If you have reached the breaking point and can no longer live with your outdated kitchen (and have the means) you are among the 43% of homeowners surveyed by Houzz who will renovate your kitchen this year. Your new kitchen cabinets will be a major design element in determining the style, function and look of your new kitchen.

Kitchen cabinet trends reflect an upgrade in cabinet type, style and color. The trend is going custom with your cabinet choice with 81% of kitchen renovations upgrading cabinets and almost half adding cabinet pantry built-ins. Your new open layout will dictate the placement of your new cabinetry perfectly fitted to your new floor plan.

The most valued decisions regarding your renovated kitchen and driver in choosing your design elements are style and beauty, driven by function and ease of use and flow that integrates well with your home.

Three-quarters of homeowners surveyed changed the style of their kitchen with the highest percentage favoring a transitional style (21%) followed by contemporary (19%) and traditional (15%). Overall kitchen styles are reflecting a personalization trend that speaks to individual preferences that make room for modern, farmhouse, craftsman, eclectic and industrial style kitchens.

Custom-made or semi-custom kitchen cabinets ranked highest among kitchen renovators according to the survey. The Shaker style continues to lead in updating kitchen cabinets with raised-panel coming in second. Flat-panel, recessed-panel rounded out the survey.

Kitchen cabinet color trends are driven by homeowners who desire a finish that is timeless. It keeps at bay an outdated look since the majority of kitchens are updated every 16 years or more, according to Houzz. Therefore, white, beige, gray and natural wood finishes are preferred. Dark and gray wood finishes round out the color trends chosen by seven percent of those surveyed.

Another facinating trend for kitchen cabinets is interior LED lighting. This design element eliminates the dark recesses of drawers and cabinets built for deep and hard to see storage. A true winner in cabinet design.

Other kitchen cabinet trends include:

• pull-out waste or recycling cabinet
• cookie sheet/tray organizer
• revolving corner tray
• pull-out/swing-out tray/shelf
• spice organizer
• deep drawer organizer
• cutlery/utensil organizer
• pot and pan organizer
• small appliance garage/drawer
• wine and/or bar cabinet
• pull-out corner drawer/dish organizer
• pet feeding station/drawer

Kitchen cabinet trends are a reflection of our lifestyles, personal style and design preferences. The kitchen space has evolved to not only function as the main food prep and storage space but the control center of the home, a living space that supports the entire home.

Source: Houzz, Inc.