What’s happening with 2023 kitchen design trends?

Posted on January 10, 2023 in Home Design

What’s happening with 2023 kitchen design trends?

What’s happening with 2023 kitchen design trends? Now that we’ve moved well past the pandemic’s shelter-at-home restrictions, homeowners have changed their view on must-have kitchen features. New Home Inc. has paid attention and our new home designs are right on track with what really matters to homebuyers.

What has changed in kitchen design?

The kitchen has always been the heart of the home. People naturally gravitate to the source of food, snacks, drinks, and meals. And no matter how enticing you set up a buffet or serve food in another area, guests just seem to flock to the kitchen.

That focal point hasn’t changed. In fact, it has become even more important.

When you suddenly had to shift to working from home while having kids attending school virtually, the kitchen became the go-to place—specifically, the kitchen island. Workspace was at a premium.

But you still had to use your kitchen for its primary purpose: storing and preparing food and cleaning up afterwards. With so many people at home for much longer periods of time, you had to store, prepare, and clean up a LOT more often. Where could you keep all those precious non-perishables you had to forage for? How could you convert your kitchen into a multi-use space? And how could you do it all and avoid bottlenecks?

Do you need a bigger kitchen or just a better one?

Sure, who wouldn’t want a bigger kitchen? One look at the expansive gourmet kitchens you see on television or in magazines and your own kitchen suddenly seems inadequate.

What we learned in creating new home designs and planning kitchen design is that we simply needed to put more thought into the layout. What goes where and why? The size is important, but so is the placement. The kitchen is perhaps the most functional space in your home. Think of all the activity here. You start your day in the kitchen, making coffee or breakfast. When any family member returns home, they seem to head straight for the kitchen. Whether to grab a bite or drink or see who’s home, the likely destination is always the kitchen.

When designing and building new homes for sale in Raleigh and the Raleigh suburbs, New Home Inc. studied the functions and the flow of every space. For kitchen design, we looked at how the various uses could happen in harmony. How can someone who is cooking work easily without bumping into people who want to get into the fridge or spread out their work on the island? What do you do with someone who is hanging out, going through mail and taking up space in a busy kitchen? And if you’re trying to work remotely, using your kitchen island, while also getting a meal prepped, could you accomplish both successfully without weaving through people or trying to maneuver through a cluttered kitchen?

All of these issues came to a boiling point during the pandemic when there was so much closeness that families felt crowded.

The 2023 kitchen design trends address all of these problems that became even more troubling during the pandemic. Here’s what you should look for when planning your kitchen design:

  • More seating at the island:The kitchen island is at the center of the all-important kitchen, both in placement and importance. Because it has so many uses—serving, prep, casual dining, sorting mail, doing homework, paying bills, to name a few—the center island should be as large as can be comfortably fit in the kitchen. More than size alone, the addition of seating on two sides (wrapping around the front and one side) expands the use. We made sure our homebuyers would have this advantage. The island in every New Home Inc. kitchen has seating on at least two sides, with the counter extended far enough to make comfortable seating all the way around the island.
  • Walk-in pantry:When we were planning the kitchen design, we saw spaces that just didn’t make sense. The corner cabinet, for example, where some builders install a lazy susan. Things go in there and are never seen again. Why not expand on that space and make it more usable storage?

A walk-in pantry is as essential to the kitchen as a walk-in closet is in the bedroom. The ability to move around makes it easier to find what you need. New Home Inc. believes a walk-in pantry should be a standard feature for every new home. So, in our new homes, it is!

  • Service pantry: They used to call them a butler’s pantry or a service pantry. We call this extra nook a “messy kitchen”. This small room off the kitchen, separated by a pocket door, presents the ultimate kitchen storage solution! 

What’s a messy kitchen? Picture an enclosed space with cabinets, a countertop, a sink, and possibly a mini refrigerator, dishwasher, or beverage station. When you’re busily preparing a big meal or baking up a storm, organize your small appliances and ingredients there. Set out your serving dishes and utensils to stay organized. Keep the hectic part of your food preparation out of the main kitchen area, where it’s not simply organized but also out of sight of people coming and going. 

  • More workspace: Do your countertops get covered with clutter? Do you have to take the time to move things (or people) when you’re ready to do some serious cooking? Do you always feel short on space for rolling out dough and organizing trays, cooling racks, and platters? Our deeper island provides more workspace on top and storage below. Combined with the walk-in pantry and messy kitchen, the larger center island is a must-have for your kitchen.
  • Single-level surface: For a while, kitchen islands and peninsulas had a raised area for casual dining. This breakfast bar provided a narrow space—not much larger than an average placemat—that was higher than the rest of the island’s countertop, to accommodate a stool. But, why not keep it all at one level and provide a larger flat work area? Stools already come in sizes to accommodate this height. Think about the single-level surface when planning your new kitchen. It makes much more sense!
  • Drawers: Pulling out a drawer is so much easier than rummaging around in the dark space of a cabinet. We’ve swapped out more cabinets with drawers to give our homebuyers the ease of this benefit.
  • Pull out trash can: A trash can is unsightly, no matter how much design goes into it. Homebuyers much prefer the under-counter pull out cabinet that holds a trash can. It’s conveniently located next to the kitchen sink and keeps your trash where it belongs, out of sight.
  • Move the microwave: Another kitchen design trend is the placement of the microwave. Traditionally, the microwave is either sitting on the counter or mounted above the stovetop. More and more homebuyers prefer a different aesthetic. Either install the appliance below the countertop of the center island or above a wall oven. Either way, the view is more pleasing.
  • Dedicated workspace:If you’re tired of sharing valuable countertop space with people who need it for school or work, you might like the kitchen design trend of separating kitchen chores from other work. You can incorporate a built-in desk with your cabinetry, complete with storage and the necessary cabling for your technology. New Home Inc. includes the latest CAT6 cabling as a standard feature with network panel in our homes, eliminating dead zones and guaranteeing a strong, reliable signal.

Our new homes offer another alternative for adding a workspace. We include a flex room next to the kitchen. You can use part of it for the messy kitchen we described, or convert it into a pocket office, with the all-important door to add privacy.

Future-Proof home design is here

New Home Inc. takes a different approach to new home design. We call it “Future-Proof”. We did extensive research into what homebuyers need and want in their new homes. Lifestyles have changed, and that means the homes we build need to keep up. Better yet, we are a step ahead.

Future-Proof design includes such innovations as an enclosed, secure area for home deliveries. The Smart Door Delivery Zone protects your packages with a smart lock that can only be accessed with a code.

Every aspect of home design is reflected in every one of New Home Inc.’s new homes for sale in Raleigh and the Raleigh suburbs. We’ve researched, designed, and included energy  efficiency, indoor air quality, an electric vehicle charging station, and even a place for your pets! We looked ahead at how smart home automation is evolving. Our new home designs reflect the latest in technology so you can move in and instantly take advantage of these advances.

When you choose one of our new homes for sale in Raleigh and the Raleigh suburbs, you’re keeping up with 2023 kitchen design trends and beyond. We want your home to have lasting value, and that only happens when you choose a builder with this vision.If you want to see what’s coming in new home design, let New Home Inc. give you a tour! Contact us to learn about the communities of townhomes and new homes for sale in RaleighLillington, Apex, Fuquay-Varina, Smithfield, and Selma.

Additional Resources:

The post What’s happening with 2023 kitchen design trends? appeared first on New Home Inc.