Planning a kitchen remodel in 2023? The last thing you want is something in the design that starts to feel dated in a few years. That’s why a look at kitchen design trends 2023 should be where you begin your remodeling plans.
Most kitchen trends can last ten years or more. Trends don’t change all at once. The evolution is incremental, adjusting a bit year by year until one trend falls out of favor and a new one replaces it. Keeping on top of 2023’s kitchen trends will ensure your kitchen design has a full lifespan ahead of it.
We’ve scoured past trends, talked to experts, and even peeked into the future to find out what looks are going to last through the next decade. Here are eight you can count on to keep your kitchen fresh.
Or if you already know the trends, get started with our design team.
1. Slab Backsplash
If there’s one thing new kitchens have in common in 2023, it’s the slab backsplash. There are many ways to accomplish the look. The only requirement is that the backsplash is a single color or material and has a cohesive look without the interruption tile sometimes creates.
The favored slab backsplash is stone, especially marble or other veined stone looks. Matching the backsplash to the island is another hot trend this year and one that never fails to wow no matter how many year pass.
Concrete slab is another option for a beautiful backsplash. The smooth and even color offers more of a minimalist approach to the backsplash but has many of the same natural properties as stone. Check out our sister company Trueform Concrete for your custom concrete backsplash.
2. Permanent Bold Color
Permanent bold color is a risk in kitchen design because you can’t be sure how long a particular color will avoid looking dated (remember that bubbly shade of pink from the 80s?). But the last several years we’ve seen bold color make its way back into the kitchen—and not just as an accent color.
Look for bolder, brighter colors on everything from the cabinets to the kitchen sink. There is no hard and fast rule about which colors to choose. Blues and greens are already well established in kitchen design. When in doubt, select colors that can double as neutrals like deep plums, navy blues, gray-greens, and earth tones.
3. Mixing
If you don’t have some personalization in your kitchen design, it will come off as boring in 2023. One big way to add some life to your kitchen design is to mix up the design basics like cabinets or countertops with different colors or styles.
The hottest mixing trend is to contrast the island against the perimeter of the kitchen or the upper part of the kitchen against the lower part of the kitchen. Executing this is simple. Just select a different color or style of cabinet or use a different countertop. Blue cabinets on the island and gray on the perimeter does the trick. White shaker cabinets on the upper cabinets vs flat front wood cabinets on the bottom are another sure fire combo.
Mix cool and warm tones in metallics, woods, and paint. Bring sharp angles and organic curves together in the shapes in your kitchen. Blur the line between the kitchen and the living room by adding a cushy chair to the corner of the otherwise hard-surfaced space.
4. Secondary Kitchen Spaces
As if the kitchen wasn’t enough, 2023 is seeing the secondary kitchen space rise to fame. The concept includes any prep spaces that function almost like a separate, mini kitchen within a kitchen.
Butler’s pantries are oversized pantries near the kitchen that are alternative work spaces. You might use it as storage for mid-size appliances like your mixer and you might even opt to do all your baking prep in the pantry. On the other hand, you might use it for all your china and silver. Then again, you could use it as a staging area for your next cocktail or dinner party.
Other ways to get the secondary kitchen include the coffee making station or wet bar to a wall in your kitchen. These miniature spaces separate themselves from the main kitchen based on their function but provide that secondary look your kitchen needs.
5. Statement Appliances
Adding personality to your kitchen could be as easy as adding a statement piece to it. In fact, that is one of the biggest trends of 2023: the statement appliance. It’s a permanent fixture of the kitchen that adds noteworthy color, style, or charm and visually centers your design.
The top two additions to kitchens this year are the stove and/or the hood over the stove. Arguably the functional heart of the kitchen, your cooking space can double as the stylistic center as well with a colorful enameled stove front, a large metallic hood, or a vintage style range.
Another favorite statement appliance is the refrigerator. Though there has been an attempt to hide it beneath cabinetry in past years, this is a good opportunity to make it the center of attention.
6. No Cabinet Knobs
In the minimalism thread, you’ll see fewer cabinet knobs and pulls in 2023 and beyond. Flat front cabinets further enhance this simple approach to the kitchen cabinets.
Cabinet handles tend to catch the eye. They can be used effectively to add some detailing that really makes a design. However, in this case, the idea is to let the cabinet stand on its own. A beautiful wood grain shouldn’t be interrupted but left alone to shine through.
7. Vintage Styling
Whether you pine for Julia Child’s 1960s kitchen or you want something that draws from 1600s France, vintage has arrived in the kitchen. It’s another way to add some personalization that will make your kitchen feel like home.
You don’t have to go full vintage to get the effect. even adding a farmhouse sink and some country-inspired valances to the windows is enough to get the vintage vibe. Mashups that combine vintage elements alongside contemporary design are all the rage in 2023. Because of their effortless combination of old and new, they’ll hardly go out of style.
8. Natural & Organic
The overly refined materials of the past, often sterile and manmade, are out of vogue. Refinement has been redefined for 2023 with natural materials like stone, cement, and wood making a showing in neutral colors.
Design your kitchen with natural “ingredients” that you understand and relate to. Some favorites this year include rattan accents and wicker light shades, bold but natural colors (like terra cotta), and warm metals for the hardware.
“Bare” materials are far from plain. They open up the world of possibilities and let the beauty of simplicity and nature shine through.
Paying attention to kitchen design trends of 2023 will help you achieve a kitchen remodel that will stay relevant into the next decade (at least). Dig in to the details on cabinet trends that will last beyond 2030. Or read up on what trends to avoid.
