A New Houzz Survey Reveals What You Really Want in Your Kitchen

Let’s talk about two of everyone's favorite subjects: you and your kitchen. In a recent Houzz survey, we asked homeowners to answer a series of questions about their kitchen remodeling plans. The results are in and, wow, you all really hate your current kitchen countertops. Can’t we all just get along with tile and Formica? Apparently not. Of the 7,812 people who responded, 94 percent plan to replace their countertops — and fewer than 10 percent intend to use either of those classic materials.

Half of you will choose granite as the replacement, followed by 36 percent who will choose quartz. In fact, based on what the survey found, we can pretty much guess what your dream kitchen might look like.

Fiorella Design

It looks a lot like this, which — surprise! — happens to be the kitchen photo that’s been added to the most ideabooks on Houzz, and is one of the top 10 photos saved to ideabooks from July through September of 2013.

What is it about this kitchen that so many of you like? Well, 75 percent of you want soft, neutral colors in the kitchen. And 65 percent of you will choose stainless steel appliances and half will select a tile backsplash.

The majority of you are starting from scratch, either designing a kitchen as part of new construction or gutting your existing kitchen and beginning anew. So why not make it exactly what you want?

Barbra Bright Design

If you could really have it your way, most of you would opt for a nice, big range like this one. More than 50 percent of you said a "chef's stove" was your dream appliance, followed much farther behind by double ovens (18 percent) and an induction cooktop (9 percent). 35 percent will opt for hardwood floors.

My mother would toast the 7 percent of you who said a wine refrigerator topped your kitchen wish list.

Three-quarters of you will create a kitchen that's open to other spaces, like the dining and living rooms. Naturally, this offers an ideal opportunity to incorporate an island into your design, so 61 percent of you plan to include one.

The Hammer & Nail, Inc.

Improving the overall look and feel of the kitchen was cited as the main motivating factor for remodeling, followed by improving function. Upgrading appliances and improving storage came next.

Starline Cabinets

Surprisingly, increasing home value came in at No. 5 as a motivating factor, barely beating out the desire to have an open floor plan and to improve entertaining space.

That means, for the most part, you’re remodeling your kitchen for you, not a future buyer. And many of you are also doing it with the environment in mind. Nearly half of you (49 percent) say that using ecofriendly appliances and materials in your kitchen is important. Go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back for that.

Carolina Design Associates, LLC

One survey respondent probably spoke for many people when she said, "I have more ideas than I have kitchen and funds." It would be interesting to do a follow-up survey someday to see how many people went ahead with their plans — and how their plans changed over the course of the project.

View the full report

See more kitchen remodeling: Kitchen Workbook | How to Remodel Your Kitchen

12 Great Kitchen Styles — Which One's for You?

Style is easier to recognize with your eyes than with words: You know it when you see it, and the photo that inspires you most can often surprise you. Think you know your kitchen style? Check out these guides to a dozen favorite kitchen design themes, then tell us which one takes the cake.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Farmhouse kitchens. Warm and homey farmhouses anchored a life on the land, and they still offer great functionality and comfort. Their open shelving, wide sinks, classic flooring and big kitchen table make them easy to work in and easy to love.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Farmhouse Kitchen

Michelle Fries, BeDe Design, LLC

Rustic kitchens. “Worn," "distressed" and "rough hewn" may not be the first words that come to mind when we think of kitchens. But today rustic kitchens rival the classic white kitchen in popularity — thanks to their timber, stone, brick, vintage appliances and fireplaces.

Guide: 15 Ways to Cozy Up a Kitchen With Rustic Style

Alterstudio

Modern kitchens. Definitions of "modern" vary widely, but when we think of modern kitchen designs, we often think of frameless cabinets, sleek and simple hardware, strong horizontal lines and a lack of ornamentation, with the natural beauty of the materials shining through.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Modern Kitchen

SKD STUDIOS

Traditional kitchens. Traditional kitchens are defined by their details, which can include arches, decorative moldings and corbels, raised-panel cabinets, a mix of antique finishes and furniture-like turned legs — even a chandelier. Whether they have a classic American or old-world flavor, they still carry the stamp of their owners' personal style.

Guide: 15 Elements of a Traditional Kitchen

Beckwith Interiors

Contemporary kitchens. Contemporary kitchens can be very sleek, but while a purely modern kitchen often celebrates structure and grid, a contemporary kitchen is often more playful in form and finishes, including elements of other styles and creating its own reflection of the times.

Guide: 6 Elements of a Contemporary Kitchen

CliqStudios Cabinets

Transitional kitchens. Think of a transitional kitchen as the great moderator. With the warmth and welcome of traditional design and the clean, simple lines of contemporary style, transitional spaces project balance and harmony. Because they offer a great deal of flexibility, they're a great choice for homeowners whose taste spans the two.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Transitional Kitchen

Brooke B. Sammons

Craftsman kitchens. Craftsman style arose in the early 20th century as a reaction to the mass-produced fussiness of the Victorian era. Its rich woods, built-ins, handcrafted tiles and well-made simplicity continue to charm us.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Craftsman Kitchen

CapeRace Cultural Adventures

Cottage kitchens. Cozy, happy and unpretentious, a cottage kitchen harks back to simpler times and evokes a sense of easy, carefree living. Beadboard, soft colors, vintage hardware, wood floors and colorful accents and curtains will infuse your kitchen with cottage comfort.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Cottage Kitchen

COLECCION ALEXANDRA

Paris bistro kitchens. If you long for a sugar-laced café au lait on Rue Monmartre, why not bring a little Parisian style into your house? Intimate kitchen lighting, pretty cookware on display, tile floors and a striped awning ought to do it.

Guide: 9 Ways to Conjure a Parisian Bistro in Your Kitchen

Casa Verde Design

Classic kitchens. What is classic? The answer is as varied as cooks are. Still, white or cream kitchen cabinets, simple architectural details and black accents offer a blank slate that homeowners can personalize with contemporary, traditional and eclectic touches as they see fit.

Guide: 8 Elements of Classic Kitchen Style

Nunley Custom Homes

Mediterranean-style kitchens. Flared hoods, hand-painted tile, warm wood cabinets, beamed ceilings and arched cooking alcoves are just some of the features that put Spanish revival kitchens on the most-wanted list.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Mediterranean Kitchen

Andrea Schumacher Interiors

Eclectic kitchens. Do you rebel against styles and refuse pigeonholes? It's your house; you can mix and match for your own distinct kitchen style however you please. The trick: Be a rebel with a cause. Get ideas for a very personal kitchen, with touches of modern and rustic styles, well-traveled flair, humor and irreverence.

Guide: 10 Elements of an Eclectic Kitchen