The kitchen just got bigger—literally. According to the 2025 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, more than a third of homeowners (35%) are expanding their kitchen footprints, making way for a space that’s equal parts culinary playground and social hub.
“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,” says 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 to meet their needs.”
In addition to their increasing size, the study revealed several design trends specific to kitchens that homeowners are embracing today. See eight of those insights below.
1. Bold backsplashes: Interest in full-height backsplashes surged in the past year, reports Houzz. Coverage extending to cabinets or range hoods rose by 5 percentage points to 67% and full coverage to the ceiling increasing by 2 percentage points to 12%. While the majority chooses tile (76%), nearly a quarter opt for larger-format slab backsplashes (24%).
2. Classic tile: The majority of homeowners (68%) choose rectangular tiles for their kitchen backsplash. Hexagonal tiles follow very distantly (4%), while diamond-shape, octagonal tiles, and tiles with no particular shape are chosen the least frequently (3%, 1%, and 2%, respectively).
3. Traditional style: While transitional style continues to hold a commanding lead in the kitchen (25%), the share of homeowners choosing traditional style jumped 5 percentage points to take the No. 2 spot (14%), outpacing modern and contemporary (12% and 11%, respectively).
4. Black countertops: White is the top choice for main kitchen countertops, selected by nearly two-thirds of homeowners, but black is the second most popular color (8%) over gray and beige. Nearly one in five homeowners install black for contrasting island countertops (18%).
5. Glass-front cabinets: Shaker cabinets are the most common kitchen cabinet door style (61%). Glass-front cabinets rank the highest among accent cabinet door styles (36%). Homeowners use this space to showcase glassware (52%), decorative items (43%), dishware (34%), and cookbooks (23%).
6. Resilient flooring: Vinyl or resilient flooring, hardwood, and ceramic or porcelain tile are all popular choices for kitchen flooring at 22%, 21%, and 20%, respectively. This reflects a slow decline in the popularity of hardwood for kitchens, which appeared in 25% of kitchens in 2023 and 24% in 2024.
7. Specialty appliances: Nearly two-thirds of homeowners choose ovens with specialty features (63%), including phone monitor controls (39%), remote timer activation (30%), control locks (30%), precise temperature control (25%), and automated cooking (22%).
8. Storage solutions: Homeowners continue to incorporate specialty storage in their kitchens. Pullout waste or recycling bins top the list, selected by 67%. Cookie sheet and tray organizers follow closely at 59%, while storage for spices and microwaves are equally popular, chosen by 43% each.
