Dive Brief:
- Zillow's home improvement and design hub Zillow Digs has identified the biggest kitchen trends of 2016, and tuxedo cabinets, out-of-sight appliances and wood paneling are at the top of the list.
- Zillow Digs designers said the trend of matching cabinets has been jettisoned in favor of those painted in complementary colors. While homeowners still are partial to stainless steel appliances, they prefer to cover up the industrial aesthetic and use wood accents along with mixed hardware finishes to create a "comfortable yet chic" look.
- The Zillow Digs Home Trend Forecast predicted that homeowners are ditching speckled granite in favor of quartz, marble and butcher block. Zillow also gave the boot to short cabinets and dark brown wood and paint.
Dive Insight:
The Zillow Digs Home Trend Forecast based its predictions on a survey of interior designers and an analysis of the most popular photos on Zillow Digs. Zillow Digs designer Kerrie Kelly said in a release that today's homeowners are opting for "open and thoughtfully designed" kitchens that blend in with the rest of the home's design.
Designer Bobby Berk and architect Kelly Scibona both told Construction Dive earlier this month that open-floor-plan kitchens are still the most popular layout because of their flow and potential for gathering space. Berk said service kitchens — complete with a small refrigerator, dishwasher, sink and pantry –— can provide a hiding place for the overflow of dirty glasses and plates when entertaining.
According to a Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies report in July, kitchen and bath remodels are at the top of the list of improvements homeowners most commonly make. The remodeling industry overall is seeing strong gains, as homeowner outlay on home renovation projects is on pace to reach $321 billion by mid-2017 — a figure that almost meets the precrash highs of 2006 and is nearly double the norm.
