Homes have changed dramatically in just a generation, and some once-standard household features are becoming harder to find.
1. Dedicated Dining Rooms
Formal dining rooms are losing ground to flexible spaces. Houzz found 25% of kitchen expansions take space from dining rooms, as homeowners prioritize larger kitchens and multipurpose areas.
2. White Kitchens
The all-white kitchen isn’t disappearing overnight, but its dominance is fading. In Houzz’s 2026 study, 29% of renovating homeowners chose wood cabinets, overtaking white cabinets at 28% for the first time in the survey.
3. Separate Home Offices
The dedicated office is competing with more flexible rooms. Zillow’s 2026 analysis found buyers increasingly favor flexible spaces designed around multiple uses, reflecting a broader shift away from homes built around single-purpose rooms.
4. Giant Formal Living Rooms
Large rooms designed primarily for entertaining are giving way to spaces that work harder every day. Zillow found the share of listings emphasizing large-scale “McMansion” features has declined, while today’s homes increasingly emphasize flexible, personal spaces.
5. Appliance Clutter
Countertops filled with individual gadgets are being replaced by built-in storage. Houzz found 76% of kitchen renovations now include specialty built-ins, with 67% of new butler’s pantries providing storage specifically for small appliances.
6. Homes Designed to Impress
The biggest change may be philosophical. Zillow’s analysis of 20 years of home listings found American homes have shifted from emphasizing scale and status toward spaces designed around how people actually live.
Sources:
- Houzz, 2026 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study (Houzz)
- Houzz, 2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study (Houzz)
- Zillow, The McMansion Era Is Over: How American Homes Have Changed in 20 Years (zillow.com)
