Published by Reliable Renovations | February 2026

The all-white kitchen had a good run. It's over. That's not an opinion. It's data. According to the 2026 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, wood cabinets are taking over white as the most popular cabinet choice among renovating homeowners, with nearly 3 in 10 choosing wood. White dropped five percentage points in a single year. That kind of shift in a single year is significant. It tells you where taste is actually moving, not just where trend blogs want it to go.

Here's what we're seeing on the ground in northern Illinois kitchens, and what it means if you're planning a remodel.

Wood Is Back. For Real This Time.

Warm, natural wood tones are driving cabinet decisions in 2026 but it's not the honey oak of the 90s. We're talking medium-to-dark stained woods with clean lines, subtle grain, and a finish that ages well rather than dates fast. Paired with Benjamin Moore's 2026 Color Trends palette, which leans into earthy browns, muted greens, and warm tans, the timing couldn't be better. Colors like Sherwood Tan 1054 and Narragansett Green HC-157 sit alongside wood cabinetry the way they were meant to.

Color Has Entered the Kitchen

All-white kitchens are giving way to depth. What's replacing them isn't bold or loud. It's warm. Dusty mauves, sage greens, earthy tans. These are colors that make a kitchen feel like part of the home, not a showroom floor model. Homeowners who use Benjamin Moore's Batik AF-610 or Narragansett Green HC-157 on their cabinetry are getting spaces that feel considered and personal, not trendy for the sake of it.

One note of caution: cabinet paint color is a long-term commitment. Get a proper sample, look at it in YOUR ACTUAL KITCHEN light at different times of day, and then decide. That's what we tell every client. Good decisions aren't rushed.

Most Kitchens Stay the Same Size. That's Smart.

The NKBA's 2026 Kitchen Trends Report found that 76% of industry professionals expect kitchen footprints to increase over the next three years, but the Houzz data tells a different story on the ground: 68% of kitchens end up the same size after renovation. Homeowners are getting smarter about working within what they have rather than chasing square footage.

This is good news. Moving walls and relocating plumbing lines adds significant cost and complication. Focusing that budget on better materials, improved layout, and upgraded fixtures delivers more value. We've seen this play out on dozens of projects. The kitchen that functions well beats the kitchen that just looks big.

The Hardware Shift

Brushed and satin finishes are the dominant choice for 2026. High-polish chrome is fading. Matte black has had its moment. What's landing in the middle is warmer: brushed nickel, matte gold, oil-rubbed bronze. These finishes photograph well, hide fingerprints, and read as intentional rather than default.

On the faucet side, Kohler's Sensate and Graze touchless collections are showing up in a growing number of kitchen remodels. Kohler's Response touchless technology activates with a simple wave of the hand, integrates with Amazon Alexa and Google Home through the Kohler Konnect app, and comes in finishes that coordinate across the sink and hardware. For a kitchen remodel, specifying your faucet, sink, and hardware from a single manufacturer's collection is the easiest way to create a cohesive result without overthinking it.

What to Skip in 2026

Open shelving is not your friend. It looks great in magazine photos staged by professionals with carefully curated dishware. In real kitchens, it collects grease, dust, and the visual chaos of daily life. Glass-front cabinet doors give you the same aesthetic payoff with a door that actually closes.

Basic 3x6 white subway tile as a backsplash is not wrong. It's just shifting. If you're putting real money into a kitchen remodel, the backsplash is a relatively lower-cost place to make a statement. Textured tile, colored grout, larger format tile in a different layout, all of these options cost roughly the same and can look significantly better.

The Bottom Line

A well-executed kitchen remodel in 2026 is warm, functional, and built to last longer than the trend cycle. It uses real materials, correct finishes, and hardware that earns its price. It doesn't move walls that don't need to be moved or chase square footage for the sake of it.

Reliable Renovations serves homeowners across Northeast Illinois and Southeast Wisconsin.