8 Kitchen Remodeling Trends You'll See Everywhere in 2026

It'll all about functionality over fads.

kristen blazek kitchen custom backsplash — Credit: Courtesy of @virtuallyherestudios

From adding extra storage to preparing for future needs, more homeowners are choosing thoughtful kitchen renovations that balance aesthetics and practicality.

That's what construction and design software platform Houzz discovered when it surveyed nearly 1,800 homeowners about their recent or planned kitchen renovation projects. The just-released 2026 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study breaks down people's top priorities when it comes to updating their kitchens.

Overall, the survey found that renovating homeowners often cite dissatisfaction with the old kitchen’s style as their top motivator at 41 percent, followed by kitchen deterioration or dysfunction as a top motivator (38 percent). Of those who are changing the style of their kitchen, transitional aesthetics lead at 25 percent, followed by traditional, modern, and contemporary.

Besides the aesthetic, homeowners are also being strategic in their changes, opting for functional improvements over fads. Here are the top kitchen renovation trends right now, according to Houzz.

Built-In Kitchen Features

Sliding Pocket Door for Pantry — Stacy Zarin Goldberg Photography / Unique Kitchens & Baths

More than 75 percent of homeowners incorporate built-in features during a kitchen renovation, according to Houzz. Pantry cabinets lead the list of options at 47 percent, with beverage stations in the number two spot at 24 percent. Built-in seating, including banquettes, and wine fridges are also popular features, with walk-in pantries and breakfast bars showing up further down the list.

Butler's Pantries

wet bar butlers pantry — Dustin Halleck | Designed by Alexandra Kaehle

Nearly 10 percent of renovating homeowners said they plan to include a butler's pantry or prep kitchen. The top motivations are to keep clutter out of sight (30 percent) and gain additional storage (22 percent).

Among newly added or upgraded butler's pantries, two-thirds (67 percent) include storage for small appliances, 61 percent have a prep counter, and 59 percent have enclosed cabinetry. Open shelving is also common (52 percent). Popular appliances to incorporate into a butler's pantry include microwaves, refrigerators, coffee machines, and toasters.

Cabinetry Upgrades

enclosed kitchen range with glass cabinets — Carolina Andrade

At 84 percent, cabinet upgrades were on the to-do list of most renovating homeowners. More than two-thirds (68 percent) plan to replace all cabinets during kitchen renovations, while just over a quarter (27 percent) will opt for partial replacements.

According to Houzz, almost all homeowners surveyed (94 percent) will integrate specialty storage features into their upgraded cabinetry, including pull-out waste or recycling bins (64 percent) and specially designed cabinets or drawers for things like cookie sheets or trays (55 percent), spices (41 percent), and cutlery (38 percent). Solutions for hard-to-reach spaces, including revolving corner trays, pullout shelves, and deep drawer organizers, also made the list.

Wood Cabinetry

asymmetrical wooden kitchen cabinets — Rebecca McAlpin

Wood is now the most popular cabinet color in renovated kitchens at 29 percent, up 6 percent since the previous year and surpassing white (28 percent) in popularity. Among wood tones, medium is the top choice at 15 percent, followed by light (11 percent) and dark (3 percent). Off-white came in at 15 percent, with green (6 percent) just beating out gray (5 percent). Blue, beige, black, and greige were each found to be used in fewer than 5 percent of renovated kitchens.

As for hardware choices, nearly all of the renovating homeowners (95 percent) choose cabinets with handles. Bar pulls lead by a wide margin (74 percent), followed by knobs (37 percent), cup pulls (10 percent), and finger pulls (9 percent). Brushed nickel is the most popular finish at 28 percent, followed by black (18 percent) and brushed gold (12 percent).

Tile and Slab Backsplashes

subway tile kitchen — Stephanie Penick Photography

Tile remains the dominant backsplash material in renovated kitchens at 72 percent; however, slab backsplashes are gaining ground. Ceramic is the leading tile type (49 percent), while engineered quartz is the most popular slab material (39 percent), according to the survey.

Neutral Walls and Floors

White itchen with warm tones — Lo Austin Photo

According to Houzz, renovating homeowners still prefer neutral color palettes for their kitchens. Off-white remains the top wall color (29 percent), followed by white, gray, blue, and beige. When it comes to flooring colors, wood tones continue to be the favorite, with nearly half of homeowners (49 percent) opting for wood floors. Brown came in as the number two color but has declined four percentage points as compared to the previous year. Gray, beige, and off-white round out the top five.

Smarter Appliances

smart appliances in kitchen — Joe Hendrickson / GETTY IMAGES

Houzz found that many renovating homeowners are opting for upgraded appliances, with 78 percent choosing refrigerators or freezers with specialty features, such as water filter change alerts (64 percent) and adjustable temperature zones (49 percent). Similarly, 62 percent of respondents said that they will install ovens with added functionality, including remote monitoring and control (36 percent), control locks (30 percent), and precise temperature settings (28 percent).

Larger and Rectangular Islands

Modern kitchen interior with a marble backsplash, a countertop featuring a vase with tall branches and floral arrangements, and woven-seated chairs at a kitchen island

More than half of renovating homeowners (58 percent) reported adding or updating a kitchen island during their remodeling projects. Those adding a new island and those upgrading an existing island were evenly split at 29 percent each. Houzz found that more than one-third of renovated kitchens (36 percent) do not have an island, while 6 percent of renovating homeowners kept their existing island as is.

Among upgraded kitchen islands, 52 percent exceed seven feet in length, while 30 percent measure between six and seven feet, and 18 percent are smaller than 6 feet. Rectangular-shaped islands remain on top at 80 percent this year, while a smaller share of renovating homeowners prefer an L or U shape or a square design. Nearly all kitchens with upgraded islands (96 percent) have a single island, while 3 percent have two islands.

Fifty-three percent of homeowners surveyed said that they will install at least one new appliance in their kitchen island, with dishwashers and microwaves remaining the most common additions. Cooktops in islands are a popular choice, but the share of people opting for one dipped slightly.