This year, the kitchen isn’t all about flash, it’s about function. The newly released 2026 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study reveals a clear shift toward kitchens that conceal clutter and elevate daily living, with hidden storage, purpose-built zones, and behind-the-scenes prep spaces taking center stage.
“Specialty and built-in storage is fundamental to how today’s kitchens function,” says Misty Callaway, designer of Callaway Homes and a Houzz Pro user. “When storage is thoughtfully designed, from customized drawers and pull-out shelves to walk-in pantries, it reduces clutter, improves efficiency, and makes the kitchen easier to use every single day. These features help homeowners get more out of their space.”
The report, which surveyed nearly 1,800 respondents, finds that more than three-quarters of homeowners (76%) add specialty built-in features. Pantry cabinets lead the list of options (47%), and beverage stations (24%) are in the No. 2 spot. Built-in seating, including banquettes, and wine fridges are equally popular (17% each), while walk-in pantries (16%) and breakfast bars (14%) follow.
In addition to an emphasis on storage, the study revealed several design trends specific to kitchens that homeowners prefer today. See 10 of those insights below.
- Wood cabinets: Houzz reports wood is now the most popular cabinet color in renovated kitchens (29%), rising 6 percentage points from the previous year and surpassing white (28%) in popularity. Among wood tones, medium leads (15%), followed by light (11%) and dark (3%).
- Elevated cabinetry: Cabinet upgrades remain nearly universal (84%). Almost all homeowners (94%) integrate specialty storage features in their upgraded cabinetry, including pull-out waste or recycling bins (64%) and cabinets or drawers for cookie sheets or trays (55%), spices (41%), and cutlery (38%). Solutions for hard-to-reach spaces include revolving corner trays, pullout shelves, and deep drawer organizers (34%, each).
- Butler’s pantries: Among homeowners adding a butler’s pantry, two-thirds use the space for small appliance storage (67%), while many also include prep counters (61%) and enclosed cabinetry (59%).
- Sizable islands: Nearly 3 in 5 renovating homeowners (58%) add or update a kitchen island. Among upgraded kitchen islands, 52% exceed 7 feet in length, while 30% measure between 6 and 7 feet and 18% are smaller than 6 feet. As for island shapes, rectangular continues to strongly lead at 80% this year.
- Transitional style: Transitional remains the most common design style (25%), followed by traditional (12%), modern (11%), and contemporary (10%). The share of homeowners reporting no particular style doubled (6%, up from 3% last year).
- Slab backsplashes: Tile remains the dominant backsplash material (72%), while slab backsplashes now account for 28%, up from 24% last year. Ceramic is the leading tile type (49%), while engineered quartz is the most popular slab material (39%).
- Stainless steel appliances: Stainless steel remains the dominant appliance color, chosen by 72% of homeowners. White (6%), black stainless steel (6%) and black (5%) follow, while off-white (2%) remains a niche choice.
- Engineered quartz: Engineered quartz continues to be the most frequently chosen countertop material (32%), though its share dropped notably by 7 percentage points year over year. Quartzite (10%) and granite (15%) follow, although the latter share declined by 4 percentage points.
- Recessed and undercabinet lights: In renovated kitchens, recessed and undercabinet lights lead lighting choices (72% each). More than half of renovating homeowners (56%), however, choose pendant lights (56%), followed by chandeliers (21%).
- Tile flooring: With its share rising by 2 percentage points year over year, ceramic or porcelain tile now shares the No. 1 flooring material spot with stained or unstained hardwood (22% each), after being in the No. 3 spot for the previous two years.
