Kitchen Design Trends for 2023

Decor should reflect your own unique style

Before I review style trends, I must preface this with my belief that you take current trends and adapt them to your personal style.  Whether you are a modern minimalist or a cottage lover, decor trends come and go.  Anyone remember scads of geese and ducks from the 1990’s?  How about palm trees?   There is nothing wrong with a duck, palm tree, or other vintage item in your home decor today if that fits your style or has a personal meaning to you.  I believe adding a few trendy items with the items you love and cherish can make your room more contemporary, but it is still  you.

I wrote that paragraph and then was reading more design trends at Forbes.com.  Guess what was listed as #4?  Decor will reflect personality and your own unique sense of design! I say Amen.

Christiana Coop, who is the co-founder of Hygge & West explains that uniqueness should reflect individuality. “People are designing their homes to reflect their personalities and creating spaces that tell their story. What makes you truly happy is more important than what you see in magazines or on social media.” Personally I’m not a lover of green except spots of soft colors. Green cabinets can be the rage but I love the kitchen above. Soft colors and textured light covers with a beautiful wood floor make me happy. It has a coastal feel which I love. No, I’ve never lived with such a big kitchen or with that many cabinets, but it is a lovely scene to see.

Trends

Elle Decor says the trends for 2023 include fluted cabinets, upholstered banquettes, beveled anything, and statement stone backsplashes. This is considered a refreshing departure from the white-on-white-on-beige look that set Instagram alight for an impressive number of years. Some designers are embracing lots of color. Bright red, bright yellow or jewel tones have been used in the last year.  Even refrigerators get artsy.

A central island and matching cabinetry, clad in fluted oak millwork distinguish this Manhattan apartment.

For those with a big budget and a big floor space consider having 2 islands in the kitchen. Two parallel islands make a statement in this Florida-based kitchen by HW Interiors. Are dual islands—one for prep, one for seating—useful additions to the heart of the home or offensively showy statements of affluence? Design pros debate the growing trend. See HW Interiors’ post, Does Anyone Really Need Two for an interesting discussion.

Green will be hot this year. All shades of green will be used in cabinets and accessories. Below this galley kitchen was designed to be a functional-yet-stylish space that allows for effortless cooking and entertaining. Thus, the room features a deep sink and stainless appliances, gorgeous green cabinets and a wood dining table that seats six. Be sure you truly love green or plan for a kitchen redesign in 10 years as people will be saying ‘that is so 2020’s’.

Other trends include more earthy colors, more sustainable materials, less traditionally defined spaces like a formal dining room, easy-to-use lighting,  terrazzo floors, and a shift from real granite to faux stone or quartz in the kitchen.  The move to faux stone or quartz counter tops is the common need for easy care fixtures.  Maintaining granite or real marble can be time consuming.  With that in mind, let’s look at one popular trend in the kitchen.

Cowhide chairs with a wood table reflect a Modern Rustic design with a natural look. Sheepskin is a another natural element that adds coziness. The practical nature of cowhide is how extremely durable it is.

What is Modern Rustic?

It’s been around for the last few years and is the hot kitchen look for 2023. The key to a modern rustic space is an open floor plan, modern furniture, and preserved and exposed natural architectural elements. The color scheme is very simple with large windows bringing the outdoors in. This style has an informal elegance – comfortable and modern living at its best. Decoist

Natural elements of wood and stone are two major design elements for the modern rustic. If you have an older home, preserve architectural details like brick walls. Even in a newer build, use reclaimed wood and expose your beams in a cathedral ceiling. Add a stone fireplace.

You carry this style through your use of simple natural fabrics in your upholstery, linen, and rugs. Think linen throw pillows, jute, sisal, and hides for natural appeal.

Kitchen cabinet colors?

Natural wood cabinets and other wood details paired with natural stone countertops and backsplashes are perfect with a few modern elements thrown in.

Don’t want wooden cabinets? Painted cabinets call for neutrals. Neutrals like white, cream, gray, and greige are trending in 2023. Think warm whites to make the space welcoming. Blank Canvas by Behr is Behr’s Color of the Year, which their paint experts expect to flourish in kitchen designs. Try pairing it with Even Better Beige or Tranquil Gray for a cozy, calm, and comforting feel. Don’t forget that lighter colors can make a space appear larger too.

I love the cabinet color below which were painted with Sherwin-Williams Zeus.

For those who love dark colors, dark colors are still proving immensely popular. Consider the blackest green, like Studio Green by Farrow & Ball. It works in both an urban kitchen as well as a more farmhouse style. Below Studio Green cabinets work well with walls of Old White, a deeper richer neutral.

Backsplash & Countertop

Rustic surfaces of stone, beams, and wood add texture and contemporary soft furnishings make a kitchen cozy and inviting. Choosing the right backsplash begins with the kitchen cabinets already chosen. A geometric tile against wooden cabinets looks contemporary and welcoming.

Do you want a pop of white subway tile against gray cabinets? Gray modern cabinets look simple and elegant with gray marble countertops. Although the trend is natural elements a carefully chosen quartz can give you the look for less and require less maintenance.

Multi-colored natural slate tiles add dimension and warmth with the natural wood cabinets above.

I love natural live edge wood countertops. They call my name. I would so love one.

Black cabinets against a vintage brick backsplash is warm and inviting.

It’s in the details

Features like brick walls, metal detailing and exposed pipes all give that rural-with-an-edge vibe. To keep it on the rustic end of industrial, make sure to mix in with plenty of woods and warm colors. Rustic kitchens should feel welcoming, so steer away from the ultra monochromatic modern kitchen ideas look.

When choosing rustic kitchen flooring natural materials are a must. A beautiful wooden floor doesn’t really go out of style. Below the flooring creates a separate zone for the island.

Natural stone, commonly referred to as flagstone includes slate, travertine, limestone, sandstone, and bluestone. Adding a classic element in kitchen floors is easy with practical, long-lasting large flagstone tiles. Get the effect with a limestone tile, or choose a modern lookalike in porcelain. Team with classic white cabinetry to keep the look light and make the overall scheme feel more contemporary as a whole. MSI has an interesting article, Natural Stone Vs Porcelain Kitchen Tile. Porcelain and natural stone tiles have their benefits and drawbacks, and your preference is a personal choice depending on many factors. Check out the article for more information.

Maximize space in a small rustic kitchen:

1. Use a kitchen island to add more counter space.
2. Display wine bottles on custom wall holders.
3. Make use of horizontal wood slat decor styles.
4. Add decorative linked logs for eye catching decor.
5. Use light colored paint to make the room feel larger.
6. Use exposed knotted wood for a rustic charm.

Non-structural linked natural wood logs can create an eye-catching focal point. It can transform a common small kitchen into an amazing space that commands your attention. You can easily add more rustic detail with copper accents or an antler chandelier.

How about using repurposed barn wood as a back splash? This aged wood brings a unique charm to any room of your home, and in the kitchen it works amazingly well as a backsplash, cabinet fronts, or kickboards.

Remember to mix old and new items to make a kitchen designed just for you.

I’m older than many of you and have seen decades of design fads.  The current forecast sounds like a 21 st Century retelling of the 1970’s in terms of color and bringing natural elements into the home.  I really like that, but I must warn everyone to not go overboard in the next few years with all the warmer colors in fixtures and appliances.  It’s easier to get rid of one piece of furniture or repaint an accent wall than to redo your kitchen or bathroom. You may live to regret having a colored refrigerator or toilet. To this day, I hate avocado green and harvest gold as I saw them much too often when I was young.

In conclusion, explore trends and the hundreds of lovely photos of updated spaces. Note the things you love and the things you hate. Even small changes can make your space feel updated. Choose wisely where you spend your hard-earned money. Make a space you love to live in.

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