New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Renovation inspiration: Top 5 home trends that combine elegance and purpose
(BPT) - Balancing beauty with practicality is a common challenge when renovating and upgrading a home. This desire to marry personal style with purpose was evident at the 2023 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS). Designers are creating concepts and products to make life easier while adding visually appealing elements. Popular trends especially cater to tech-savvy homeowners looking for innovative products that can make their home lives more convenient.
If you want to create a home that combines personal style with practicality, check out five top home trends for 2023 and beyond.
1. Wide open spaces
Homeowners are looking for ways to create more space in their homes to increase their square footage and functionality. According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, 74 percent of homeowners want to tear down walls to open up the kitchen to other areas of the home. These open spaces allow for rooms to have multiple functions. Whether you want to work, learn, entertain or relax, opening up the design and architecture of your home will make it easier to flow throughout your day.
2. Design and function There’s no need to choose between beauty and practicality. Today’s modern appliance brands are finding the intersection of design and function for homeowners who want the best of both worlds. The latest counter depth refrigerators are great examples of how you don’t have to sacrifice space for design or vice versa. One such sleek, stainless-steel fridge from LG offers maximum food storage in a small footprint, creating a more stylish kitchen that sits flush with cabinetry and offers a built-in look. Thanks to “InstaView” technology, you can check the inside without opening the refrigerator door by knocking twice on the elegant mirror-coated glass panel that illuminates, reducing cold air loss.
This refrigerator can also keep food fresh longer with advanced cooling technologies. With its convertible drawer featuring adjustable dividers and five temperature settings, there’s plenty of space and flexibility to store and preserve your favorite foods.
3. Sustainability matters
Like many other industries, sustainability is a popular trend for kitchens. According to a 2023 Kitchen Trends survey by Houzz, 92 percent of homeowners are incorporating sustainable features when renovating kitchens. From LED lights to water-efficient fixtures and Energy Star certified appliances, homeowners are looking for ways to make more environmentally friendly choices in their homes. Sustainability goes beyond efficiency of natural resources and both homeowners and designers are taking that into account. Most of the designers surveyed at KBIS said that, when recommending products, they oftentimes consider the manufacturer’s sustainability practices.
4. Steam power
Many appliances showcased at KBIS 2023 harness the power of steam. From steam ovens to steam closets, companies are innovating appliances to make a homeowner’s day-to-day life cleaner and tidier with minimal fuss. For example, sneakerheads and shoe lovers will appreciate the LG Styler ShoeCare and ShoeCase, which offers a novel way to clean, organize and display footwear. ShoeCare uses steam technology to sterilize and deodorize shoes inside and out.
Whether leather, suede or sports footwear, you’ll find the right controls to refresh your shoes between uses. Meanwhile, the Styler ShoeCase offers a modern, streamlined shoe storage solution to organize and display your shoe collection. Transparent panels allow users to display and store their footwear in an ideal environment that protects against humidity and fabric-decolorating UV light. When combined, you’ll have a total shoe care solution that extends the life of your shoes while providing
convenient storage.
5. Space and versatility
Space and versatility are top of mind to homeowners. According to a recent survey, homeowners said their dream kitchen remodel focuses on increasing space, with 50 percent of respondents saying they were specifically looking for an extra-large refrigerator.
A larger fridge doesn’t just mean more room. It also means more flexibility for food storage. For example, one luxury brand, Signature Kitchen Suite, has leaned into this trend by launching the industry’s first 48-inch French-door refrigerator. It offers a combination of spacious capacity, preservation technology to ensure food freshness, smart organization and a sleek design. It’s also equipped ThinQ Care technology that proactively monitors the appliance and alerts homeowners if needed. Are you ready to start on your kitchen upgrades? You’ll be ahead of the curve in style and functionality by incorporating a couple (or all!) of these trends into your home renovations.