Although we’re all worried about how our home looks, the latest home remodeling trends in the USA suggest that’s not necessarily the top priority in everyone’s minds anymore.
Because many can’t afford to move, homeowners are putting more and more effort into making their current home easier to live in – long-term. That means people are moving away from purely aesthetic choices like open-plan layouts toward more practical, zoned areas, and energy efficiency and smart devices are becoming more important as the cost-of-living crisis continues.
So, why not learn more about how American homeowners are embracing modern remodeling trends? We’ve put together some of the more recent home improvement trends we’ve noticed.
Changing Layout Preferences in Modern Homes
For well over a decade, the go-to layout for modern homes has been open plan. But while fully open-plan layouts certainly aren’t disappearing any time soon, we’re seeing home renovation trends move more toward flexible spaces. That is, we’re going back to more defined spaces – but spaces that homeowners can adjust depending on their needs.
Why We’re Moving Away From Open-Plan
This change is largely driven by three factors:
- Work-from-home realities – since remote work became more widespread around 2020, the demand for privacy and quiet has skyrocketed.
- Multi-generational living – with the housing market as unaffordable as it is, children are staying at home for much longer. Again, this increases the demand for privacy.
- Lifestyle fatigue – clutter, echo, and being around everyone all the time can be exhausting. Homeowners are moving away from open-concept so they can install quieter spaces.
What’s Replacing Open-Plan?
That doesn’t mean we’re going back to individual, disconnected rooms, though. The natural light we get from open-plan layouts is here to stay.
So, instead, remodeling trends in the USA now tend towards partial walls or half-height dividers, pocket doors and sliding panels, partition walls, and zoned lighting to visually separate spaces.
In other words, your renovated kitchen might still open into a living area, but architectural cues define the boundaries of each space – even if they’re technically the same room.
Growing Focus on Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
While energy efficiency may have been an afterthought for generations of the past, rising utility and general living costs make it a fundamental aspect of your renovation plans.
These projects may once have been one-offs. However, since everything is becoming more expensive, more homeowners are tending to do everything all at once, including sustainability upgrades.
We’re noticing homeowners across the U.S. using remodeling projects as an opportunity to address issues that were either hidden or ignored. This could include:
- Upgrading the insulation
- Improving the windows (such as upgrading to double- or triple-glazing)
- Making the building more airtight
More Sustainable Heating
In particular, heating and cooling systems are seeing more attention. Electric heat pumps might replace older gas- or oil-based furnaces. Homeowners often pair these upgrades with changes to the vents and humidity control, all of which play a part in keeping your home warmer and more comfortable.
Careful Sustainable Material Implementation
And, thankfully, the tendency is now to move away from materials and items only labelled ‘green’ in marketing language. Instead, people opt for designs that actually benefit the homeowner in their daily life. This helps them to actually live a more sustainable lifestyle, rather than just ticking the proverbial sustainability box.
Kitchens and Bathrooms as High-Priority Remodel Areas
Kitchens and bathrooms have always accounted for a large share of a project’s budget. However, it’s no longer just to update their appearance. Rather, it’s more about improving the functionality and practicality of these rooms. You use them every single day, after all.
In both kitchens and bathrooms, we’re seeing a closer focus on storage, lighting, ventilation, and more practical layouts, and more and more people investing in long-term renovations.
Kitchen Remodeling Trends
In kitchens, for example, people may want a larger kitchen island with a breakfast bar or a separate butler’s pantry. Coffee bars and built-in banquettes in the breakfast area are also becoming more popular, as well as walk-in pantries and integrated or hidden appliances.
Bathroom Remodeling Trends
In bathrooms, we see the same long-term renovations. For instance, walk-in showers are much safer for the elderly to use, and sometimes a smaller bathroom is easier to manage over time.
Increased Demand for Home Office and Multi-Use Spaces
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, remote work has become a fact of daily life, and one that isn’t likely to shift any time soon. Even households without any remote workers are now prioritizing spaces for working, study, or private video call meetings.
Converting Little-Used Rooms
Some homeowners might build an extra room. However, most remodeling trends in the USA suggest that people are instead converting little-used rooms – such as extra dining rooms, basements, spare bedrooms, garages, or even walk-in closets – into home offices, simply by adding better lighting, sound insulation, electrical capacity, and a workspace of some sort.
Multi-Functional Spaces
And these spaces don’t have to stay as home offices all the time. For example, homeowners may intentionally implement a room to function as a home office during the week, but a space that could be made into a spare bedroom if guests come for the weekend or over the holidays. Features like Murphy beds, concealed storage, and collapsible furniture or play and hobby spaces can be ideal for these kinds of applications.
Technology Integration in Home Remodeling Projects
Smart devices are quickly becoming mainstream across most American homes. Voice-activated systems like Google or Amazon’s Alexa can control overall home features such as lighting, music, appliances, and shopping lists.
But instead of just implementing individual smart devices, home remodeling projects are a great opportunity to integrate entire smart systems into the structure and systems of the home itself.
Whole Home Smart Homes
For example, lighting, climate control, and security systems are increasingly designed as part of a single connected framework (rather than individual upgrades). Renovation work is the perfect opportunity to include the necessary wiring for smart zones, programmable thermostats, security cameras, automatic lighting, improved internet connectivity, and so much more.
Planning Ahead
We’re also seeing homeowners thinking ahead by including additional outlets, conduits, access points, and a greater wiring capacity, even if they don’t plan to use them immediately. As much of the world (notably, cars) turns electric, it makes sense to future-proof your property while you can.
Remodeling Older Homes Instead of Moving
We’re living in a cost-of-living crisis. High mortgage rates, limited homes on the market, and the sheer cost of moving have made relocation less appealing – and, in many cases, impossible – for many.
As a result, more and more people see renovation as the most realistic way to improve their living conditions. Interestingly, this shifts a homeowner’s remodeling priorities away from resale value and toward the practicalities of daily life.
Larger Projects at Once
Rather than making small, cosmetic updates, homeowners are saving up more to commit to larger projects that fundamentally change how their homes function. That means things like additions, basement conversions, and whole-home remodels are becoming more common as people focus on meeting their long-term needs.
Regional Influences on National Remodeling Trends
East Coast
- Northeast (NY, MA, PA): Here, there are many older homes. Renovations prioritize wiring, plumbing, structural, and insulation upgrades, as well as layout upgrades.
- Mid-Atlantic (VA, MD, DC): A blend of older housing and suburban growth means upgrades mix infrastructure modernization with layout and efficiency improvements.
Midwest & Great Plains
- Midwest (IL, OH, MI): Remodels must balance cold winters and hot summers. That often means better insulation and zoned HVAC.
- Great Plains (KS, NE, IA, Dakotas): Tornado-prone states focus on wind resistance, insulation, durable exteriors, and cost-efficient layouts and materials.
West Coast
- West Coast – Coastal (CA, OR, WA): Open layouts, indoor-outdoor flow, energy efficiency, seismic retrofits, and wildfire-resistant materials such as metal roofing.
- West Coast – Inland & Mountain (CO, UT): Homeowners prioritize high-performance insulation, flexible layouts, and storage for active lifestyles.
South & Sun Belt
- Southeast (FL, GA, Carolinas): The most important trends include moisture control, ventilation, storm-resistant materials, and outdoor living spaces.
- Southern Desert (AZ, NV): In the desert, people remodel homes for cooling efficiency, shading, airflow, and UV-resistant materials.
- Texas & South-Central: With a large amount of newer housing, homeowners focus on layout optimization and finishes. Screened porches are increasingly popular.
Non-Contiguous States
- Alaska: The extreme cold makes super-insulation, airtight construction, efficient heating systems, and enclosed entry spaces highly valued.
- Hawaii: Moisture control, corrosion-resistant materials, cross-ventilation, shaded outdoor living, and wildfire-resistant exteriors in dry regions.
What These Trends Mean for Homeowners Planning a Remodel
So, what can you, as an American homeowner, take away from this? Well, most importantly, don’t follow trends just for the sake of it. Analyze what it is that you and your family needs, and build from there. Successful projects start with clearly defined goals – such as:
- Where do you want to be in five years? What about 10? 20?
- What are your pain points with your current layout?
- What are the most important spaces for your family?
- How can you best incorporate natural light?
- What limitations do you have to work with? (E.g., permitting, zoning, HOA rules, and structural constraints, electrical limits, etc.)
- How important is it to improve your home’s energy efficiency?
- And much more
As many of the trends we’ve touched on suggest, practicality is more important than aesthetics – at least, right now. If you can make daily life less hectic and minimize your ongoing costs, perfect. And if you can make your home look nicer at the same time, or plan for future improvements, even better.
And if you’re in Southern California, OT Bay Builders can help you plan and build a functional home remodeling project right here. Get in touch with our expert team to learn more.