 67% of homeowners — up 5 percentage points year over year. Extending backsplashes to the ceiling is becoming increasingly popular, with more than 1 in 10 homeowners (12%) doing so — an increase of 2 points.

This remodeled Philadelphia kitchen by Pine Street Carpenters & The Kitchen Studio features a zellige-style off-white backsplash tile that fully covers the wall up to the cabinets and range hood, as well as to the ceiling surrounding the sink.

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The majority of renovating homeowners (68%) choose rectangular tiles for their kitchen backsplash. Hexagonal tiles follow very distantly (4%), while diamond, octagonal and tiles with no particular shape are chosen the least frequently.

When it comes to patterns, horizontal brick is the most favored, with nearly 2 in 5 renovating homeowners choosing it. Horizontal stack follows at 15%. Herringbone and vertical stack patterns are tied for third at 7%.

In this New York kitchen, Tusk Home + Design used elongated rectangular tiles in a horizontal brick pattern to fully cover the range and sink walls.

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4. Appliances

With advances in technology and efficiency, new appliances are an important upgrade for many renovating homeowners.

Among large kitchen appliances, renovating homeowners go for dishwashers (71%) and microwaves (70%) most frequently, followed by ranges (64%), refrigerator-freezer combinations (62%) and range hoods (61%). Homeowners also frequently upgrade cooktops (39%) and wall ovens (31%), while smaller shares opt for beverage refrigerators (18%) and wine refrigerators (14%).

For the most part, homeowners prioritize quality and aesthetics over cost. Quality is the top priority, influencing 64% of homeowners, while look and feel is most important for 50%. Though cost is a lower priority for most, 29% of renovating homeowners still cite it as the reason for their appliance purchase. Substantial shares also prioritize size (27%), specialty features (25%) and energy efficiency (22%).

Meanwhile, stainless steel is by far the leading choice for appliances, chosen by 74% of homeowners. White (7%), black stainless steel (5%) and black (3%) trail far behind.

Sleek stainless steel appliances round out this stylish Irvine, California, kitchen by Orange Coast Interior Design.

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5. Lighting

A well-designed lighting scheme can enhance visibility, add style and improve the atmosphere of a kitchen. Recessed lights (73%) and undercabinet lights (71%) dominate the selections for light fixtures in renovated kitchens. Pendant lights are another popular choice, selected by 57%, followed by chandeliers (19%).

More than 9 in 10 renovating homeowners install new light fixtures above the island, and many opt for multiple fixtures. Two fixtures remains the most popular choice at 36%, though this is down 7 percentage points from the previous year. Three fixtures follows closely at 35%. The share of homeowners using four or more fixtures above the island has risen to 14% — a 5-point increase.

Pendant lights are the predominant island lighting choice (65%). Recessed lights are the second-most-popular option (30%), while only a few homeowners opt for chandeliers (9%) or flush-mount lights (6%).

Crescent Builds implemented a layered lighting scheme in this Seattle kitchen, which features recessed ceiling lights, undercabinet lighting and three pendants over the island.

The 2025 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study gathered information from 1,620 Houzz users who reported being 18 years old or older, being homeowners, and having completed a kitchen remodel or addition in the past 12 months or to be currently working on one or planning to start one in the next six months. The survey was fielded between June 27 and July 30, 2024.

See more results and download the full study

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