1. ROUNDED ISLANDS
Why does a kitchen island have to have sharp corner? Answer: of course it doesn't. And designers are realising that actually rounded edges are more convivial, more conducive to friends and family sitting around their modern kitchen together.
2. HIDDEN PANTRIES
We gasped audibly when we saw Poliform’s new Artex Pro kitchen debut at Salone del Mobile in Milan last June. A sleek monochrome space, it was all smooth surfaces and handle-free doors. Then, at the push of a button, a set of shelves suddenly emerged from the center of the kitchen island, two rows that had been flush to the quartzite countertop, holding jars of spices and other favorite ingredients.
3. OVERSIZED, SWOOPING HANDLES
Another of the new designs we saw its debut at Salone del Mobile in June, luxe kitchen and bathroom brand Scavolini introduced the new Jeometrica collection to the world.
4. COLORFUL TAPS IN A NEUTRAL SPACE
As we want our homes to feel ever more soothing, it's only natural we turn to minimalist color palettes, and grey kitchens come back to the fore. But this wouldn't be a Livingetc-approved trend without a little twist, and its the pop of a jewel-bright tone on the faucet that gives a little jolt of energy a room like this really needs.
5. AGED BRASS AND SMOOTH WOOD
The latest countertop trends have seen a mix of colors and materials, but this kitchen designed by Roundhouse takes that one step further and contrasts both the island and wall cupboards with the surface.
6. EXTRA-LARGE FRIDGES
Super-size refrigerators are becoming the norm in new kitchen designs - that extra bit of space to store food for the whole family, meaning trips to the store can happen less frequently.
7. PORCELAIN COUNTERTOPS
While marble, granite and quartzite have long been the most common materials for kitchen counters, new innovations have seen porcelain step into the arena. It makes sense - as substance, it's hardwearing, durable and - just as importantly - quite beautiful to look at.
8. SPA-LIKE SPACES
You've heard of the spa bathroom, but what about the spa kitchen? Yes, meditative materials are coming to the fore here which help create a serene place to cook and live in, a mood that is almost monastic.
9. CABINETS TO THE CEILING
While this is also another example of the curved island, what's particularly notable about this white kitchen designed by Martin Moore is the way the cabinets run all the way up to the top of the ceiling.
10. LAYERS OF BLACK
Sophisticated? Tick. Striking? Tick? A stylish backdrop for any shade? Tick. When you lay bare the advantages of a black kitchen, it is difficult to understand why many people are daunted by it. On the surface, black kitchens can appear a daring, or even unwise, choice but cleverly executed, it can create an impact like no other color.
11. MELLOW YELLOW
Once only a color worth considering for children’s bedrooms, yellow is seeing a resurgence in popularity in every area of interiors. And why? Because it perfectly captures the mood of 2023 - joyous, uplifting and optimistic.
12. KITCHEN JEWELLERY
Forget the understated cabinetry of the past. In the same way a beautiful outfit is incomplete without a considered piece of jewelry, a similar mood has made its way into our kitchens. Now kitchen cabinets and drawers look virtually incomplete without some kind of metallic adornment and require striking hardware to add personality and style.
13. BLACK COUNTERTOP AND BACKSPLASH
If adding layers of black is a little extreme for your kitchen tastes, another new way to incorporate black is to use it on both your countertop and your splashback for an eye-catching look.
14. ARCHITECTURAL PENDANTS
Kitchen lighting can often be a forgotten part of your overall design but the right lighting can transform a room and there are lots of great lighting ideas to try. A successful lighting plan will usually need to be layered and include a combination of mood, task and feature lighting.
15. COPPER MIRRORED BACKSPLASH
A mirrored backsplash is nothing new but now the reflective glass is moving towards a warmer, copper version for 2023. As well as helping bounce light around the kitchen, it instantly helps double the look of the space, which makes it the perfect solution for small kitchens.
16. MINT GREEN
As interior design turns collectively towards natural materials, forms and colors as a way to bring the soothing, grounding character of the outdoors into the home, the kitchen takes up a classic, timeless tone picked straight from the garden as a key color for 2023.
17. TEXTURED SURFACES
Texture may have been something we're used to in living room trends and bedrooms for years, but it's only recently we've seen it seep into kitchens. 'Visible grain on timbers, especially on crown cut oak and ash veneers, brushed metals, honed, leathered or textured stone finishes & concrete' are all being used more often as kitchen materials explains Oana Sandu, Lead designer, Blakes London.
18. FREESTANDING MULTIFUNCTIONAL STORAGE
As the needs of the kitchen changes, and it becomes more of a living space than ever before, multifunctional, flexible, free-standing furniture becomes an essential part of the design. Plus, bringing in these pieces it's an easy way to adapt your space without having to start totally from scratch - no need to revamp your kitchen island here.
19. KITCHEN WALLPAPER
Again, there really seems to be a theme here of kitchen trends that treat this once purely practical space more like a living room.
20. SLAB BACKSPLASHES
Is there anything more stunning in a kitchen than a slab backsplash? A wall of interrupted stone or marble adds an instant focal point to a kitchen adding beautiful natural textures and shapes - modern kitchen backsplashes just keep getting more graphic.
21. COLORED MARBLE
Marble, in some form or another, makes into our kitchen trends round-up every year. And this year it's had a colorful glow up. We see a lot of marble kitchen countertops in the classic white and grey neutral tones, but marble can come in a beautiful array of shades, from pale pinks to deep emerald greens.
22. UNUSUAL SINKS
Taps have got a lot of attention in kitchen trends the past few years – black taps, brass taps, hot taps – and this year we have turned to give some thought to the humble sink.
23. KITCHEN TREES
We're constantly trying to find new ways to bring the outdoors in, and our love of houseplants has turned into something much... larger. House trees are becoming a more frequent feature on Pinterest and Instagram with homeowner's opting to grow full-sized trees within their kitchens. Olive trees have been the most popular, adding a very Med-vibe to any space and creating a very unique focal point.
24. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN CHOICES
Speaking of living more wholesome and sustainable lives, this is also having an impact on the materials we are now choosing to build our kitchens from, or decorate them with, like eco paints.
25. 3D SURFACES
Last year’s supremely popular fluted glass trend is moving into non-transparent materials for 2023 as we seek out new ways to enjoy surfaces with fluidity and vigour. While three-dimensional tiles often follow architectural and geometric forms, on kitchen cabinetry the emerging shapes feel far more mellow.
26. COLORFUL WOOD STAINS
Because wood can come in more than just various shades of brown. You can get all those lovely natural textures that come from raw wooden kitchen cabinets but opt for a colored stain for a bolder look - this is the same approach we're seeing in the world of colored concrete.