Studies from Houzz and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) show the rising popularity in kitchen lighting and the demand for solutions from voice-activated lighting to motion sensor lighting

In the Houzz study, recessed lights gained 6 percentage points, claiming the top spot from under-cabinet lights, with 72% of renovators choosing them. However, under-cabinet lights also gained, rising by 3 percentage points to come in a close second (70%). Pendant lights saw a slight decline of 3 percentage points compared to last year. While pendant lights remain the most popular over-island choice (64%), recessed lights saw an increase of 5 percentage points from last year (35% from 30% in 2022)

According to the NKBA, survey respondents predict task and accent lighting along with recessed lights and pendants will be more popular in kitchens than chandeliers within the next three years. They also listed the following as the top four lighting applications in demand: under-cabinet lights (73%), recessed lights (57%), pendant lights (50%), and interior-cabinet lighting (37%)

When it comes to technology, respondents said homeowners were most excited about smart controls via mobile devices or voice control, integrated lighting tech, smart appliances and touchless faucets. The survey also found Millennials and Gen X are driving the demand for lighting controls. The top in-demand controls include dimmer switches (38%), voice-activated controls (30%), mobile device enable controls (23%) and motion sensor lighting (20%).

Sources: Houzz 2023 U.S. Kitchen Trends study and NKBA 2023 Design Trends survey. For more information visit Houzz.com and NKBA.org.