The Kitchen Cabinet Trend That Will Be Hot In 2023, According To A Design Expert

As far as high-traffic areas of the home go, there is no location that sees more action than the kitchen. From meal preparation to being a hub for social activity, over the years your kitchen will get a great deal of use. That's why it's incredibly important to keep the look of your cooking space fresh and up-to-date with the latest trends. Slowly fading away are the country-style designs, all-white décor, and faux finishes of years past, according to Forbes. Instead, homeowners are looking towards more unique ways to spice up the appearance of their kitchen.

When it comes to the space's cabinetry, you want a design that can look stylish but not distract from the aesthetic of the whole room. This might prove to be a tough balancing act simply because these storage areas can have such a huge presence in the area. That's why it helps to have advice from a professional who has the inside scoop on what will surely be a hot look in the year to come. In an exclusive House Digest interview, interior designer and host of A&E's tiny dwelling show "Living Smaller," Cinque Cerra-Saunders, filled us in on the next big kitchen cabinet trend that is sure to make your space pop.

Cerra-Saunders sees wood kitchen cabinet doors surging in popularity. With a warm, natural look, this trend is sure to make the kitchen look even more inviting and cozy. "To avoid the bland look of the early 2000s, pick a wood species with a prominent grain such as walnut," he advises. Walnut wood is a strong, versatile material that can add a sense of unique personality no matter how you choose to decorate, as is oak. "If going with an oak face, be sure that your door profile is clean and paired down to avoid looking stodgy," Cerra-Saunders continues. As opposed to the glossy-coated repetitive look of faux wood finishes, designing your kitchen with the real deal has the ability to make your kitchen seem more lively.

If you like the veneer of wood but aren't keen on the color, there are ways to work around it so it effortlessly fits into the theme of your room. "As for stain colors, avoid honey and reddish tones," Cerra-Saunders suggests. "Think deep rich browns or ethereal whitewashes." 

Although the look of pure white kitchens is a fading trend, a whitewash brightens up the natural wood without diminishing the beauty of the grain. "Regarding door profiles, clean lines will still feel current," Cerra-Saunders adds. "Go with a shaker or slab front, or iterations of. Avoid highly ornamental doors to keep your design fresh."

Tile and vinyl flooring have continued to be an inexpensive and easy-to-care-for way of lining your kitchen. Especially in households that have children or pets, these types of floors are easy to manage and quick to clean. However, this look can quickly make your kitchen seem dated. "15 years ago when wood cabinets were having a moment, most of us had tiled kitchen floors," Cerra-Saunders tells House Digest, "Now, we generally install wood or wood-like products (such as LVT) from the living room to the kitchen." This continuity from room to room helps to make the overall flow of your home more seamless, too. Even if you don't choose real wood for your flooring, Cerra-Saunders suggests that you "make sure your wood cabinet doors are in the same color family as your wood(like) flooring."

To avoid oversaturation of the wood theme in your home — unless of course, you want a more wood cabin vibe — you can balance this with some modern appliances, or introduce plenty of plant life in your kitchen to bring out more organic color tones. Or, "for a modern monochromatic moment, match the depth of the cabinets," Cerra-Saunders continues. "For a more classic look, go a few shades darker on the floor." This can add some much-needed contrast.

If you want to adopt the trend of having wood cabinets, you are no doubt going to research the costs and budget what you need to make it happen. You then might find that high-grain wood materials such as maple and walnut may be at the higher end of the price scale. So what's the alternative if you want a nice natural façade without breaking the bank? "This is a wildcard and not for every situation, but consider a plywood-faced cabinet for a contemporary/mid-century modern vibe," Cerra-Saunders shares. Plywood has the durability and strength of laminate wood but is made with an exterior that can match almost any type of wood.

Plywood is also more widely available and comes at a lower cost per square inch than most other high-grade types of wood. As far as overall attractive appearance? "Think slab front, slightly eased edge and a clear coat on top, in birch or pine," Cerra-Saunders recommends. "It's potentially a great DIY project! I will be specifying plywood-faced cabinets in at least two projects this year." So no matter your budget, you can achieve the look in your home.