What are the new kitchen trends for 2023? We asked Roundhouse Senior Designer Jane Powell for her insight into the most sought-after surfaces, tech and design directions for luxury bespoke kitchens this year. 

What are the latest material trends emerging for 2023?

As a natural material, wood is always on trend, but this year it’s all about the texture. This trend was starting to emerge last year but now we’re seeing clients committing wholeheartedly to the beauty of textural timbers, even in minimalist modern kitchen design. Fluted, slatted, rough sawn or riven, the appeal of textured wood door fronts lies in the way they respond to light and shadow, changing as the sun moves through the room. I particularly like the contrast of using rough sawn oak timber in contemporary kitchen design.

The latest modern kitchen worktops also focus on adding character. Natural stone is still in play, but we’re moving away from the play-it-safe monochrome luxury marble kitchen designs towards more adventurous stones. I particularly love the deep swirling greens in Vitoria Regia quartzite, and there’s also more call for marbles veined with gold and bronze, which lend a richness and warmth you can’t get from grey and white Carrara marble work surfaces.

What kitchen colour trends are you anticipating in 2023?

Everywhere you look this season, in fashion, soft furnishings, even the motor industry, greens are dominating. We’re expecting the full spectrum of greens, from dark forest to sage to warm olives and vibrant citrus, to be working their way into bespoke kitchens in the year ahead. Associated with nature and yielding a sense of tranquillity and calm, greens have the timeless quality required when choosing a new bespoke kitchen design.

Another liveable colour trend with enduring appeal that’s coming through is sandy earth tones, from terracotta to biscuit to dusky pink. Like green, these neutrals are again serene and calming but they have red undertones, so they’ll bring more visual warmth to your designer kitchen.

Finally, and one of my favourites, is the trend for black-on-black kitchens. This kitchen design trend combines dark cabinetry with dark modern worktops but pulls in textures within the materials so it’s not overbearing or too flat. Think dark stained wood doors with dark and bronzed toned honed worktops, such as Caesarstone’s Darcrest quartz.

What’s the next ‘must-have’ tech?

Sparkling water taps are becoming a must-have. They’re super eco-friendly because there’s no glass or plastic bottles to recycle and convenient, too. Following the popularity of boiling water and filtered drinking water on tap, sparkling water is another luxury kitchen design feature that, if you prefer your water effervescent, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without.

Wifi-enabled appliances are here to stay and it’s becoming the norm to find you can operate your oven, hob or washing appliances from your phone or device. The usefulness of such tech is also improving. The wifi-enabled innovation we’re expecting to take off next is ovens and fridges with internal cameras. A camera in the oven is rather clever because it helps contain heat and not waste energy by opening and closing the door to check cooking progress. It also means you can check dinner isn’t burning from the comfort of your sofa!

In the fridge, cameras can help reduce food waste by monitoring what you buy and when food is due to expire. Again, you can see inside your fridge from your phone, so can check milk supplies when at the supermarket or doing an online food order from the office.

What about kitchen layout trends – what’s popular?

Open plan is still going strong; however, clients usually make sure there’s a separate closed off sitting room/snug planned elsewhere to allow for separate activities and quiet time. Large kitchen dining room ideas are great but going fully open plan isn’t necessarily conducive to harmonious family life.

One layout trend that’s really taking off is demand for layouts that include a ‘home bar’ for coffee, soft drinks, cocktails and wine. It’s best to position these more sociable elements at the outer ends of the kitchen layout, or within kitchen dining designs, to enable access without getting in the way of the cooking.

Those who were able to continue working from home during lockdown and have chosen to keep this working practice at least for part of the week, want to create a sense of occasion in their own home – perhaps to replace their regular barista quality coffee on the way to work, or the wind down drink afterwards. Dedicating an area for these moments is now seen as something worth investing in rather than a novelty area that won’t be used much. 

Our expert kitchen designers can help you make the best choices for your Roundhouse bespoke kitchen or wardrobes. Visit any of our seven Roundhouse showrooms; Wigmore St, Clapham, Fulham, Richmond, Cambridge, Guildford & Cheltenham and get planning!