Top 5 Takeaways From the 2021 US Houzz Kitchen Trends

Since people spend more time at home, their focus is shifted from surviving the busy workweek to remodelling and renovating their space. Homeowners who have started working from home see their houses as a pet project since it also serves as their office space.

However, the kitchen became a focal point. Some people may remodel their entire house, but many others made the kitchen their centre of attention. It’s pretty understandable since one of the most learned pandemic hobbies are cooking and baking. Naturally, individuals would like their kitchens to be upgraded.

Not only that, but at the beginning of the pandemic, people were hoarding food and supplies, and storage became a significant issue. Thus, to accommodate what they bought, they started organizing and creating storage space. Refrigerators were full, and some of the food needed to migrate into the cabinets. Pantries became more extensive, and more rooms were used as storage areas for dry goods such as canned food and cereal.

An additional thought is social distancing. When having visitors over slowly started becoming acceptable again, homeowners were still wary. Kitchens were remodelled to include the outdoors, perhaps a garden or a patio, to encourage social distancing. The rest of the house was closed off from the kitchen to minimize contact with other people. Indoor dining areas were all but forgotten.

Houzz released a study of the kitchen trends of 2021, and here are key takeaways from it.

1. Open-concept kitchens no more

As mentioned in the introduction, kitchens are less open to the rest of the house and extended more to the outdoors. Dining areas are set outside, and stoves are moved to an outdoor covered area. Dirty kitchens are becoming a thing once more. Some are even more off-limits to non-residents, as kitchenware such as pots and pans were moved to outdoor storage.

The noise was also factored in since more people were working from home, and kitchen activity was at an all-time high. It was easier to close off the kitchen to lessen the noise and keep the peace in the household.

2. Larger kitchens

As mentioned in the first takeaway, kitchens are more open to the outdoors than the inside of the house. Backyards are being more included since they’re fenced in any way and still considered private. Sinks remain indoors, but kitchen appliances and tools which can weather the weather are kept outside. The idea of dining al fresco has also been embraced, and extending outdoors has lessened the need to decorate.

3. Bigger pantries

There has been a spike in baking and cooking since the beginning of April 2020, and people had to accommodate their hobbies. They started purchasing baking supplies such as flour in bulk and began to make space for these items. Even food items such as canned goods were bought in size since they were ideal nourishment when another lockdown was imposed.

Unused rooms nearest the kitchen were converted into pantries, and there was even a Tiktok trend where people showed off their pantries. These were repurposed rooms fitted with cabinets for food storage.

4. Better and bigger cabinets

Cabinets were a significant inclusion in kitchen renovations. Of course, with the steady rise in baking and cooking came additional kitchenware such as knives, pots, pans, and baking equipment. To keep their kitchens still spick and span, cabinets became the primary storage mode to hide these items when not in use.

Wire pullouts and revolving racks were installed, giving cabinets a more industrial look, and making them look more spacious inside. More items could be stored inside, keeping clutter from the islands and countertops to a minimum.

5. Themed kitchens

Perhaps, of all the 2021 trends, themes are the most abundant. Studies show that metallic accents are suddenly in, from cabinet handles to sinks. Colourful paint also witnessed an incline in sales as kitchen renovations began en masse. Industrial kitchens also started showing up on social media. Bigger and sturdier backsplashes, metal countertops and islands, and even minimalist lights have all made a comeback.

From white kitchens to colourful ones, industrial areas and elegant marbled spaces, these spaces are slowly becoming more decorated and revamped than the other parts of the house. More accessories are bought and installed as the year progresses and the pandemic is nowhere near finished, keeping people indoors.

Stainless steel appliances are also preferred since it keeps with any theme. In addition to porcelain and ceramic tiles, wood has also become a preferred material for flooring. The idea of going green has also been a major consideration, and in place of light fixtures, windows and doors grew larger to eliminate the need for illumination.

Conclusion

One may think that all these renovations and remodelling, and purchasing additional kitchen items cost a lot. However, homeowners are savvy about it. DIYs are even more abundant now, and people are choosing to paint their kitchens themselves. Family members also do installations rather than having someone come over and do it for them. It doesn’t only save them money, it also allows them to bond with each other.

The pandemic has given rise to various kitchen trends, but a few things like storage and space has remained the same. There is still a constant need to store food in a cool, dry, and safe area, away from pests such as ants, mice, and cockroaches.

Ease of movement is also given consideration, as centre islands are preferred to be more useful. For example, sinks are separate from the stove, ideally opposite, so the only choices are to integrate the sink and recycling in the island or against the kitchen walls. Cabinets are placed up high so they won’t take any floor space, and invisible storages also make an appearance. Green island takeaways are also becoming popular fast, and plants are making more appearances.

Kitchens have always been one of the most active spaces inside the home, and it’s good to see trends that remained or made a comeback. More trends will appear in the coming years, and the result is worth the wait.