In today’s day and age, Google is one of the first places we turn to when we’re in the early stages of planning pretty much anything. A kitchen refurbishment is no different – as soon as we start to consider the project, we’re looking for inspiration online. Google is the most popular search engine in the world, which means that you can pull some interesting insights into what exactly we are searching for when it comes to kitchens.
From an analysis of Google search data across the last five years, there are some overall trends that make sense – there’s a seasonal drop off in people searching for ‘kitchen design’ and ‘kitchen ideas’ every December, and a subsequent resurgence the following January. The start of the year is always a key time for starting over and ticking things off your home wish list.
Delve a little deeper into specific keywords and you can start to see both rising and dwindling trends in interior design.
What style kitchen are we looking for?
With over 27,000 monthly searches, the plain and simple ‘kitchen design ideas’ is where most people start their project, looking for inspiration and resources. There are some specific kitchen style terms that have remained steady since records began – a traditional kitchen (1,000 per month), for example, is ever-present with a consistent search volume, though it’s not the most popular. A modern kitchen (6,600 per month) is what most people are looking for with over six times more searches every month, with country kitchens following close behind at around 5,400 monthly searches.
Colour-wise, navy kitchens have seen a huge jump, with search volume increasing by 2185%. The trend for grey kitchens doesn’t seem to be going anywhere either (+175%), boasting the highest monthly average at 6,600 searches per month. These trends suggest a tendency toward more timeless, classic colours – with red kitchens dropping by around 23% and yellow kitchens the least favoured with around 880 searches a month.
What about worktops?
With so many options available to choose from when it comes to worktop surfaces, it’s no wonder that we’re doing a lot of research. The term kitchen worktops itself gets just shy of 50,000 searches per month, with the most searched for material being granite at over 18,000 per month. It’s followed closely by quartz worktops, which has increased by 174% in just three years. We’re also starting to think more about the pros and cons of quartz over other types of worktops, with queries like ‘quartz vs granite’ and ‘quartz vs marble’ tripling in three years.
What’s in for kitchen trends?
So how much can what we’re searching for tell us about what’s new in kitchen design trends? Through selecting key search terms, we can see what’s really gaining traction with a positive trend in the past three years to now. Coloured cabinets have seen a 247% increase, with darker colours coming to the forefront with black kitchens and cabinets up 93% in the last six months.
Retro tiles are seeing a resurgence as well, with searches spiking up 84% more on average. This is a bold and sometimes quite daring choice that can really pay off, whether they’re going down as vibrant flooring or eclectic splashbacks. When paired with neutral tones, they can make a style statement. Another tiling trend that has been pushing through for a while now is subway tiles, seen on plenty of influencers' new kitchen designs. This is mirrored in the search trends, with the results more than doubling in three years.
Linking to this subtle industrial aesthetic, we’ve seen a 302% increase in white tiles and grey grout, coinciding with the concept of an industrial style kitchen up 125%, though the feature can work in a number of different kitchen themes. The kitchen island isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, with just over 27,000 searches every month and still on the rise. It’s also worth noting freestanding islands are on the up by 184%. One other trend that has seen a substantial boost are composite sinks, up 123% since 2016, providing both durability and instant wow-factor to any kitchen.
...and what's out?
On the out – it seems we’re moving on from the copper craze with copper cookware falling by over half in just a few months, while millennial pink is another flash trend that’s dropped by over three quarters since it’s peak of over 6,000 searches in 2017 to 1,000 in 2019. The buzz about smart kitchens has also come to a lull, down from a height of 1,300 last year to just below 500 this year, suggesting we’re not as ready for an AI-integrated kitchen as we thought.
For more design inspiration, why not try out our kitchen style quiz? Choose the images that resonate with you most and we’ll help you narrow down your search for the perfect kitchen style.
All data sourced from Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends, correct as of May 2019.
