Kitchen remodeling trends

The kitchen is the most remodeled room in American households. The National Kitchen and Bath Association recently published a study on Kitchen remodeling. The study concluded that more than 10 million kitchens in the US (nearly 10% of all US kitchens) were remodeled to some degree in 2015. The report involved results from a survey of 532 homeowners, 259 builders, 126 remodelers, and 161 general contractors who were involved with kitchen remodeling work that year. Here are some of the trends found by the survey.

What homeowners want

The most popular features that homeowners were looking for in a remodeled kitchen were new flooring, custom cabinets, new countertops, stainless steel sinks and faucets, and smart appliances. While new flooring, cabinets, countertops, and sink fixtures have always been staples for kitchen remodels, the sudden interest in smart appliances were a surprise. Smart refrigerators can show homeowners what’s in their fridge while they’re out shopping so they know what they need to buy thanks to a camera inside. Smart ovens can be preheated through the tap of a button on a smartphone so it’s ready to go when the homeowner gets home with that frozen dinner.

How much homeowners are spending on kitchen remodeling

The majority of US homeowners weren’t spending a fortune on kitchen remodeling. Approximately 41% of the homeowners surveyed said that their remodel cost $1,500 or less. These projects were simply replacing one or two of the major appliances. Another 22% reported spending between $1,500 and $5,000. About 18% did major remodels costing between $5,000 and $10,000 and the last 19% went all out spending more than $10,000 to remodel their kitchens.

Popular appliances

Almost 80% of homeowners who remodeled their kitchens choose to get at least one new appliance as part of the project. The most popular appliance to be replaced was the refrigerator at 85%. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of homeowners choose to replace their range oven and 69% chose to replace their dishwasher.

Favorite countertop

Granite was America’s favorite countertop material probably because of its balance of nice appearance and durability. Quartz and marble are prettier materials but they’re also more porous and are more likely to stain or show score marks from knives. After granite, laminate was the second-most popular at 23% and marble finished off the top three at 19%.

Favorite flooring

Though wood flooring was by far the most popular look when it came to flooring, hardwood wasn’t the most popular material. It’s apparent that while homeowners like the look of wood flooring, they don’t like it’s susceptibility to dents and water damage. The two most popular flooring option for those surveyed was laminate (32%) and ceramic and stone tiles (31%) and both were designed to simulate the look of hardwood more often than not. Actual wood flooring came in at third place with 18%. Tile is the most durable of the three but laminate is a good middle ground since it’s more durable than actual wood and a lot less expensive that real wood and tile.

Other good ideas

Though not as popular projects according to the survey, new LED or OLED bulbs for the kitchen would be a fabulous upgrade since they’re more energy efficient and they’re a softer light than traditional bulbs. They’re also dimmable so they can be adjusted to suit any mood. Baseboard radiator covers are another great upgrade because they are inexpensive and easy to install and they can update the look of old baseboard heaters which most homeowners think they’re just stuck with.

 

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