Homeowners are renovating their kitchens to create a “super kitchen” that not only serves multiple purposes but also incorporates features, functions and decor traditionally associated with other rooms, dramatically blurring the lines between the kitchen and other living spaces, according to the 2016 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Survey. The survey of more than 2,400 U.S. homeowners using Houzz who are in the midst of, are planning or recently completed a kitchen renovation project found that these kitchens go far beyond cooking and baking, with 69 percent using the space for eating and dining, and nearly half for entertaining (49 percent) and socializing (43 percent). In addition, more than a quarter of renovating homeowners use their kitchen as a homework space (25 percent), one in five watch TV (19 percent) and 14 percent read. As the hub of such activity, nearly two-thirds of homeowners spend more than three hours a day in their kitchens (60 percent).
Further blurring the lines between the functional and living areas of their homes, nearly half of renovating homeowners are making their kitchens more open to other living spaces (48 percent), with 46 percent of kitchens completely open to other interior spaces post-renovation. One in five updated kitchens is also more open to the outdoors following their upgrades (18 percent).
Many homeowners are adding features traditionally associated with living and dining rooms to their updated kitchens, including dining tables (25 percent), chandeliers (23 percent), TVs (14 percent) and desks/workspaces (7 percent). Customized features that support entertaining are also popular, including wine refrigerators (11 percent) and built-in stations for coffee/tea (10 percent). Additionally, homeowners are updating the design of the kitchen to integrate with the rest of the home, which 45 percent of renovating homeowners rate as a top design aspect for their updated kitchen. This includes installing custom-made cabinetry (44 percent of homeowners updating cabinets) and hardwood flooring (34 percent of homeowners upgrading floors).
“The modern ‘super kitchen’ supports family, friends and work and does it in style,” said Nino Sitchinava, principal economist at Houzz. “Our findings show that homeowners expect kitchen renovations to go far beyond improving flow, storage or aesthetics. The ‘super kitchen’ has literally become a living room, family room and office, with finishes, layouts and decor that challenge us to define where the kitchen ends and the rest of the home begins.