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It’s no secret that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where we flip pancakes on Sunday mornings, prepare elaborate holiday meals for our family, and gather with friends for great wine and conversation. So when homeowners are looking to update their home, the first place many people start is with a new kitchen design—especially since it can improve our everyday routines and boost the home’s resale value in the future. The only problem? It can be paralyzing to find a beautiful kitchen design when there are so many beautiful ideas out there. Pinterest can be a rabbit hole, and we basically want to copy every one of these kitchen ideas from the pages of our magazine. So we tapped designer Caren Rideau, owner of Kitchen Design Group and author of Caren Rideau: Kitchen Designer, Vintner, Entertaining at Home, to find out the biggest kitchen trends for 2023. Though these three things are all considered “trends” for 2023, Rideau is quick to point out that these beautiful additions are here to stay for the foreseeable future (read: you won’t have to remodel the space again in a year). Here, her picks for a beautiful kitchen design.
1
Unimposing Hoods
Rideau says she loves the toned-down look of unimposing hoods because this sleek design element “does not distract viewers from the rest of the space.” She adds, “We’re doing a lot of plaster hoods or jeweled hoods—in brass, stainless steel, and nickel—and we’re toning them down a lot.”
She says this type of vent treatment can add some coziness and make the room feel more homey, which many of us crave right now. Rideau says, “It’s just a little softer approach towards venting than the big, large decorative ones.”
To achieve this trending look, Rideau recommends asking your designer or contractor for a plaster or drywall hood that’s boxed in and painted the same color as your wall, “so it kind of just blends in and goes away.” She also says you could do a backsplash and bring the tile around your hood so everything blends into the wall.
2
Open Displays
Rideau says she loves adding open displays “because they give breathing room to the kitchen.” Instead of wall-to-wall upper cabinets, which can feel heavy, Rideau likes breaking up the room with open shelving since it “adds a bit of interest to the space and brings relief from a lot of close cabinets with doors.”
One reason Rideau thinks the open display trend is here to stay is that her clients can display their special collections and infuse a bit of their unique personality into the room. Whether they collect Wedgwood bone china, quirky cookie jars, or pottery from their travels, shelves in the kitchen provide prime real estate for these items to live.
Rideau says, “You don’t want to put too many things on the shelf. It should be things you enjoy looking at, like your collection of cookbooks or your favorite bowl. I don’t necessarily like designing around staging or objects you don’t use; I’m very practical. But open shelving is really a place for those beautiful items—so keep the mismatched drink cups and water bottles in your cabinet.”
3
Functional Pantries
Say goodbye to that cramped pantry cabinet! In 2023, Rideau is predicting that functional pantries (read: a space that not only stores your goods, but also provides an additional space to work) will be on the rise.
She says, “Today, there are so many small appliances—and everyone is buying all of them. You use your Vitamix, slow cooker, air fryer, and toaster oven, and want access to them, but they don’t necessarily need to stay on your kitchen counter. This gives them a home, but it’s not necessarily part of your everyday kitchen function.”
These secondary pantries (which are essentially the modern-day equivalent of butler’s pantries) help keep your kitchen free from clutter, while still allowing you to enjoy your favorite gadgets whenever you need them.
Jaime Milan
Deputy Digital Editor
Jaime Milan (she/her) is the deputy digital editor for VERANDA, where she writes about design, architecture, gardens, jewelry, fashion, travel, wine, news and trends. In her spare time, she can be found shopping at the antique store, cooking, gardening, or teaching her mini Australian Shepherd, Gumbo, new tricks. Follow her on Instagram at @jaimemmilan.
