Kitchen storage is a key priority that’s leading to continued growth in cabinet replacement and modification, according to a survey conducted recently by Houzz, Inc., the Palo Alto, CA-based online platform for home renovation and design.
According to Houzz’s “2021 U.S. Kitchen Trends Study,” 94% of the kitchen renovations initiated by survey participants included some work on cabinets, with most (64%) replacing all cabinets.
Of the one-third of homeowners who opted for partial cabinet upgrades, more than a quarter added at least some cabinets to their newly renovated kitchen, nearly four times as many as the previous year, said Houzz. The percentage of homeowners adding or upgrading a pantry space also increased, with nearly half the surveyed homeowners upgrading pantry cabinets and one in eight adding a walk-in pantry, both gains from the previous year.
“Storage has really come into focus as people have spent more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Liza Hausman, Houzz v.p./industry marketing. “We’re seeing an increase in the amount of cabinetry added in renovations, and more homeowners are reaching out to professionals for help making their kitchens work better, most often within the same layout and square footage.”
Among other key survey findings:
• Cabinetry in renovated kitchens is often equipped with built-in specialty organizers, drawers or trays. The most popular organizers are for cookie sheets and spices (48% and 39%, respectively), while the most common specialty drawers are pullout waste or recycling drawers (60%). More than one-third of kitchen renovations include specialty shelving trays, such as revolving trays, pullout or swing-out trays, making hard-to-reach spaces more accessible.
• The number of renovating homeowners creating an open-concept floor plan by opening their kitchen to other interior spaces has dropped dramatically since 2019, although one in five homeowners opens the kitchen up to outdoor space.
• Nearly two-thirds of renovated kitchens feature an island and more than half of those newly added or upgraded islands feature a new appliance, up three percentage points from the previous year. Among these islands, more than a third include a dishwasher and/or microwave.
• High-tech features appear in more than half of upgraded faucets and nearly one-third of upgraded appliances. Popularity for appliances with wireless controls has grown by five percentage points since last year.
Houzz’s survey was conducted online among more than 2,000 homeowners using Houzz who are in the midst of, are planning, or recently completed a kitchen renovation, according to the company.