From Pricier Kitchens to the Connected Home: Top Remodeling Trends According to Houzz

Furniture World News Desk on 6/7/2019

With more than a quarter of homeowners remodeling their kitchens, the room continues to reign in both median renovation spend ($14,000, up 27% from $11,000 in 2018) and popularity (28%), according to the eighth annual Houzz & Home survey* of more than 140,000 U.S. respondents.

While guest and master bathrooms and living rooms follow closely behind kitchens in popularity (25%, 22% and 21%, respectively), a typical (median) master bathroom costs more than double guest bathrooms and living rooms ($8,000 versus $3,500 and $3,400, respectively). Other popular projects include guest and master bedrooms (15% and 14%, respectively), dining rooms (14%), closets (13%) and laundry rooms (13%), each with a median spend of $2,000 or less.

While kitchens and guest bathrooms are most popular for all generations, age groups differ on the third most popular room to renovate. The master bathroom is favored by homeowners 55 and older, while the living room is prioritized by homeowners under 55.

Baby Boomers (ages 55-74) continue to represent the lionshare of remodelers (52%), followed by Gen X (ages 40-54) and Millennial (ages 25-39) homeowners (31% and 14%, respectively). Meanwhile, Gen Zers (ages 18-24) are just starting to enter the remodeling scene, representing just 0.3% of renovators last year.

Remodeling and decorating go hand in hand for the majority of homeowners (70%), with pillows, rugs, large furniture and artwork topping their shopping lists for interior decor. Millennials are significantly more likely to decorate following home renovations than Baby Boomers (83% versus 65%, respectively), with purchases of large interior furniture and storage solutions.

Many renovations also trigger connected home purchases, with home assistants leading the way (25%), followed by smart light fixtures (17%), smart thermostats (15%), or smart alarms or detectors (13%), which can be monitored or controlled from a mobile device or computer. Millennials are more likely than Baby Boomers to rank smart technology as a high priority (31% versus 25%, respectively), and are twice as likely to install smart thermostats (24% versus 12%, respectively) during renovations.

Home security upgrades are increasingly common, with a 50% jump in popularity in the last two years (2016 to 2018). Twelve percent of homeowners updated outdoor security systems in 2018, up from nine percent in 2017. Home security is particularly popular among Millennials (24%), who are more likely to upgrade their systems than Baby Boomers during renovations (15%).

For additional home renovation trends, check out the complete 2019 U.S. Houzz & Home Survey here.

*Houzz survey of more than 140,000 U.S. homeowners using Houzz who are in the midst of, are planning, or recently completed a master bathroom project, was fielded between February-April 2019.