PALO ALTO, CA — With kitchens commonly used for both eating and entertaining, homeowners often sacrifice nearby spaces traditionally reserved for dining rooms and living rooms to accommodate remodeled kitchens.
At the same time, nearly one in five homeowners builds a home addition to create additional kitchen space, according to the 2025 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, a nationwide survey conducted by Houzz Inc., the Palo Alto, CA-based online platform for home remodeling and design.
The survey – conducted among 1,600 homeowners who are currently remodeling, are planning to, or recently completed a kitchen renovation – found that more than a third of homeowners increase the footprint of their kitchens during a renovation. Nearly one in five homeowners builds a home addition to create more kitchen space.
“Nearly half of the homes in the U.S. are 42 years old or older, and were built to serve homeowners of a different era,” said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz staff economist. “As kitchens take on a more centralized role in daily activities, homeowners are choosing to surrender neighboring rooms and exterior spaces for additional kitchen square footage.
“Kitchens already command the highest renovation spend of all interior projects, but what stands out is the increased focus and investments, with the top 10% of homeowners spending triple the median for high-end major remodels,” added Sargsyan, noting that investment in kitchen renovations continues to grow, particularly for larger kitchens.
According to Houzz, the median amount spent on kitchen remodels in 2024 was $60,000, up from $55,000 in 2023. Homeowners in the 90th percentile of spending invest a minimum of $180,000, triple the median or more, Houzz said. That reflects a 20% increase for premium kitchen renovations, which started at $150,000 for the 90th percentile of spend in 2023, the company added.
The median amount spent on major renovations of large kitchens (250 sq. ft. or larger) grew 9%, from $66,000 in 2023 to $72,000 in 2024, Houzz reported, while median spending on minor renovations of large kitchens jumped 75% (from $20,000 in 2023 to $35,000 in 2024). In the top 10% of large kitchen projects, homeowners invest double the median, spending a minimum of $200,000 for major remodels and $74,300 for minor remodels, according to Houzz.
Additional insights from the 2025 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study include:
- Backsplashes reach for the ceiling: Interest in full backsplash coverage surged in the past year, with coverage extending to cabinets or range hoods rising by 5%, to 67%, and full coverage to the ceiling increasing by 2%, to 12%.
- Traditional style makes a comeback: While transitional styling continues to hold a commanding lead in the kitchen (25%), the share of homeowners choosing traditional style jumped 5% to take the number-two spot (14%), outpacing modern and contemporary styling (12% and 11%, respectively).
- Black makes its mark on countertops: White and off-white are the top choices for main kitchen countertops, selected by nearly two-thirds of surveyed homeowners. But black is the second-most popular color (8%) and nearly one in five homeowners install black for contrasting island countertops.
- Glass-front accent cabinets offer display space: Shaker cabinets are the most common kitchen cabinet door style, and more than half of homeowners add or upgrade an accent cabinet during renovations. Glass-front cabinets rank the highest among accent cabinet door styles.
- Photo finish in flooring material: Vinyl or resilient flooring, hardwood and ceramic or porcelain tile are all popular choices for kitchen flooring. This reflects a slow decline in the popularity of hardwood for renovated kitchens.
- Specialty features drive oven preferences: Nearly two-thirds of homeowners choose ovens with specialty features, including phone monitor controls, remote-timer activation, control locks, precise temperature control and automated cooking.