5 Kitchen Cabinet Trends Popular With Homeowners Now
See homeowners’ choices for cabinet colors, styles, storage and more in the 2022 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study
Mitchell Parker
January 18, 2022
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
Cabinets are a major component in any kitchen. They store, organize and hide kitchen items, and they also make up a large amount of the visual space. In other words, cabinets play a big role in how a kitchen looks and functions. Here, we look at homeowner preferences for kitchen cabinet styles, colors, materials, storage components and more, as shared in the newly released 2022 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study.
1. Most Homeowners Replace All Their Cabinets
As the chart here shows, the majority of renovating homeowners (65%) replace all of their cabinets, while nearly a third (29%) partially replace their cabinets. Only 6% of homeowners do not replace or upgrade their kitchen cabinets.
The bar chart shows that of the 29% of renovating homeowners who choose to partially replace their kitchen cabinets, the majority (65%) refinish the exterior. A quarter of homeowners (25%) add some cabinets, while about the same number (23%) replace only the doors. A fifth of homeowners replace some cabinets, while 14% refinish the interiors.
As the chart here shows, the majority of renovating homeowners (65%) replace all of their cabinets, while nearly a third (29%) partially replace their cabinets. Only 6% of homeowners do not replace or upgrade their kitchen cabinets.
The bar chart shows that of the 29% of renovating homeowners who choose to partially replace their kitchen cabinets, the majority (65%) refinish the exterior. A quarter of homeowners (25%) add some cabinets, while about the same number (23%) replace only the doors. A fifth of homeowners replace some cabinets, while 14% refinish the interiors.
This Los Angeles kitchen by ae design has white cabinets with Shaker-style doors, two popular features revealed in the study.
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2. Hiring of Cabinetmakers Is on the Rise
Homeowners are increasingly hiring professional cabinetmakers to help create the right cabinetry for their kitchens. Nearly a third of homeowners (31%) hire a cabinetmaker; that percentage increased by 4 points in 2022 compared with 2021.
Homeowners are increasingly hiring professional cabinetmakers to help create the right cabinetry for their kitchens. Nearly a third of homeowners (31%) hire a cabinetmaker; that percentage increased by 4 points in 2022 compared with 2021.
For this Miami kitchen, Kitchen Cabinet Kings created rich wood Shaker-style cabinets.
10 Big Takeaways From the 2022 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study
10 Big Takeaways From the 2022 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study
3. Shaker-Style Cabinets Shape Most Kitchens
Most homeowners (64%) choose Shaker-style cabinets for their kitchen, followed by flat-panel (17%) and raised-panel (13%).
Many homeowners (43%) choose custom construction, while a little more than a third (35%) go the semicustom route. The vast majority (76%) choose solid wood cabinets, while a fifth (20%) opt for plywood.
More than half of homeowners (57%) add or update a kitchen island during a remodel. Of those, about 1 in 10 (12%) chooses a cabinet door style for the island that’s different than the style of the main cabinets. Shaker style is the most popular contrasting style (43%), followed by raised-panel (23%) and flat-panel (17%).
Most homeowners (64%) choose Shaker-style cabinets for their kitchen, followed by flat-panel (17%) and raised-panel (13%).
Many homeowners (43%) choose custom construction, while a little more than a third (35%) go the semicustom route. The vast majority (76%) choose solid wood cabinets, while a fifth (20%) opt for plywood.
More than half of homeowners (57%) add or update a kitchen island during a remodel. Of those, about 1 in 10 (12%) chooses a cabinet door style for the island that’s different than the style of the main cabinets. Shaker style is the most popular contrasting style (43%), followed by raised-panel (23%) and flat-panel (17%).
Dan Rak Design used elegant Shaker-style cabinets in this Chicago kitchen. A midtone wood island adds warmth to balance the surrounding white cabinets.
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Story & Space used Shaker-style cabinets with a twist for this kitchen in Piedmont, California. Notice how the raised borders around the cabinets and drawers have a slimmer profile than the borders on standard Shaker-style cabinets.
As noted in the next chart, 1 in 10 homeowners chooses gray for the kitchen cabinets.
As noted in the next chart, 1 in 10 homeowners chooses gray for the kitchen cabinets.
For this contemporary Austin, Texas, kitchen, Cornerstone Architects added flat-panel cabinets in a refined charcoal color. Nearly a fifth of homeowners (17%) choose a flat-panel option.
4. White Dominates for Cabinet Color
White is by far the most popular color when it comes to kitchen cabinets, with about 2 out of 5 homeowners choosing it. But wood is a strong runner-up. When you combine medium- and light-tone wood options, wood cabinets are chosen by nearly 1 in 5 homeowners (19%). Gray is also a popular selection, with 1 in 10 homeowners (10%) choosing it for the past three years.
White is by far the most popular color when it comes to kitchen cabinets, with about 2 out of 5 homeowners choosing it. But wood is a strong runner-up. When you combine medium- and light-tone wood options, wood cabinets are chosen by nearly 1 in 5 homeowners (19%). Gray is also a popular selection, with 1 in 10 homeowners (10%) choosing it for the past three years.
For this kitchen in Santa Barbara, California, interior designer Margarita Bravo refinished the perimeter cabinets in a fresh white color. She then added new walnut cabinets for the island and refrigerator wall, creating a warm and welcoming two-tone style.
5. Specialty Storage Steps Up
Homeowners are creating storage to organize a variety of kitchen items. A slight majority (51%) integrate organizers for cookie sheets, while a larger majority (63%) add a pullout for waste and recycling.
Homeowners also are adding storage components for things like spices (42%), cutlery (40%), utensils (35%), pots and pans (31%) and small appliances (25%). Many go with specialty storage solutions like deep drawers (40%), Lazy Susans (39%), pullouts or swingouts (38%) and corner pullouts (20%) as well.
Homeowners are creating storage to organize a variety of kitchen items. A slight majority (51%) integrate organizers for cookie sheets, while a larger majority (63%) add a pullout for waste and recycling.
Homeowners also are adding storage components for things like spices (42%), cutlery (40%), utensils (35%), pots and pans (31%) and small appliances (25%). Many go with specialty storage solutions like deep drawers (40%), Lazy Susans (39%), pullouts or swingouts (38%) and corner pullouts (20%) as well.
Bradford Services & Remodeling added various specialty storage features in this Atlanta kitchen, including pullouts for spices and a pullout for cookie sheets on the island, shown here.
See more results and download the full study
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10 Big Takeaways From the 2022 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study
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See more results and download the full study
More for Pros on Houzz
10 Big Takeaways From the 2022 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study
Read more stories for pros
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
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Connie, I’m in northeast Ohio and we remodeled our Kitchen in 2020. Love my flat panel cabinets!
Connie, I'm in Iowa and flat panels are all I want for my future kitchen. I've seen it in a few homes... I mostly see unremodeled homes, though, with 1980s doors. :)
@ulauren2, that's a beautiful kitchen!
I'm another vote for flat-front/slab cabinet doors and drawer fronts. We're in design phase of a full remodel--my first ever remodel for what's meant to be my forever-til-I die kitchen.
I keep thinking about what I'll want to wipe down or deal with in housekeeping and home maintenance when I'm older (or right now, for that matter). I know I'll hate any little nooks and crannies so I'm not choosing them now. Those square corners in Shaker style are dust and grime catchers and every kitchen creates some level of that no matter how much you paid for your cabinets and countertops. Especially on those high upper cabinets where you don't really look right at them--imagine the neglect they'll end up with and what it will be like when they get wiped down. We'll also be choosing baseboards for the whole house (one-level house we bought knowing we'd have to do quite a bit to it); I'll want a slanted or rounded top there for the same reason.
I feel as if I rarely, if ever, read about ease of maintenance in any of the design stories and I don't often read quotes from designers indicating this was a factor in their choice of finishes. I would dearly love a series of stories on the topic of "3 years later after living with this new kitchen, here's what I wish I had done differently".