As 2022 draws to a close, what design trends will 2023 bring? Houzz, a leading platform for home renovation and design, reveals unique insights into how people are designing their homes. 

Victoria Harrison, Editor for Houzz UK shares how nostalgic choices, ‘spathrooms’ and birch plywood are set to influence kitchen and bathroom trends going into the new year.

1. Nostalgia (Pictured top – image credit: Sims Hilditch)

From the resurgence of ‘modern farmhouse kitchens’, which is up by 54% in searches on Houzz year-over-year, to the recent interest in cottagecore, homeowners are looking to the familiarity and comfort of the past and bringing elements of this into their modern cooking spaces. Freestanding elements such as pantries and cabinets and moveable kitchen islands or butcher blocks are also in demand, with searches for ‘freestanding kitchen’ up by 32% on Houzz this year. 

• Pared-back ‘spathrooms’

With Japandi style continuing to be popular among Brits (the search term ‘Japandi bathroom’ is up 187% in searches on Houzz this year), the clean lines, muted colours and natural materials characterised by Japanese style is restful and understated, and seemingly sought after for 2023 bathrooms. Natural wood elements and panelling help to create a calm atmosphere and are popular among homeowners, with searches for panelled bathrooms up 2x this year on Houzz (up 113%). The ‘spa bathroom’ certainly seems to be the goal for potential renovators and the search term has increased by 77% this year on Houzz.

• Ditching wall cabinets

Next year, we expect to see more homeowners ditch wall cabinets and embrace the feeling of space this can give to a room. Searches for ‘open kitchen shelving’ are up 36% year-on-year on Houzz and freestanding furniture-style dressers are also becoming more popular. With plenty of storage available in lower cabinets and large islands, designers on Houzz are using this opportunity to be creative with the wall space. 

• Unique splashback choices

The splashback is set to take centre stage in the 2023 kitchen with more unique choices popular among homeowners. ‘Window splashback’ and ‘mirrored splashback’ are in demand, up by 67 and 58 per cent respectively. And last year designers on Houzz predicted that slab splashbacks would be a big trend, and we’re certainly seeing this come through in the most popular photos on Houzz, with kitchens featuring eye-catching quartz and sleek stone designs. 

• Playful design 

On Houzz, we’ve seen an increase in the use of playful colour combinations, as well as the introduction of personal and quirky touches, such as wall murals. Moving away from the safety of neutrals, designers on Houzz are having fun with colour and being creative when it comes to designing spaces for clients. Searches on Houzz for ‘colourful bedroom’, ‘colourful bathroom’ and ‘colourful kitchen’ have all increased (up by 192%, 42% and 13%, respectively) and the search term ‘painted ceiling’ also saw an increase, up by 112%.

• Birch plywood kitchens (Pictured bottom image credit: Sustainable Kitchens | Photo: Lukonic

Recently, more and more Houzz designers have been favouring birch plywood for kitchen cabinetry, both for fronts and, increasingly, for carcasses too, which are often otherwise made from MDF. Birch ply is strong, durable, typically sustainable and has a contemporary, minimalist look. We predict it’ll continue to grow in popularity for 2023 and with searches for ‘birch ply’ spiking by 115% that certainly seems to be the case. The naturally pale colour of birch pairs perfectly with polished concrete and natural stone, making it a great partner for those after the Japandi aesthetic. The pared-back look also lends itself well to a handleless design, which is set to be another popular trend for 2023.