The American home has changed from a collection of dedicated rooms into something much more flexible—and the differences show up from kitchens to closets.
1. Kitchens Became the Center of the House
Kitchens remain a favorite renovation across every generation, but younger homeowners are especially active here. Houzz found 35% of Gen Z renovators tackled their kitchens in 2025, compared with 27% of Boomers, 26% of Millennials and 25% of Gen X.
2. The Formal Dining Room Is Losing Ground
Older homes often separated cooking, eating and entertaining into distinct rooms. Today, flexible spaces are increasingly replacing formal dining areas, with homeowners looking for rooms that can serve multiple purposes instead of sitting unused most of the week.
3. Laundry Rooms Got Surprisingly Important
This is one of the clearest generational differences. Houzz found 33% of Gen Z renovators worked on laundry rooms in 2025, more than twice the rate among Millennials and Gen X at 14%, and well above Boomers at 13%.
4. Closets Are Getting Their Own Attention
Walk-in storage has become more than a luxury feature. 24% of Gen Z renovators tackled closets, compared with 17% of Millennials, 15% of Gen X and 13% of Boomers.
5. The Backyard Became Another Living Room
Younger homeowners are particularly likely to turn outdoor space into usable living space. Earlier Houzz research found 41% of Gen X and 38% of Millennial homeowners were extending living areas outdoors, compared with 28% of Boomers.
6. The Home Office Keeps Changing
The dedicated office wasn’t common in many older American homes, but it became a major consideration for later generations. Houzz found home-office renovations in 2025 among 13% of Millennials, 11% of Gen X and 9% of both Boomers and Seniors.
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