By: Andrew Saladino | 
6 min
A new year means new home projects, and one of the most popular is a new kitchen design. Because it's the heart of your home, every choice feels significant, which can make it easy to get overwhelmed. But don't worry - we turned to the professionals to divulge the hottest kitchen update ideas to present you with a curated list of kitchen trends for 2023.
From bringing wood, stone, and other natural elements into your kitchen to updated Mid-Century Modern kitchens, we know you'll find the inspiration you need here. Now let's get cooking!
1. Get Back to Basics With Earth Tones
The era of the ultra-sterile, all-white kitchen is waning in favor of more relaxing, natural earth tones. Browns, taupes, tans, off-whites, and even some greens are all fair game this year.
2. Turn Up the Temperature With Exciting Reds
Reds are in for 2023. Base your choices on your favorite stand mixer or choose a more traditional brick red. Don't want to go full firehouse? Bring in some red kitchen decor to deviate from the norm and make your kitchen feel fresh and exciting.
3. Grow Great Memories With Greens
Nothing says fresh like the color green - and green kitchens are back this year. Mellow and pastel greens or deep bold greens are all options. Go big with a green tile backsplash or spread some green around with fun kitchen decor ideas that will add a pop of color to the room.
"This is particularly relevant for kitchens that run parallel to a garden or other outdoor space," says designer Massimo Buster Minale, founder of Buster & Punch. You can create a nearly seamless blend between indoors and outdoors with green.
4. Enhance the Vibe With a Moody All-Black Kitchen
Many people think black design elements in the kitchen should be limited to countertops. But a kitchen with black cabinets, appliances, countertops, and a dark floor creates a vibe you'll really love if you prefer dark, relaxed spaces.
5. Flash Back to Mid-Century Modern Colors
Blues, yellows, ochres, oranges, whites, and browns are the building block colors of Mid-Century Modern design. The enduring influence of Mid-Century style means you have a lot of leeway when you're looking for new paint, tile, and cabinet colors.
6. Make a Bold Statement With Yellows
Bright, bold colors are in this year - and there aren't many colors brighter and more exciting than yellow. Or go for a subtle yellow to create a more traditional feel in the heart of your home.
7. Enhance the Space With Wood
One of this year's biggest design trends is about bringing more natural elements into the kitchen. Wood is the easiest and most flexible material to incorporate. New cabinets, shelves, or a statement wall with wood are just a few of the many ideas you can try.
8. Show Off With a New Backsplash
Adding arches or other shapes to your backsplash makes for a stunning focal point that is uniquely yours. This can work with tile or metal backsplashes. If the rest of your kitchen is subtle and subdued, a patterned tile might be the breath of fresh air you've been looking for.
Eli Pasternak, interior designer and founder of Liberty House Buying Group, recommends using natural stone because it "add[s] texture and depth to the kitchen space while retaining the subtleness in the design."
9. Create an Old Feel With Rustic and Antique Touches
This year, be fearless about bringing in some antique or rustic elements. While you can go big with a beautiful antique cupboard, even bringing in some small rustic elements, like roughly hewn shelves or carved wood legs for your table, is enough to make your kitchen feel and look more unique.
10. Make It Metal
Using a variety of metal accents, including hardware like handles and pulls, mesh fronts, new stools, or fixtures can make your kitchen look completely different. Mixing metals like brass and steel can add extra dimension that's both contemporary and timeless.
11. Mix and Match Your Lighting
Combine different pendants and fixtures for a special look that will be yours alone. Even combining different colors of the same fixtures can be enough to cast your kitchen in a new light.
12. Layer Your Lighting
Use different kinds of lighting in different parts of the kitchen to create a more usable space with an atmosphere that can be adjusted based on what's needed. Keep your task lighting focused on prep and cooking areas, and bring ambient lighting into the mix over an island or eat-in dining table.
13. Go Bold With Butcher Block
Using butcher block countertops can be a great way to introduce a natural element into the kitchen. Go bold with a full butcher block island if you want your prep station to double as a focal point in your kitchen.
14. Say Something With Statement Stools
Using stools to add an extra dash of style to your island or kitchen table is quick and easy. Try some dramatic stain colors like red or gray, or bring in an exciting pattern with new upholstery. Just remember to keep them comfortable.
15. Call Attention to a Copper Backsplash
Copper is always a good call if you're trying to make your kitchen look different. While copper was commonly limited to some small accents in the past, now you can make it the center of your kitchen.
16. Mix It Up With Herringbone Tile
Herringbone patterns aren't just for flooring. Whether you use thin or chunkier subway tiles, this pattern is sure to add some visual interest to your space.
17. Go Bold With Blue and White Tile
There's a reason blue and white tile has been a popular combo forever - it works. Patterned tiles or alternating tiles of blue and white are playful and stylish no matter what style you're working with.
Charlotte Granville, a design expert and writer for Fixr, surveyed designers and found that "66% of experts believe that ceramic tile will be the most popular affordable material to be used throughout the kitchen in 2023."
18. Refresh Your Kitchen With Gridded Tile
Grids are both visually interesting and relatively easy to install even as a DIY project. Choose subway tiles or square tiles and place them in a horizontal or vertical grid. If the rest of your kitchen is a little busy, the order of a grid will be a nice counterpoint.
19. Try Tuxedo/Two-Tone Cabinets
Two-tone cabinets aren't a new idea, but they're more popular than ever. Pairing a set of dark cabinets with lighter cabinets brings balance and style to a kitchen. We love black and white tuxedo cabinets, blue and white cabinets, or just about any other complementary colors.
Lauren Czarniecki, owner and principal designer at Czar Interiors says "we are seeing a lot more color in the kitchen. While we still like working with neutral palettes, we are noticing more clients are asking for more color especially when it comes to cabinetry."
20. Use the Space With Ceiling-Height Cabinets
Do you have a foot or more of empty space above your cabinets? This year, increase the amount of storage space and make your kitchen look taller and more elegant with ceiling-height cabinets.
21. Be One of a Kind With a Unique Hood
It's easy to overlook the range hood in your kitchen, but a new one might be the accent you need to transform the space. Use metal for an industrial look, tie the hood into your hardware with bronze or copper, or try a trendy plaster or wood-covered hood.
22. Clean Up Quickly With Quartz
Quartz countertops are looking better than ever. Add easy maintenance as well as a huge range of colors, and you've got the perfect countertop material for 2023.
23. Dress Up Your Kitchen With Blue Cabinets
Blue is a classic and contemporary cabinet color. So if you're going for either vibe, blue cabinets are a wonderful choice. Choosing all blue cabinets is bold and exciting, or pair them with white uppers or lowers for a more versatile look.
"2023 kitchen trends will continue to be fresh but minimalistic. We're seeing a lot of different shades of dark blue in the kitchen - either in the cabinets or the backsplash," says Benjamin Ibanez, senior interior designer at FCI London.
24. Make Space for Open Shelves
Open shelves are ideal for smaller spaces and allow you to introduce new materials into your kitchen. If you have a lot of wood accents, try some metal shelves. If your kitchen is contemporary and clean, add in some wood shelves for warmth.
25. Go Multifunctional With Your Island
Your island doesn't have to be a fixed, giant thing in the middle of your kitchen. It can also be moveable and double as a dining table. So if you're remodeling your kitchen this year and you want an island, consider your options to make the best use of your space.
Feeling inspired to transform your kitchen but not sure what's the best place to start? Our NKBA-certified designers are ready to help you create your perfect kitchen for free.
Start Designing Your Dream Kitchen >
Current Kitchen Trends FAQs
With so much information out there, it can be hard to choose what kitchen design ideas are the right ones for your home. We've answered some of the top questions about 2023 kitchen trends to help you get started.
What are current trends for kitchens in 2023?
The biggest trends for kitchens in 2023 include combining different materials and adding colors to monochrome kitchens. Boldness is in, so take advantage of it!
Are white kitchens out in 2023?
White kitchens aren't out in 2023, but people are branching out and getting more creative with their design style. You can expect to see bolder colors and textures in kitchens this year.
What are kitchen colors for 2023?
The top kitchen colors for 2023 are green, red, and vintage and earth tones. There's almost no limit to colors this year, so embrace a bold choice if it makes you happy.
What is on trend for kitchens?
With bold choices being in this year, transitional styles are on trend, as well as Mid-Century Modern, and contemporary styles. If you don't want to take on a full remodel, even new paint or some added decor could refresh your kitchen.
This year, make the most of these 2023 kitchen trends. Take your time looking at kitchen updates and redecorating ideas as well as ways you can refresh other parts of your home. Whether you decide to go with something classic or you want to try something a little more modern, Kitchen Cabinet Kings has kitchen cabinets that will form the base of any good kitchen remodel.
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