Commentary by David Decker

Kitchens aren’t just for cooking anymore. Houzz, a digital leader in home design and inspiration, recently released a report detailing consumer trends in kitchen design. Included was how consumers are using their kitchens and the functionality that may have changed over the years. Majority of people report spending three to four hours per day in the kitchen, with activities ranging from eating, to entertaining, to doing homework.

With the kitchen commanding such a large number of activities the design and functionality is extremely important. A large reason homeowners renovate is to improve the flow and open it up to either another interior space, such as a living room, or to an outdoor patio or porch. Homeowners continue to blend living and functional areas of their homes, allowing them to enjoy all areas more easily.

Once they have opened up their kitchens, majority of homeowners are changing the style during the renovation. Countertops are one area where design and style start to take shape. When considering kitchen countertops consumers reported durability as most important and still prefer the beauty that natural stone offers. Despite the rise of quartz, granite is still the most used stone among countertop materials. Multi-colored countertops were the most requested countertop color, which granite offers. Nearly one in four consumers are using more than one countertop material in their kitchen, which offers a whole new and unique design element.

Shaker style cabinets were the popular cabinet for kitchen renovations and 42 percent were custom made. Additionally, more than a third of cabinets were white, while medium-colored wood followed. With their new cabinets, most consumers reported new storage as a priority in their kitchen renovations. Pullout waste cabinets, cookie sheet organizers and lazy Susans were the top three requested storage solutions, though spice and utensil organizers also were popular.

Almost three-quarters of homeowners will replace their flooring during their kitchen renovation. Of those, majority are, not surprisingly, replacing with hardwood floors. Durable and timeless, hardwood floors can make any kitchen look elegant and ready to entertain.

Interested in learning more about kitchen design trends? Ready to jump in and get started? Give The Affordable Companies a call at 317-575-9540.