Rearo’s Guide to Kitchen Trends 2023

As with the fashion world, garden creations, and car models, directions are always changing and focussing on new designs, being influenced by trends, technology, and the global environmental and economic status. It’s no different for the hub of our homes, the kitchen. 

The kitchen is the number one space to add value to your home, not only in financial terms, but also in functionality, entertainment, and the overall welcoming ambiance, creating a calm and comfortable place to cook and live in.

All that being said, it’s no surprise that we think long and hard about what we are going to do when planning our next kitchen renovation, there’s a lot riding on it.

We demand a lot more from our culinary spaces these days, as we are spending more and more time in them, to cook, eat, work, rest, and entertain, so let us look at where the kitchen trends are heading in 2023. 

The most noticeable move is that there is undoubtedly growing confidence in the design choices with bolder finishes, more individuality, and less focus on pure function. Spa-like in ambiance and lounge-bar in looks, providing plenty of personality and style.

We’ve separated into several areas of the kitchen design trends 2023, to help you understand and consider the choices and decisions to be made before you plan a quick fix refresh or your next major kitchen renovation.

Nooks

These are quietly hidden moments, concealed in unexpected places. Whether it’s that awkward end countertop cupboard, with a pull-out shelf ideal for holding the kettle and toaster, or a dedicated tall built-in unit, with double doors that effortlessly open out, and then slide back into the sides like pocket doors, completely unseen, and un-hindering on the space, to reveal a surprise breakfast buffet area, coffee refill place or a delightful wet bar station complete with a wine fridge, concealed LED lighting to the open shelves and either mirror backed for a hint of sophistication, whimsical wallpaper or perhaps using Rearo’s limestone splashback (pictured) for a minimal, calming effect.  

Hidden doorways

To surprise and delight, these hidden doors are presented as a continuation of the kitchen cabinetry, with no hint of the treasures that lie behind, such as secondary kitchens, walk-in pantries, or even more elaborately, cinema rooms. The choice is endless, and will definitely be a talking point.

See this article by Livingetc on Hidden Door Ideas for more inspiration.

Secondary (Dirty) Kitchens

If your space allows it, you will most certainly have a secondary or ‘dirty’ kitchen planned into your layout. Now that our kitchens and lounge areas are blending into one, large, open planned area, we have more pressure for the functionality not to override the aesthetic, hence the birth of a home’s second kitchen. This is where all the cooking and cleaning will be done, so as not to disturb the refined, relaxing, lounge feel of the primary kitchen. However, don’t be lulled into thinking that the ‘dirty’ kitchen will lack in style or sophistication, one will be equally as delightful as the other.

Walk-in (Butler) Pantries

We are seeing a resurgence of these practical storage areas, equally known as larders, but with a greater slant on the organisation of all the contents, from wicker baskets, labelled glass containers, and stacking boxes, all neatly placed on open shelves, to be more like a showcase of beautifully styled decorative items, than a store cupboard for kitchen supplies.

All these wonderfully presented items, are enhanced with bold-scale wall lights, which provide pinpoint lighting, but are aesthetically pleasing in themselves.

Booth (Banquette) seating

Booth seating reduces the amount of floor space taken up. It adds an element of fun, as it evokes the sense of being out in a city bar, especially if it also provides concealed mobile charging points and ethernet connections, to get some work done on the laptop.

This built-in seating area can also double up as extra storage, with the seat pads lifting up, and providing places for cushions, throws, etc. to go underneath.

For the finishing touches, put LED lighting along the top of the back of the booth. It can gently light up the wall, these should be dimmable ( ideally all lighting should be ) and colour-changing so you can set the mood, and finally, place a large scale light fitting over the table. These are now more unexpected styles being used, architectural and sculptural in design, and not so much the trio of pendants we’ve been used to in the past. Here we can afford to drop the height of the table pendant, as there’s no way we can walk into it, but it makes the area feel more intimate and inviting. It should be approximately 750mm -900mm from the tabletop to the bottom of the light fitting.

Full height cabinetry

Normally, wall units are placed to leave a space open above them, for the dust to collect, or where we stuff items not used very often. It becomes untidy and unsightly, but the move towards a kitchen that looks as good as your lounge, changes that. We are now seeing the cabinetry being taken all the way to the ceiling. They are either a continuation of the rest of the cabinet doors, or they are glazed with lighting, to beautifully showcase decorative items within, adding depth and interest.

Islands

This new trend isn’t as restrictive. Our finishes aren’t so matchy-matchy but more eclectic and the mixing of materials, allows it to feel more open. This could help with a quick fix upgrade. Paint the island a different colour from the rest of the units, change to a complementing countertop from the perimeter worktop; a wood effect worktop on the island looks great, with marble effect laminate worktop everywhere else. Take a look at Rearo’s Heritage Butcher block islands and you will see what we mean.

Overstated Hardware

Finally, another trend alert, add new overstated hardware and go big. It’s like a piece of statement jewellery. The big scale adds a sense of drama and sophistication.

On the other hand, if you have plenty of space and are planning a major renovation, it’s all about not one, but TWO kitchen islands. I know, right! Here you can separate their functionality, one for prepping and cooking on, and the other is more a social island with bar stools, concealed sockets, charging points, and even an open unit to place your pet’s bed in. Lucky Rover!

Most importantly though, we are seeing a move to mainly deep drawers instead of cupboards, there’s no doubt that it certainly makes it ergonomically easier to use. Biggest news of all, the shapes of our islands are changing. No longer the predictable square or rectangular version, but curved and irregular shapes, rounded edges, making it more convivial.

These 2023 kitchen trends are all very exciting. Follow Rearo’s Guide to Kitchen Trends 2023 and let your creativity flow. Add overstated hardware, bold wallpaper, and mix up the finishes and it’s a recipe for more eye-catching, unique, and individual spaces. We are certainly looking forward to seeing all your visually rich, and incredibly inviting, home hubs.