Trend Report - January 2023

A trend by definition is a general movement or direction in which things are changing over time and in the world of Interior Design it’s easy to see where the trends are leaning thanks to social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest which are brimming with ideas and beautiful images. As we head into 2023 there are a few trends that have been gaining popularity with designers over the last year that we think are worth taking note of and possibly implementing in your new build or kitchen renovation!

1.      Warm Tones

Warmth is the name of the game this year in Interior Design in general but more recently in kitchens and bathrooms! For so long the standard for a modern kitchen or bath was a crisp White (which will always be a timeless look of course) but lately the trend has been towards more warm woods, Beige-y colors and warm metal accents. We recommend our New Grey satin Polymer finish slab doors with warm wood accents to capture this look in your home.

2.      Green Cabinets

Whether it’s a light Sage, Emerald or an Olive tone, Green cabinetry is everywhere at the moment and we are personally in love with this trend! This classic Earth tone is a non-intimidating color that feels great to live in and can compliment more traditionally styled kitchens, a modern slab door style or the popular slim shaker for your cabinet doors. We recommend our Avocado lacquered wood doors to achieve this look.

 3.      Drop Down Eating Islands

As more people are opting to build new infill homes on split lots, we are leaning towards ways to make the most efficient and visually cohesive use of a more narrow and open concept space! One trend we love which is gaining popularity is the integrated drop-down eating surface build into the kitchen island since in many of these homes the kitchen is on one end of the home with an open dining area separating the kitchen from the living space. The integrated island table can save space and looks very clean, simple and modern while there are endless ways to customize depending on your overall kitchen design concept.

 4.      Metallic Finish for Cabinets or Panels

This trend isn’t for every home but it’s so glamorous and unique we had to mention it. The version of this look that we are seeing mostly this year is a patinaed Brass, Bronze or Pewter finish with natural variation and darkened areas. Untreated metal will patina and darken over time with the natural skin oils from touching your cabinets or from liquids if you opt for a metallic panel backsplash. We love the natural, luxe look in the kitchens pictured below!

5.      Integrated LED strip lighting

Lighting is an often overlooked but extremely powerful tool to add warmth and luxury to your every area of your home but especially in your kitchen where adjustable LED lighting is also the most functional. We opt for a warm color temperature such as 2700 Kelvin and always go with a fully dimmable option so you can adjust the intensity of the lighting depending on the task, time of day and mood you want to achieve in the space. We recommend integrated under cabinet lighting as well as over cabinet light if you have a space between your cabinets and ceiling, you can even add toe kick lighting or interior cabinet lighting for an extra layer of subtle illumination!

 6.      Slatted or Fluted Details

You’ve most likely seen this trend in furniture and wall panels for some time now but we are excited to announce for 2023 that we now offer a square or round slatted profile wood door in our collection available in all natural wood and lacquer finishes! Take a look at our new products post for more details! We also love the look of a custom slatted panel for the face of a kitchen island, as a wall detail behind open shelving or inside the back of an open faced or glass door cabinet.

 7.      Thin Profile Countertops and Slab Splashes

Technology has advanced to a point where with some new products thicker is not necessarily stronger and bigger isn’t always better. We can now achieve a slim, minimal profile for our countertops using products like Dekton (a sintered stone, not porcelain) which are available in slabs as thin as a centimeter! Ultra thin 1cm granite and marble slabs from Polycor are backed with an ultra strong carbon fiber mesh for extra stability and strength. This look has been popular in Europe for quite some time and we are excited to see it gaining traction in North America. We also love the look of contrasting a super thin countertop profile with a super thick stone profile for the island top and sides!

 8.      Organic/Rounded Shapes

This is a huge one just starting to take off in Edmonton, we have just started to see local designers over the last year implementing this trend as round ended islands, rounded hood boxes and even rounded cabinets. This look can be a bit trickier to integrate into an existing space, but it can work extremely well in new builds or in a 40’s or 50’s renovation of a home which already has original rounded doorways or pass-through details! We hope this soft and feminine trend is here to stay.

 9.      Integrated Seating/Banquette

Another classic space saving solution that’s been around forever and is currently having a comeback is the banquette or integrated seating. This can be the classic eating nook off the kitchen or something as innovative as bench seating built into one side of your kitchen island (pictured below from DVD Interior Design). The aesthetic can be traditional Parisienne or modern and minimalist depending on the materials selected and whether you opt for loose cushions as a backrest, or a tightly structured foam built in look.

10.   The Short Splash

 It’s rare that new trends are more cost effective, but the short splash look can be a great way to save on material in your kitchen project, especially if you’re going with a high-end stone and want to save on some square footage. Our favourite way to integrate this look is with a short stone backsplash that is capped by a small shelf in the same material, we recommend between 10” and 15” height for most projects. This is also a great way to integrate a highly patterned or colorful marble without commiting to covering your entire wall in it.