AT HOME WITH MARNI JAMESON: What’s cooking in kitchens? Open floorplans, bigger islands, study finds – The Times of Northwest Indiana

Marni Jameson

I know were not supposed to care, but dont we all kind of want to know whats going on in other peoples houses? As least dcor-wise? Last week, the 2024 Houzz Kitchen Trends Study came out, and I was eager to peek. I wanted to know what was cooking in kitchens not just because I like to keep up, and not even because I am generally nosy, but mostly because my daughter and her husband are about to tackle a major kitchen renovation.

This kind of feels like the first time you see your kid drive off with a new drivers license. While theres nothing you can do, you just hope they dont crash.

When Paige and her husband bought their first home together 18 months ago, they knew they wanted to ultimately upgrade the underwhelming kitchen. After living in the home, theyve had time to think about what they want.

We love to cook and entertain, Paige said. Thats how we live. Our kitchen isnt great for either. Their choice came down to move or improve. Sound familiar? Having a baby on the way (insert cartwheel emoji) caused them to make up their minds and get going.

They asked a designer to show them what was possible. The designer drew up a plan that would indeed allow them to get what they wanted. Their new kitchen will have a larger island with seating, upgraded creamy tan cabinets with smart built-in storage systems, better appliances and white quartz counters to replace the dark speckled granite.

Ive got news for Houzz. They didnt need to bother with a survey. This couple represents pretty much what most remodelers want in a new kitchen.

A popular software platform for home improvers and industry professionals, Houzz has been publishing the kitchen trends study for 10 years, said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz staff economist, who helped compile the study. This year more than 3,400 U.S. homeowners, all of whom had either just completed or were in the middle of remodeling their kitchens, responded.

The beauty of the survey is that we dont ask wishful thinking questions, like, would you like more storage? Or a walk-in pantry? We ask, what did you actually do? Sargsyan said.

Heres whats hot in kitchens today according to this years report:

Kitchens are opening up. After going through the pandemic, a time when homeowners were hesitant to open their kitchens to the rest of their house, I was happy to see a reversal, Sargsyan said. We are back to open-concept kitchens that allow for more socializing. Among respondents, 43% made their kitchens more open to other indoor spaces, up five percent from a few years ago. Of those homeowners who made their kitchens more open, nearly two-thirds (64%) removed a wall.

Organized Storage is a priority. Consumers continue to put function first, she said. Features such as cookie sheet organizers (55%), spice racks (44%), and organizers for cutlery (41%) and utensils (37%) each gained 3 percentage points in popularity over last year. These were all must-haves on Paiges list, too.

Islands are growing. Confirming that the kitchen is the place to be whether cooking, eating, entertaining or doing office or home work, the survey showed a strong trend toward bigger islands with seating. Among renovators, 42% added an island 7 feet or longer, up from 38% last year. We dont see as many islands shorter than 6 feet, she said.

Tradeoffs are real. What the report doesnt capture, Sargsyan added, are the tradeoffs most projects require. A bigger kitchen, for instance, may mean sacrificing somewhere else, like having a smaller laundry room. Paige, for instance, loves her walk-in pantry, but is giving it up to gain more counterspace and more floor space around the island. She is counting on clever storage solutions, to make up for the loss.

Most seek professional help. More than four out of five homeowners (84%) rely on professional help for their kitchen renovations. General contractors are the professionals most commonly hired (55%), followed by cabinetmakers at 35%. One in three homeowners hires a kitchen designer.

Folks still like white. Light colors still reign, especially on counters. Were seeing fewer multi-colored counters and backsplashes. Cream and white counters are the choice for 43% of remodelers. White cabinets also remain popular at 46%, followed by wood, whether dark, medium, or light, at 25%. Interestingly, one-fourth of renovators made their upper cabinets a different color from their lower cabinets, often white above and wood below. Meanwhile, 46% opted for their islands to be a different color from their cabinets. Among those who did, blue was the top pick at 25%.

Layer the light. Recognizing their sustainability and longevity, LED lighting factored into 91% of projects. Recessed lighting was part of the plan in three out of four remodeled kitchens; 69% included under-cabinet lights, and more than half (56%) included pendant lighting. Light dimmers are also on the rise, factoring into 47% of remodels.

Costs are up. Like everything else, the cost to remodel a kitchen has been climbing. The median spend for a major kitchen remodel (meaning all new cabinets were included) was $55,000, up 22% over last year, and for a minor remodel the median spend was $18,000, up 29%.

Whats out? Glass doors and open shelves are trending down, as more consumers opt to keep their stuff hidden, which is probably a good idea.

Marni Jameson is the author of seven books including the newly released Rightsize Today to Create Your Best Life Tomorrow, What to Do With Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want, and Downsizing the Family Home. You may reach her at http://www.marnijameson.com.

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AT HOME WITH MARNI JAMESON: What's cooking in kitchens? Open floorplans, bigger islands, study finds - The Times of Northwest Indiana