Remodeling your kitchen? 7 things to keep in mind

If you remodeled a kitchen last year, odds are that you didn’t add much square footage, but splurged on quality appliances.

You chose white cabinets – probably Shaker style – and had a hard time making up your mind whether to go with a single- or double-bowl stainless steel sink.

You were more interested in creating a stylish look for your new kitchen than designing one for serious cooking.

More than half of the remodeled kitchens were open to other rooms, and half featured islands.

See yourself in any of that? Even if you’re only daydreaming about remodeling your kitchen?

Those are among details in a kitchen trends study by Houzz, the popular online and mobile platform for home remodeling and design. It surveyed more than 3,500 homeowners. Here’s some of what they learned:

1. Forty-one percent were last remodeled 16 to 30 years ago – and another 25 percent were more than 30 years old.

“That’s pretty darn old,” said Liza Hausman, vice president for industry marketing. “I was surprised that (the kitchens) were as old as they were,” she said.

2. Remodelers spent more than they planned. More than half budgeted $25,000 or less, but just 40 percent spent less than $25,000. Forty-two percent planned to spend $25,000-$100,000, but 54 percent ended up spending that much.

Here’s what those budget-breaking kitchens looked like:

61 percent of the kitchens were about the same size after remodeling; 24 percent were larger, and another 13 percent were “significantly” larger. One percent were actually smaller.

49 percent of owners chose white cabinets; 20 percent chose medium wood, and 13 percent selected dark wood.

3. White has been a favorite for more than three years, Hausman said. “People see it as a classic color, a classic backdrop,” she said. “They go with neutral, then add color to the kitchen in other ways.”

Also, white is lighter and brighter than other choices, and the survey showed that natural light is an important element in kitchen design.

4. Granite is the most popular countertop material in suburban homes; quartz is most popular in urban settings; butcher block tops both in rural kitchens.

Quartz continues to grow in popularity, Hausman said, particularly in contemporary kitchens and particularly at the upper end.

As granite moves from the upper end to more moderately priced homes, owners at the upper end are switching to quartz.

5. Eighty-three percent of appliances were stainless steel, up from 65 percent the previous year. Nine percent of kitchens got black appliances, and the same percentage got white. A whopping 70 percent of owners said they chose appliances for high quality; just 8 percent selected based on price.

6. About two-thirds of sinks were stainless steel. Double-bowl was the most popular style – but not by a lot. Forty percent of owners chose double-bowl models, while 33 percent opted for single bowls and 27 percent selected farmhouse designs.

7. How much cooking goes on in these glorious remodeled kitchens? Well ... 59 percent of those surveyed said creating a stylish and beautiful kitchen was the most important design aspect – while just 19 percent listed pro-style cooking.

This story was originally published January 22, 2015 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Remodeling your kitchen? 7 things to keep in mind."