Spring brings that itch. You know the one. It's waking you up in the middle of the night with thoughts of French door refrigerators and self-closing drawers. It occupies your waking thoughts too, as you watch episode after episode of Love It or List It and Kitchen Crashers and spend just a little too much time haunting the local Home Depot, gazing longingly at cabinet glazes.

You're obsessed with redoing your kitchen. We can relate.

The itch to pretty up our homes in spring is no coincidence. Just take a look at the fact that Home Depot is hiring 80,000 new associates and Lowes 45,000 new associates for the spring busy season. That itch... it's contagious.

But we can help. If you are looking to embark on a kitchen remodel, big or small, check out the newest trends.

Cabinets

After a foray into dark mahogany and even black cabinetry, light cabinets have been trending for several years. But lest you think the all-white kitchen is the only way to go, there are several hot options for keeping it light.

"Neutral palates continue to dominate," said CBS News. "Most are still being painted white. Sandy tones and gray tones are also popular."

Gray, undoubtedly the hottest color in home design right now, is showing up in kitchen cabinetry, as is blue, another of today's trending colors.

There are also a number of structural trends in cabinetry, from open shelving that can bring a more industrial look and feel to a kitchen or can open up a small space, to built-in cabinetry that resembles furniture, according to Style At Home.

Flooring

Perhaps nothing will ever replace the popularity of wood or tile for floors, but tile that replicates the appearance of wood is coming close. Wood-look tile looks like the real thing, comes in an increasingly vast array of colors, styles, and sizes, is ideal for areas where water is present, and is often more affordable than wood. It's the overwhelming trend right now for floors throughout the home, and is also being seen in wall and backsplash applications.

Appliances

When it comes to appliances, there is no comparison. Stainless steel rules. A recent home trends survey showed that 65 percent of homeowners who are renovating their kitchens add stainless steel appliances. Presumably, the other 35 percent already have stainless steel appliances and don't need to add them. That's how pervasive this continued trend is.

Energy-efficient appliances are also popular. "Homeowners are still opting for new appliances where the energy or financial savings is readily apparent, said CBS News. For example, homeowners are choosing high-efficiency dishwashers, and "touchless faucets have skyrocketed in popularity. Not only are they easier when you've got your hands covered in kitchen mess, but they significantly cut down on water use - a savings homeowners will notice in their water bills."

Countertops

The demise of granite has been whispered about for the past year, and now CBS News has all but proclaimed it dead. "Factory-engineered quartz is the new granite," they said. "While granite has held strong as the most popular countertop material for more than a decade now, quartz is starting to overtake it.

Quartz has the same look and feel as granite, but it's more practical. Quartz is more durable, so it better resists cracking and chipping, and it is non-porous so it's easier to clean and resists staining.

Freshome likes the timeless appeal of dark counters contrasted with light cabinetry. "Again, we're going natural black countertops here using black granite or quartz," they said. "Whether left glossy, or has a dull matte finish, in contrast with a cool white interior, oozes a timeless and clean cry of, 'I'm not new, but I'm here to stay, and I look GOOD!'"

Backsplash

It seems like every home with a renovated kitchen in the past five years has a backsplash fashioned from subway tile. And while this classic look that found its way home again in this century may never totally go out of style, backsplashes may be beginning to move into the same distinct configurations and graphic patterns that have been dominating textiles.

"Kitchens are yearning for a sip of excitement and edge which is why interesting and colorful backsplashes will be popular in 2014," said Freshome. "Grand Designs magazine has placed this as the number 1 Kitchen trend for 2014 and we at Freshome believe it'll be a winner too. Look for tiles with interesting patterns, in colors (blue), colorful splashes of the rainbow or exotic designs.

Style at Home predicts a move away from tile altogether, and instead toward large-scale design. This year, it's all about the beauty of nature's materials taking the forefront in the kitchen," they said. "With more open space surrounding range hoods and sinks, there's greater opportunity for large-scale backsplashes. To really showcase the backsplash and make it a focal point in your kitchen, opt for slabs of marble and limestone – their natural veining essentially creates a work of art."

Need some kitchen inspiration? Check out HGTV. And for data on the most popular kitchen trends, click here.