The 2023 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas kicked off the year with bold new interior design trends. With more than 40,000 people in attendance to see the 500 exhibitors, the show proved one of the most successful in its 60-year history.
The annual showcase featured some of the most forward-thinking trends in the high-end interior design industry. This year’s show focused on being bold in every way, from eye-catching colors and expanded appliances, to innovative uses of efficiency and wellness. Here are a few major trends that emerged from the 2023 KBIS.
Bold Colors
The usual all-white kitchen seemed absent from the show. In its place, designers featured a wide range of colors. Kitchen cabinets popped with natural hues, pairing dark greens and blues with sunset colors like pinks and oranges. Some exhibitors utilized vintage color palettes to echo the bygone era of the 1920s. Designers even experimented with wallpaper to bring in patterns, murals, and color schemes.
Color-Matching Appliances
In some booths, appliances matched the colors of the walls and cabinets. So, rather than focusing on a small color accent, designers used bold hues to infuse entire spaces, tying the appliances to the cabinetry. This trend appeared in bathrooms as well, matching wall palettes to colorful sinks and toilets. One refrigerator featured adjustable mood lighting that shifted the hue of the refrigerator door panels. Other appliance labels provided options to fine-tune appliance color to perfectly match wall space.
Expanded Kitchens
With a focus on maximum capacity, some kitchen showrooms pushed the limits of space, adding to the functionality and aesthetic of the room. The show featured taller refrigerators that rose from floor to ceiling. Others included side-by-side refrigerators, connecting multiple units into a seamless fridge, freezer, and beverage column that spanned 120 inches of wall space. And it all fit seamlessly with the kitchen’s interior design plan.
Stone Surfaces
Rustic stone made a comeback, becoming a trend-setting material as a surface choice for walls and countertops. Exhibitors showcased their porcelain and travertine surfaces, along with dozens of options for colors and hues. Depending on the stone type, showrooms featured a wide range of stone finish options, from rough to smooth. A few even included upgrades that reduced porousness, making the stone surface easier to clean.
Time (and Space) Savers
Plenty of booths placed a focus on efficient design. One appliance manufacturer showed off their new combined washer/dryer, saving space while eliminating the need to transfer loads during the two-hour cycle. Keeping laundry room utility in mind, sink manufacturers exhibited faucet extensions and deep sink basins for easier cleaning. Focusing on the kitchen, some sink designers featured configurations to make meal preparation and clean-up more efficient.
Graphite Nickel
The trend in fixtures moved away from matte black this year. Instead, graphite nickel fixtures appeared across many booths, showing off the metal’s clean, bold, and simple finish. Countertops played to the gunmetal shade of graphite nickel, fused with subtle metal hues that accented and pulled in the fixtures.
Steam and Wellness
Health and wellness dominated KBIS as an overarching theme across booths and showpieces, especially when it came to the use of steam. Kitchen showrooms featured steam ovens as a method to innovate cooking and baking techniques, allowing for a wider variety of healthy cooking techniques. And steam made its way into bathroom amenities as well, including various models of steam shower systems.
Healthy Atmosphere
Many booths exhibited products and appliances aimed at creating a healthy atmosphere within the home. Air purifiers and germ-resistant tile coating played to the guests who prioritized keeping their living spaces effortlessly clean. Some exhibitors showcased compost systems that removed the usual smell. And plenty of kitchen showrooms featured elegant, on-trend oven hoods that brought the kitchen to life while removing unwanted elements in the cooking space.
Final Trends
As the show wrapped up, interior designers and custom home builders walked away with new ideas, products, and trends to keep them moving forward. And the direction seemed clear: focus on infusing more boldness into high-end living spaces.