Top Kitchen Design Trends for 2023: A Comprehensive Guide

Open concept kitchens remain highly popular for their airy, communal feel. By knocking down walls separating the kitchen from adjacent living spaces, this continuous flow allows friends and family to easily mingle and chat while food is being prepared. Great for entertaining, open designs also allow the chef to be part of the action. Strategic island or peninsula placement can help define spaces within the open layout.

Conversions to open concept kitchens almost always involve the removal of a wall or expansion of existing arches or doorways. Due to this, the price of a project can heavily depend on which walls are load bearing, if the walls contain plumbing and electrical connections, and how much new electrical and plumbing will need to be installed. As such, we never recommend open concept kitchens as a DIY project or handyman job.

To accommodate different tasks efficiently, the savviest kitchen layouts incorporate multiple work zones. Breaking up your kitchen into distinct zones allows your to thoroughly plan out your movements as you cook, bake, and entertain, and create a bespoke layout that caters to your exact needs. Key stations include food prep, cooking, cleaning, as well as designated seating and dining spaces. Design each area around its function, ensuring ample counterspace and storage. Clever zoning transforms kitchen activity into a social experience.

One of our favorite specialized areas to create in modern kitchens and new installs is a built-in coffee bar area. Having a separate beverage prep area benefits the kitchen not only by adding sophistication when entertaining, but also prevents the early-morning traffic jams that can happen during your morning routine, especially with larger families and smaller kitchens.

Cool grays, beiges, and greiges are giving way to warmer neutrals like tan, cream, and deeply saturated browns. These earthy hues provide a soothing, grounded feel. Pair with natural wood finishes and textures for a welcoming, organic look.

Buttery yellows, natural hued greens, and terracotta oranges add playful pops of color to add contrast throughout your room, and make great choices for accent walls, centerpiece furniture, and wall decorations.

One of the trickiest parts of deciding on your materials, colors, and furniture is ensuring that there is either a unified aesthetic across your choices, or a deliberate use of contrast between them to benefit the room. Many modern designers add depth and interest to their designs by combining natural materials like wood, stone, metal, and glass to create contrast and warmth that highlights other selections in the room. The use of multi-toned wood cabinets or shelves set against a backdrop of cool quartz, or tinted glass for example can create a sophisticated, modern theme in your room. Adding metallic accents like brass hardware and fixtures is another great way to vary your materials and add visual intrigue.

One of the most timeless style choices for cabinets, and also one of the most common, Shaker-style cabinets are extremely popular due to their clean, minimal style and versatility. Simple rectangular door fronts and recessed center panels pair well with both traditional and contemporary kitchens, while also offering room for refacing and hardware customization down the road. White Shaker cabinets project a light, airy feel, while wood tones and bursts of color can add warmth and contrast.

Two-toned kitchen cabinets are also seeing their time to shine in 2023. Popular combos include white uppers with dark lowers, a light cabinet base with a bold island, or contrasting uppers and lowers. Two tones define spaces, create visual interest, and allow you to enjoy the benefits of light and dark colors.

With the look of natural stone coupled with extreme durability, Quartz countertops are surging in popularity. Available in a wide array of colors and patterns, quartz provides a sophisticated look. Seamless installation, heat resistance and easy maintenance make quartz a practical option.

Concrete delivers an edgy, ultra-modern look and feel great for industrial aesthetics. Concrete can be poured, stained, polished, stamped or finished to achieve varied design effects. Concrete is durable and heat-resistant but requires careful sealing. Opting for concrete is a great opportunity to create a bold statement piece with your countertops.

Between smart refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, and more, the options for smart appliances have never been as wide-reaching or as functionality-focused. WiFi connectivity on fridges and stoves allows remote monitoring and temperature control via apps, while voice assistants can allow for hands-free adjustments and notetaking while cooking. Advanced features like cameras inside the fridge and auto-reordering make high-tech appliances appealing upgrades, but with an understandable increase in cost.

Popular choices of brand when focusing on smart features include Samsung, LG, GE, Whirlpool, and Bosch.

Integrated built-in refrigerators align impeccably with your cabinetry for a sleek, uniform look. Choose custom panels that match surrounding cabinet doors and finishes. When installed without visual breaks or contrast, integrated refrigeration can extend your cabinets and counterspace to make rooms feel larger and reclaim functioning space. Varied options for door configuration and installation allow you to customize you fridge to suit your needs.

Another under-considered option is a undercounter fridge, with a popular choice being separate beverage coolers. A second undercounter fridge adds storage space without losing access to functional surfaces like counters that a larger, main fridge would entail.

Make a dramatic style statement with striking pendant lighting over kitchen islands or dining areas. Options abound from dramatic oversized drum fixtures to cascading multi light pendants. Bold metals like matte black or brass make a modern declaration.

Strategically placed undercabinet lighting illuminates task areas safely and effectively. LED strip lighting installed on the underside of upper cabinets provides focused illumination ideal for food prep and clean up zones. Some options feature remote controls or dimming.

Hanging pot racks free up precious cabinet space for bulky pots and pans. Position over islands or prep zones to keep essentials within arm’s reach. Opt for high quality materials like stainless steel, wrought iron, or solid wood. Use S-hooks to easily reposition pieces.

Glass door wall cabinets provide decorative display space in the kitchen to showcase beautiful dishware, collectibles or lightweight accessories. Ambient lighting illuminates interiors beautifully. EDIT; mix some closed storage too.