Homeowners in Southern Utah are trying to maximize their space by taking on remodeling projects geared toward creating new living areas while overhauling their property’s style, according to the 2023 Houzz U.S. Emerging Summer Trends Report. Houzz, a home improvement site, analyzed the latest search insights from homeowners, designers, and contractors to identify the following trends. 

A Basement Refinish

Online searches for “finishing a basement” have increased significantly over the past year as more homeowners look to turn their large, open spaces into a family or recreation room. According to the report, the basement is being refinished to create a spot for watching movies, playing games, and exercising. The report shows that the search term “basement golf simulator” posted one of the most significant upticks among home improvement-related searches.

Rooftop Lounging

More homeowners in Southern Utah are looking up to expand their spaces. Houzz found that “rooftop deck” and “rooftop patio” searches increased by 90% and 40%, respectively. The trend is mostly occurring in metro areas where outdoor space is a hot commodity, the report notes.

Bathroom Accessibility

More homeowners in Southern Utah are interested in renovating their bathrooms to include accessible features that enable them to live in their homes longer as they age. Houzz found that searches for “age-in-place bathrooms” and “handicap-accessible bathrooms” more than doubled compared to a year ago. Popular add-on features include handheld shower heads, ADA-compliant bathroom vanities, and curbless showers.

Industrial-Style Kitchens

A significant number of homeowners in Southern Utah desire to swap out their pristine, all-white kitchens for something a little more rugged. “Industrial kitchens” are generating more significant interest, particularly for features like “kitchen track lighting,” “pull-down kitchen faucets,” “stainless steel countertops,” and a “brick kitchen wall.” Houzz researchers also noticed a growing interest in “concrete countertops” and “copper kitchen backsplashes” that fit within this style.

The Entertainment Kitchen

More than half of renovating homeowners surveyed say they’re designing their kitchens for entertaining. Searches over the past year have grown for “open-concept kitchen to family room” and “island cooktop and ranges,” the survey says. These features allow hosts to prepare a meal as they engage their guests. Searches have also doubled for a “walk-in kitchen pantry,” with a space to tuck away kitchen goods and hide toasters, coffee makers and other smaller appliances.

Painted Ceilings

The fifth wall is becoming the new place for an accent wall. Paint and texture are dressing up more ceilings. The trends report shows searches have spiked over the past year for “high-gloss ceilings,” “painted ceilings,” and “black ceilings.” “Tongue-and-groove ceilings”—wooden planks that fit side to side across a ceiling—are also up significantly, with searches growing by 73% over the past year, Houzz reports.

Enhancing Outdoor Style

Homeowners in Southern Utah are making the most of their outdoor space and aren’t letting limited size shrink their plans. Searches for “small swimming pool,” “small plunge pool,” “small pool house,” and “small screened-in porch ideas” grew over the past year, the report notes. Also, researchers report that searches for “small outdoor kitchens” have more than doubled over the past year.