Summer is prime time for renovation projects, and the data shows what homeowners actually search for before they pick up a hammer. Houzz, a home remodeling and design platform, publishes emerging trends based on search insights from a community of more than 65 million homeowners, design enthusiasts, and industry professionals. The report tracks year-over-year jumps in specific search terms, which makes it a planning tool rather than a style guess. A large jump signals a niche interest turning mainstream, not a fad that will fade by fall. Those searches line up with broader shifts in top residential design trends reshaping home building. The sections that follow walk through the biggest movers by room and turn the numbers into a project checklist.
Basement Spaces Below the Main Level
Finished basements were the standout category. Searches for functional uses of the space grew sharply: family rooms were up 791 percent and recreation rooms up 524 percent, followed by movie theaters, game rooms, and home gyms. The single biggest jump was for basement golf simulators, which spiked 1,905 percent from the previous year.
Basements are no longer storage zones. They compete with main-level rooms for square footage, and they do it at a lower cost per square foot because the structure and envelope already exist. That math shows up in listings too. Buyers comparing options weigh new home versus existing home pricing when a finished basement tips the value equation.
A finished basement usually costs less per square foot than an above-grade addition because the roof and foundation are already in place. The budget still depends on the use: a family room needs flooring, drywall, and lighting, while a home gym adds rubber flooring, ventilation, and extra outlets. Egress requirements change the math when bedrooms are part of the plan, because every sleeping room needs a window or door that opens directly to the outside.
Planning a Finished Basement
- Test for moisture first; fix any dampness before framing.
- Choose the use case, then lay out lighting and outlets around it.
- Confirm ceiling height meets local code for habitable rooms.
- Add egress windows or doors where bedrooms will be located.
- Route ductwork and plumbing before finishing the ceiling.
Moisture Control First
A dehumidifier and a sump pump with a backup battery cover most basement conditions. Use rigid foam on exterior walls, keep vapor barriers on the warm side, and leave a small air gap behind wall panels so condensation can drain.
Accessible Bathrooms That Support Aging in Place
Renovation searches increasingly support owners who plan to stay in their homes. Aging-in-place bathrooms and handicap-accessible bathrooms more than doubled in searches from the prior year. Feature searches grew alongside them: handheld shower heads up 68 percent, ADA-compliant bathroom vanities up 43 percent, and curbless showers up 41 percent.
These are retrofit-friendly features. A handheld shower head swaps in over a weekend, a curbless shower is a larger project that pays off in daily usability, and ADA vanities change clearances without moving plumbing if planned during a renovation. Contractors see the same demand outside Houzz; top home renovation trends from renovation professionals put accessible bathrooms on the same short list.
Accessibility also shows up in lighting and hardware. Motion-sensing lights, lever handles instead of knobs, and rocker switches are low-cost swaps that make a bathroom easier to use at night and easier to operate with limited grip strength. Plan the blocking for grab bars during framing or a gut renovation; adding blocking after tile is set requires opening the wall.
Essential Accessibility Features
- Curbless or low-threshold shower with a linear drain.
- Grab bars reinforced with blocking behind tile.
- Handheld shower head on a slide bar.
- Comfort-height toilet, roughly 17 to 19 inches.
- Vanity with knee space or an ADA-compliant height.
Curbless Shower Considerations
A curbless shower needs a sloped floor to the drain, which means the subfloor must be adjusted before tile. Budget for plumbing relocation and a waterproofing membrane; the result is a shower you can walk into with a wheelchair or walker.
Kitchens Built for Entertaining
Nearly 3 in 5 homeowners, 57 percent, use the kitchen for entertaining after a renovation. That motivation pushed searches for open concept kitchens connected to the family room up 76 percent and drove interest in island cooktops and ranges so cooks can face guests while preparing a meal.
Storage followed the same entertaining logic. Searches for walk-in kitchen pantries jumped 2,636 percent, and scullery kitchen searches grew 38 percent as owners looked for a place to keep messy prep out of sight.
The entertaining kitchen also changes appliance choices. Downdraft vents let a cooktop sit in an island without a hood hanging overhead, drawer dishwashers tuck into islands, and beverage centers keep guests out of the main work zone. Counter seating changes traffic patterns, so keep the walkway between island and perimeter cabinets at least 42 inches wide.
The entertaining kitchen is a recurring theme in seasonal guides, and the specific upgrades that move the needle appear in summer home design trends with high-impact updates.
Kitchen Layout Choices for Hosts
- Open the kitchen to the family room with a wide peninsula or pass-through.
- Put the cooktop or range on an island facing the seating area.
- Add a walk-in pantry for bulk storage and small appliances.
- Tuck a scullery or prep zone behind the main counters.
- Keep at least 42 inches of clearance between island and cabinets.
The Ceiling as the Fifth Wall
Ceilings are the overlooked fifth wall. Search traffic for high-gloss ceilings, painted ceilings, and black ceilings all increased, while tongue-and-groove ceilings grew 73 percent from the previous year. The ceiling is the largest uninterrupted surface in most rooms, so the visual payoff is high.
Ceiling finishes need the same prep as walls. Painted ceilings show every joint, so tape and sand before the first coat; tongue-and-groove panels hide minor waviness and add insulation value when installed over strapping. Dark and high-gloss finishes make a room feel smaller, which is why they work best in dining rooms and powder rooms where a compact feel is the goal.
Budgeting for these treatments works best when the numbers come first. The summer home design trends planning guide with real data shows how paint, paneling, and finish costs compare room by room.
Ceiling Finish Options
| Finish | Look | Relative cost | Best room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painted light | Bright and simple | Low | Bedrooms, hallways |
| Painted dark or black | Dramatic and cozy | Low | Dining rooms, dens |
| Tongue-and-groove | Warm, cabin-like | Medium | Porches, family rooms |
| High-gloss | Reflective, glamorous | Medium-high | Small powder rooms |
| Timber beams | Structural character | High | Great rooms, kitchens |
Reviving Historical Styles
Interest in historical architecture styles is climbing, with Colonial and Spanish Colonial leading searches. Colonial-associated terms grew strongly: front porch up 536 percent, exteriors up 167 percent, and living room up 123 percent compared with 2022. Spanish Colonial living room searches jumped 1,470 percent, while Spanish Colonial kitchens tripled and exteriors more than doubled.
These revivals tend to be selective. Homeowners borrow the porch, the exterior massing, or the living room details rather than rebuilding a full period house, which keeps costs in check and fits modern floor plans.
Budgeting for a historical revival means separating structural work from surface work. A front porch addition is a structural project with foundation, decking, and roof work, while Spanish Colonial details such as arched openings and stucco can be staged over several seasons. Start with the porch if the budget is tight, because it changes the exterior the most.
Lighting carries much of the historical mood. Home remodeling lighting design trends show how period-appropriate fixtures anchor the style without a full restoration.
Colonial vs Spanish Colonial Details
- Colonial: symmetrical facades, front porches, shuttered windows, painted wood trim.
- Spanish Colonial: stucco walls, low-pitch or tile roofs, arched openings, dark wood and iron accents.
Turning Search Trends into a Project Plan
Search spikes are demand signals, not instructions. Use them to pick the room with the highest payoff for your household, then budget against local labor and material prices.
The most searched rooms also tend to be the most expensive to renovate, which is why the planning order matters. Basements and kitchens have the longest lead times for materials and trades, so lock in quotes and order windows, tile, and appliances before the summer rush. Bathrooms fall in the middle, and ceiling-only updates are the fastest way to refresh a room on a short timeline.
Sequencing Summer Projects
- Pick one room; basements, bathrooms, and kitchens each have their own construction season.
- Set a budget with a 15 percent contingency before ordering anything.
- Order long-lead items, such as windows, tile, and appliances, first.
- Schedule trades around the slowest step; drywall and tile set the pace.
- Verify permits and HOA rules before demolition starts.
The trends that survive a season are the ones that make daily life easier. The patterns visible in home remodeling and lighting design trend forecasts point the same way: choose the upgrade, price it with data, and build it before the season ends.