If you’re like many homeowners, you renewed your interest in cooking and dining at home in 2020. And as you spent more time in your kitchen, the room’s limitations might have become more apparent. Two prominent remodeling authorities, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and Houzz performed independent kitchen remodeling surveys to gather details on how homeowners and industry professionals plan to change their kitchens in 2021.
Top kitchen and cabinet styles for 2021
Kitchen cabinets stand out as a prime target for remodeling. According to the surveys, 94% of anticipated remodels will involve updates or replacements for kitchen cabinets. Some homeowners will choose to reface their cabinets by installing new doors or updating the hardware—68% plan to replace all of the home’s kitchen cabinets.
Preference for white cabinets remains strong
45% of homeowners surveyed expect to choose white cabinets for their kitchen remodeling project. Wood-tone cabinets rank next, preferred by 22%.
When choosing white cabinetry for their kitchen, 61% will upgrade with Shaker-style cabinet doors, while 21% will select frameless doors with a smooth front. 36% will look to semi-custom cabinetry; only 12% plan to purchase stock cabinets.
White Shaker-style cabinets have been a trending favorite for many years. However, going into 2021, homeowners are moving to colorful kitchen islands instead of choosing an all-white kitchen in a traditional style. Popular colors for kitchen islands include gray, favored by 26% of respondents, and blue, favored by 19%.
You can use white cabinets in any style of kitchen – their versatility makes them a timeless kitchen trend. Here’s a review of the kitchen styles expected to dominate kitchen trends in 2021.
The best kitchen styles for 2021
Both Houzz and NKBA surveys show a decline in popularity for the traditional-style kitchen. Even the ever-popular farmhouse-style kitchen will lose traction this year. 2021 looks to be the year of the transitional kitchen, preferred by 21% of respondents, followed by contemporary style (16%) and modern style (15%.) NKBA and Houzz see homeowners embracing more natural and simplistic styles, perhaps because they spend so much more time at home.
A transitional kitchen is a mix of traditional and contemporary styles. For example, if you have traditional cabinets, you’ve updated the color scheme to a modern gray wall and gray granite countertop.
A modern kitchen is sleek and futuristic looking with smooth cabinetry, clean lines, and granite or quartz countertops.
Contemporary style is any kitchen that keeps up with the times. Contemporary means the newest trending style for the year or times. For 2021, this means white cabinets with a neutral wall color lending more toward natural looks.
Neutral color palettes bring light and a minimalist look to both the transitional and contemporary kitchen. Color preferences for flooring, walls, and backsplashes have remained consistent over the last few years—expect to see neutral tones of gray, white, and beige for walls. Wood tones are likely to dominate in flooring, and stainless steel will remain popular for appliances. Alternative looks gaining ground include blue walls, beige flooring, and black appliances, both black stainless or matte black.
Other kitchen trends in 2021
Most homeowners expect to update their current kitchen layout instead of moving walls – preference for open-concept upgrades fell from 53% to 46% in 2020. While planning to work within the room’s shape and size, 46% of homeowners expect to change the layout for appliances and cabinets to create an L-shape. Another 30% plan to remodel their kitchen to a U-shape.
While engineered quartz has been a leading countertop material for several years, its dominance may stall in 2021. With most engineered quartz imported from China, trade restrictions may affect availability and cost. Other countertop materials expected to remain popular include butcher block and granite.
Hardwood has emerged as the flooring of choice for 29% of all kitchen remodels. Again, trade restrictions with China have made other flooring more expensive. Vinyl and resilient vinyl flooring continue to grow by 14%.
98% of homeowners expect to include new storage solutions in their upgraded kitchen cabinets and islands. 79% will add cabinets with doors, and 70% will add more drawers to their cabinets. 50% of remodels will include cabinet organizers such as pullout tray holders for pans and serving trays. 63% of kitchen updates will feature storage options like pullout cabinets for recycling and waste.
As they plan their kitchen remodels, homeowners choose natural comfort and ease for their kitchen in 2021. With an interest in cooking and a healthy lifestyle remaining strong, homeowners are moving forward to make the changes they’ve always wanted to get their dream kitchens.
Kitchen and cabinet remodeling trends await you at Simply Kitchens.
Simply kitchen can help you with your kitchen renovation for 2021. Consider white Shaker-style or frameless cabinets to match your home and style. You can order free sample doors and countertop swatches to try different combinations together and find the perfect look for your new kitchen. Our expert kitchen designers are waiting to help you renovate your kitchen for 2021.
This is a great set of numbers and statistics that is compiled here. As a home remodel and renovation expert in Sc I appreciate to see these numbers set out in such a detailed way. Knowing that most people want grey walls and white cabinets is good to know. As well as almost no one wants multicolored flooring or blue backsplashes is helpful as well when going in to peoples home and giving advice. Thanks a lot!