2023 Kitchen design trends

The most reinvented room in your home is the kitchen. By far. Because of that, following the kitchen trends can be very insightful in what new living patterns are concerned. Here are some of the ones that I’ve spotted with my keen (22-year and counting) professional eye that I’m sure will fill in the 2023 design pages:

Image by Raphiell Alfaridzy via Unsplash

No more uppers

You know those uppers that you always have, to put mainly dishes and glasses? Well, they’re out! Suppose you want to be in the “in” circle. In that case, you have to make do with sleek, organized open shelves or nothing at all above your counter except, maybe, a smartly placed artwork or biophilic-green pot of plants.

This is what in kitchen design is called a ‘storage component,’ and it’s being completely reinvented.

Many friends and clients ensure they have it all shoved behind closed, beautiful doors. So, naturally, now you wonder: where will it all go? I won’t leave you hanging: in most cases, to tall pantries or separate pantries, but there are so many options! See links to further tips in the Land of Dochia magazine at the end of the article.

Sculptural shapes

We will see a flourish of islands of all shapes and kinds with comfortable highchairs to spark bar-like conversation and hospitality-induced entertaining. Stone waterfalls will ditch the simple rectangle and undertake new shapes. At the same time, cabinetry will get more gadgety than ever, as if that were even possible!

Mixed finishes

The good old days of one colour kitchen are gone. Heck, even the “trend” with wood-stained islands and white cabinetry is, by now, over twenty years old. Can you believe it? Living in an era where kitchens revert more and more to furniture (yes, revert, that’s how they started), we’re seeing an influx of materials and shapes that make kitchens less and less distinguishable from other built-ins or architectural accents within your home. And they do that without an ounce of functional loss.

Interior of modern kitchen with youthful furniture

Colour bursts

Deep reds, soft greens and mustard yellows can now be paired with lilac and pale blues. Well.. in your dreams, you say, I’m sure. It’s true, the North American market being so much more conservative colour-wise than the rest of the world, you will not see that here as much, nor as fast, as in other places of the world. But why not look far and bring home that which you cannot find here if you want to have it?

In Canada, 25% of the population remodels their kitchen every year. That means that, on average, kitchens have a lifespan of four years. Why not have some fun with it, then? But we cannot look at this in isolation. Kitchen remodels often take place when one moves to a new home. According to the Association of Movers, on average, Canadians move five or six times in their lifetime.

However, with the rampant refocus on quality of life, there is a chance that this number will go down. If moving slows down, renos may remain as is, although, let’s face it, how many of you renovate the kitchen every four years?

Aside from that, Canadians have one of the highest immigration policies in the world, accepting over 300,000 newcomers every year. According to StatsCan, in 2021, more than eight million immigrants had permanent residences, roughly 21.5% of the total population. I’m sure they will bring more kitchen colour love with them as many of these newcomers, as they settle into their new lives, will eventually move to a place they buy and remodel.