Home Trends for 2023
Dennis Gehman of Gehman Design Remodeling shares his thoughts on renovation must-haves for the year ahead.
Most people are familiar with start-of-year trends, such as the announcement of the Pantone Color of the Year. (This year’s is Viva Magenta, in case you missed it.) Dennis D. Gehman, a Master Certified Remodeler and president of Gehman Design Remodeling in Harleysville, is always ready to talk about the latest trends in home design and renovation. He says “cleanliness” is a big theme for 2023. This applies to color, enhanced storage to declutter living spaces, and clean air and water by way of whole-home air and water filtration.
Colorful Living
“Color is definitely making its way back into our homes, whether it be through permanent materials such as tile and cabinetry or easily changeable things like paint, wallpaper, and décor,” Gehman shares. “Neutrals are going away; we’re just adding more variety and contrast instead of looking like a blank slate.
“Color is definitely making its way back into our homes, whether it be through permanent materials such as tile and cabinetry or easily changeable things like paint, wallpaper, and décor,” Gehman shares. “Neutrals are going away; we’re just adding more variety and contrast instead of looking like a blank slate.
“We saw a glimpse of warmer neutrals with the Sherwin Williams 2023 Color of the Year, Redend Point,” he continues. “Benjamin Moore’s 2023 Color, Raspberry Blush, also encourages use of bold applications of color.”
Color is popping up throughout all areas of the home. Interiors that show “mood” are trending, too. “Picture black, brown, or dark gray cabinetry paired with metallic finishes, natural wood tones, or darker paint,” he adds. “Natural veined backsplashes and countertops continue strong in kitchens.”
In bathrooms, shades of blue, green, orange, or pink tiles are on-trend choices. “Keep a lookout for dynamic shapes and patterns in both tile design and installation,” Gehman adds. “If you’ve been itching to add color to your home, now is definitely the time.”
Stepping up Storage
The trend toward better storage likely stems from folks having spent more time at home in recent years than ever before, due to lifestyle changes fueled by the pandemic.
The trend toward better storage likely stems from folks having spent more time at home in recent years than ever before, due to lifestyle changes fueled by the pandemic.
“Almost of all of us have more stuff than we need—it’s a First World challenge,” Gehman says. “Most people don’t like clutter, but still want to keep and have access to things they only use a few times a year. Organized storage helps to maintain and protect things from being damaged, rather than just thrown in the corner, or on the floor or a shelf.
“We like the idea of living in a house that’s ready to be photographed for a magazine, but few of us actually live this way,” he says. “Storage systems help to move us in this direction.”
Keen on Clean
Home purification is another top trend for 2023, particularly in the form of filtration systems to refine the water we drink and the air we breathe.
Home purification is another top trend for 2023, particularly in the form of filtration systems to refine the water we drink and the air we breathe.
“Compared to most of the world, around here we take having drinking water for granted,” Gehman says. “Nature does a pretty good job of cleaning water, but we know that there are still toxins in the water that aren’t good for us. The continued use of bottled water verifies that people don’t trust drinking the water that comes out of our faucets. Water purification can be as simple as a filter on the sink where we get drinking water to a whole-house filtration system so that we have pure water to bathe and launder with.”
Contaminate-free air in a home may not be as easy to come by as one might think, considering the many factors that contribute to indoor air pollution: fireplace and stove emissions, cigarette smoke, and off-gassing from cleaning products, building materials, and more. People who breathe contaminated air may experience adverse health effects as a result.
“Wintertime is worse because usually our houses are closed up and the air doesn’t exchange as often,” Gehman says. “Then again, many people keep their houses closed up year-round because of central heating and air conditioning, rather than opening their windows. To save on energy costs houses are being built tighter, which keeps toxins inside for us to breathe. COVID taught us that germs are a real thing, so it’s not just off-gassing we should be concerned about.”
Gehman Design Remodeling
PA-297
355 Main Street
Harleysville, PA 19438
(215) 513-0300
gehmanremodeling.com
PA-297
355 Main Street
Harleysville, PA 19438
(215) 513-0300
gehmanremodeling.com
Photo courtesy of Gehman Design Remodeling
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, January 2023.
