Wood cabinetry has officially edged out white as the most popular choice in kitchen renovations, according to Houzz’s 2026 Kitchen Trends Study, which surveyed more than 1,700 homeowners about their latest kitchen remodeling project.
For the first time in recent years, wood has emerged as the top cabinet choice, selected by 29% of renovating homeowners, marking a six percentage point jump from last year. That rise pushed wood tones just ahead of white cabinets, which slipped to 28%, down five points from last year.
Among the most popular wood finishes for kitchen cabinets: Medium tones lead the way at 15%, followed by light wood (11%) and dark wood finishes (3%).
While white no longer holds the top spot, it remains firmly in the mix. Off-white cabinets accounted for 15% of renovations.
Fewer homeowners prefer more colorful cabinets but among those who do, green (6%) has now surpassed gray (5%). Blue, beige, black and greige continue to be niche options, each appearing in fewer than 5% of remodeled kitchens, according to Houzz.
Contrasting Cabinets Still Popular
Nearly one-quarter of homeowners opt for contrasting upper and lower cabinets, known as the tuxedo kitchen. In these designs, white remains the dominant choice for the upper cabinets (at 40%), followed by off-white (19%) and wood tones (17%), according to Houzz’s remodeling survey.
However, for the lower cabinets, darker finishes take the lead, notably with wood finishes at 37%, followed by blue (19%) and green (14%) rounding out the top choices. Meanwhile, black and gray lower cabinets were the least common choices, the Houzz survey finds.
Wood Makes a Statement on Islands
The cabinets aren’t the only place wood is gaining traction in the kitchen. It’s increasingly being used as a countertop on the kitchen island, according to Houzz’s research. Renovators increasingly are choosing a contrasting countertop material for their island that’s different from the main countertop. Wood countertops jumped 12 points over the past year to 39% to claim the top spot for islands; white followed in popularity at 19%.
Interest in butcher block or wood slab countertops has climbed in popularity for a contrasting island countertop, whereas engineered quartz remains the dominant choice for the kitchen’s main countertops.
