Seven Kitchen Trends Gaining Popularity
For many of us, kitchens are the heart of the home—and they’re often the first room that new homeowners are looking to renovate. Kitchen trends change fast, so whatever was popular last year can quickly make a kitchen look dated today. And according to a recent Houzz study, which surveyed 2,380 homeowners on 2023 kitchen trends, 42 percent of those renovating their home say they are upgrading their kitchen because they can no longer stand the old one.
Luckily, you can do a wide range of upgrades to make your kitchen look more modern and appealing—whether you’re looking for a smaller-scale project, like painting your cabinets, or something bigger, like opening up the floor plan. Below, learn more about 2023’s biggest kitchen trends to find inspiration for your next renovation.
Sustainability
Sustainability is front of mind, with 92 percent of homeowners incorporating sustainable features during a kitchen renovation, the Houzz survey found. Sustainability features include LED bulbs, energy-efficient appliances, water-efficient fixtures, and energy-efficient windows. Creating a kitchen that won’t need regular style updates is also a sustainable effort, with many homeowners opting for timeless design as a sustainable choice during renovations.
Minimal Cabinet Doors
Minimal kitchen cabinet doors are the most popular choice for kitchens. With clean, classic lines, Shaker is the most popular cabinet door style because it can work beautifully whether your aesthetic is modern, transitional, or traditional. Also called a “five-piece,” a Shaker door is essentially a flat panel with a frame consisting of rails (horizontal pieces) and stiles (vertical pieces).
Another option is Frameless cabinets, which started in Europe but have gained popularity in the U.S., consisting of full overlay doors that attach directly to the cabinet box via hinges on the cabinet’s interior. Frameless cabinets can look more contemporary and have more space inside.
Regarding hardware trends, minimal and sleek designs using bar pulls are the most popular option, with 72 percent of homeowners choosing them, 34 percent opting for knobs, and 10 percent choosing cup pulls.
Wood Cabinets
Cabinet color is also an ever-evolving trend. While it may seem like everyone was painting their cabinets green recently, white cabinets are the most popular choice in renovated kitchens. But natural wood-tone cabinets, medium-tone wood, and dark woods are gaining popularity.
Electronics
Aside from purely aesthetic refreshes, many homeowners have been finding ways to upgrade the technology in their kitchens. According to the study, the study shows that docking stations, wireless speakers, and stereo systems are all becoming more popular kitchen additions. On top of that, 51 percent of homeowners install faucets with high-tech features, such as water efficiency and touch-only or touch-free activation; and 39 percent install other appliances with high-tech features, including Wi-Fi connectivity and smartphone or tablet controls.
Kitchen Lighting Design: Recessed Lights
Recessed lights have become the most popular kitchen lights, with 72 percent of renovators choosing them among homeowners upgrading their kitchen lighting. Undercabinet lights, formerly in the top spot, came in a close second.
Open Kitchen Design
Open kitchen plans are generally gaining popularity but with an extra emphasis on indoor-outdoor living. Forty percent of renovating homeowners are making their kitchens more open to interior spaces, and 20 are making kitchens more open to the outdoors, the study found. When opening kitchens to the outdoors, 46 percent of renovators did so with double doors or a row of doors, 29 percent with a single door, and 14 percent with a pass-through window.
Hiring a Professional
DIY home projects may have been popular during the pandemic, largely out of necessity. However, most homeowners still rely on professionals for their kitchen renovations. The number of people hiring cabinetmakers, in particular, increased for the fourth consecutive year. However, 50 percent of renovators work with general contractors for their kitchen remodeling. A lesser amount (22 percent and 15 percent, respectively) work with kitchen and interior designers for their kitchen projects.
Research conducted and phots by Houzz; Reported by Real Simple Magazine, January 2023