The kitchen trends for spring '23 according to interior watcher Nicolas Block

09-02-2023

The kitchen remains a primary space in our homes, which, in 2023, is subject to a range of trends. Nicolas Block of King George, along with his team, distills daily interior trends for interior clients and lists the current trends in question and answer format. One thing is certain: whatever your style may be, our interiors have never been such a mixture of global styles.

Hear it from the King himself

Nicolas Block gave an interesting interview about this with Wonen Plus. Watch it here:

Interview WonenPlus en TVplus, origineel: https://tvplus.be/artikel/wat-er-nieuw-de-keuken

Above: Pescara L faucet with swivel spout from Franke. Fresno sink in Fragranit+ by Franke, matte black. Below: Kitchen island, countertop, and wall covering in Dekton® Kraftizen Albarium from Cosentino.

What is the general trend in interior design for 2023?

“It’s time for a bit more extravagance. The roaring twenties have indeed made their way into interior design, unlike in our economy. This translates into extravagant materials, neons, gold, marble, velvet, etc. Eccentricity is allowed and encouraged. Another trend that stands in stark contrast to this is ‘chakra-core’: the harmonious connection with nature through the use of clay, ceramics, and concrete. Back to working with the earth, which is reflected in natural colors, gray tones, warm terracotta, mud, etc. Very contrasting trends, both of which have their own logic and justification when you look at the past three years.”

Kitchen Nata in Montreal finish by Ixina

How does that translate to the kitchen?

“The kitchen can no longer be confined to a single category. While in the past you had a choice between wood, white, and black, today there are endless combinations of materials possible. Black with wood, green with white, textured with flat, marble with ceramics, and so on. In 2023, wood, concrete, marble, cement, ceramics, and even combinations of these materials are particularly popular. Additionally, the color green has become popular in the kitchen industry due to our ongoing desire for nature in our homes. But you also see pink and red making their way in, perfect for those who are more adventurous.”

Countertop and splashback and floor covering from Potier Stone, Steppa Caramella marble.

Are there more and more round shapes in the kitchen?

“Undoubtedly. After round sofas, rugs, and tables, we are also seeing kitchen islands becoming more rounded, and even fronts covered with a rounded slatted structure in fun colors. Flat has become boring; we want more life and texture in the kitchen.”

Eos Neo faucet in gold with swiveling spout from Franke.

What about faucets, are there any trends to be seen there?

“Especially gold and silver in faucets and sinks are increasingly making their way, even in rounded models. This reflects the roaring twenties very much. Why shouldn’t the dishes be a bit more bling bling too?”

Can a kitchen also be eclectic?

“I would rather say, “it must be eclectic.” A one-sided interior is passé today. In the 2000s, we had the ‘cool’ white lofts from floor to ceiling, and more recently, we’ve seen the trend of monochrome greige interiors. Not that the latter trend is over, but you can see that adorning an entire house in one shade brings less life. Extravagance in different rooms is allowed, so why not go all out in decorating a bedroom or bathroom? The kitchen can also become a mix of styles and materials. After all, it remains a very important space where we often spend our time.”

Keuken Bahia in kleur Thyme van ixina.

Does the kitchen need to be less visible these days? Less open-plan architecture?

“If COVID has taught us anything, it’s that a fully open-plan approach no longer works, both in the office and at home. Privacy has become very important for cocooning, both professionally for remote work and privately for disconnecting. So, a kitchen dropped in the living room, so to speak, doesn’t work anymore. In new architecture, we still see interaction between both spaces, but often structural glass, tall cabinets, or sliding walls are used to bring the two spaces together or to close them off again. Fortunately, putting the kitchen completely in a closed-off room with a door and a pass-through window is no longer coming back.”

Are living kitchens a thing of the past then?

“The kitchen is and remains a very popular space, and it is still being used extensively. That’s why more and more things are being hidden behind sliding walls, even in utility rooms if there is space for it. In a good kitchen, life happens with all the mess that comes with it, but it can also be quickly made presentable when guests arrive. Thinking about the practical element is therefore a must, and planning the traffic flow in a kitchen in advance is a necessity.”

Left: AQ-Sense extractor hood from Franke, smooth/stainless steel. The AQ-Sense extractor hood was designed by Franke to communicate with the surrounding air and its quality. Right: CombiCookTop hob with integrated cooktop extraction from V-ZUG.

Are appliances becoming more and more high-tech?

“The internet of things” has been creeping into our kitchens for a while now. Ovens can almost independently prepare complete dishes, including measuring the core temperature of our meat. Refrigerators even know what you need without you realizing it. So, there are many cool gadgets out there, but they are still gadgets that are not yet widely adopted. A very good interior trend is the built-in hood integrated into the cooktop. This eliminates the need for a structure on the ceiling, making the space much more aesthetically pleasing.”

AdoraDish V6000 dishwasher with heat pump by V-ZUG.

Saving energy becomes more important?

“Yes, indeed. Essentially, it comes down to having recent appliances in your kitchen because an oven, dishwasher, and refrigerator that are over 10 years old consume a lot of energy. There are a lot of brands that are working hard on energy efficiency. For example, the Swiss company V-ZUG released a dishwasher with a heat pump that consumes barely half a kilowatt per cycle. So, we can expect a lot in this regard in the coming years.”

We’re hearing a lot more about AI these days, what are the consequences for designers

“The chatbots can help us present our ideas more and more to kitchen designers, on the other hand, it will also become easier for those designers to visualize certain concepts. In any case, it will be a visual revolution that will impact not only the kitchen world.”