Stay on 2023 Interior Trend with these Books and Tips

3 February, 2023 Heloise Garrity

The 2023 Kitchen Design Trends to Look Out For

From the leading material of choice for kitchen benchtops to supply chain considerations, the results of the annual National Kitchen and Bathroom Association of New Zealand (NKBA) Trends Survey are in, pinpointing the latest trends as predicted by the movers and shakers of New Zealand kitchen and bathroom design. And there are some indications that things are looking up with 44 percent of NKBA designers reporting supply of materials in general has improved, alongside support for New Zealand-made and sustainability becoming increasingly front of mind for clientele. “The importance of sustainable considerations in kitchen design and manufacturing is only improving, and clients are pushing for a greater focus in this area. I am finding that knowing where products and materials are sourced is essential. Our clients want to source New Zealand made products where practical,” says Craig Hooper of Cooper Webley.

With home owners becoming more discerning of their own aesthetic choices, in spite of the penchant for white remaining dominant, NKBA designers have also noted their clients becoming more emboldened to vibrant colours, with 70 percent predicting a split across a range of other hues including timber, grey, verdant shades including mint and sage, variations of beige and blue. When it comes to all-important finish, 38 percent of NKBA designers have predicted matte to reign supreme on cabinets followed closely by textured looks, with benchtops continuing to favour porcelain followed closely by engineered stone, a popular choice for clients for whom cost is a factor with budgets less than $50,000. With 2023 ushering in a decidedly contemporary myriad of colours, texture and porcelain, the big question of cost revealed 31 percent of kitchens designed in 2022 cost $40,000-$60,000, 24 percent came in at $30,000-$40,000 and seven percent cost over $80,000.

Harnessing the Power of Citronella in Style

As the hotter months draw us outdoors for extended spells, whether we’re catching the early morning rays or savouring the long balmy evenings, it’s most likely we’ll be sharing our al fresco lunches, backyard barbecues and poolside parties with mosquitoes. An elegant solution to keeping those pesky bugs at bay comes courtesy of an Outdoor Edition Citronella-infused candle from Kiwi purveyors of fine fragrancing for the home, Ashley + Co, to complement their most popular scent Tui & Kahili. Crafted with 100 percent natural wax with an unbleached cotton wick and housed in a handblown teal glass vessel, these individually hand-poured beauties deliver up to 50 hours of burn time to see you through all your summer al fresco celebrating in peace.

Ashleyandco.co

Soul-Bound Living

The need for living spaces that express a thought process and methodology exuding the feeling of a sanctuary for peace and healing as we navigate modern-day life has arguably never been more important. Be it a verdant light-filled garden room, a characterful circus wagon or a state-of-the-art smart pod, there are infinite ways in which to curate a unique haven that is personalised to offer just the right formula for nesting and nurturing the self. A stunning compilation for some serious inspo on this front can be found in Retreats for the Soul by interior stylist and art director, Sara Bird and respected interiors and lifestyle photographer, Dan Duchars. As divergent as each of these beautiful retreats, hideaways and escape spaces are, from the building materials to the decorative and functional considerations, they all have something to offer when it comes to our own exploration of ways to create and style an interior haven that will suit our lifestyle.