Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery has released its 2023 Ferguson Trends & Influences IX guide. Always at the forefront of luxury, design and intelligence, Ferguson’s guide, now in its ninth year, presents the best offerings in plumbing, lighting and appliances for 2023. Highly researched and beautifully produced, the lookbook results from thoughtful insight and collaboration with industry influencers, style icons and leading market research.
Designing a kitchen and bath space in 2023 requires setting an intentional, specific goal for the space, ensuring that the space reflects the homeowners’ lifestyle and offers an authentic experience for homeowners. For some, that might mean a design to nurture a closer connection with nature and everyday choices that improve the planet. Other homeowners may prefer to come home to a sanctuary or to feel like royalty. And still, others are faced with changing needs and aspirations in their households, which their homes’ structure requires the flexibility to match. Here are the bath, kitchen and lighting gallery’s top 10 picks for the year:
Biophilic Intention
Biophilic design brings nature into the built environment. Based on the idea that humans possess an innate connection to nature and crave contact with it, homeowners and designers are increasingly integrating biophilic elements when creating inviting homes that invoke a sense of well-being. These interior spaces account for circadian rhythms and visual stimuli using natural lighting and dimmable fixtures to mimic the natural environment. Subtle changes in air and surface temperature, humidity and airflow using fans, air purifiers and clean designs permit the home to respond accurately to atmospheric and seasonal variations. Water is integral to the experience; water therapy and soaking tubs promote relaxation and rejuvenation. Adding plants, windows or other greenery further enhances the visual connection to nature. This combination of elements often follows the Fibonacci sequence or “golden spiral,” a pattern found throughout nature, resulting in a harmonious flow within a space.
Ebb & Flow: Wetroom Bathrooms
The beauty of the wetroom bathroom is its boundless options, literally. Extremely popular in Europe for some time, U.S. homeowners are adopting the completely open, waterproof bath space that includes all the elements of a luxe bathroom. Most offer similar functions and features as a high-quality bathroom, including an open-concept layout; a frameless, zero-entry shower; floor-to-wall shower tile; freestanding tub; floating vanity; an ADA-accessible design, including hardware and lighting. As homeowners renovate their bathrooms, the wetroom trend is expected to increase in popularity.
Hansgrohe at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
Eco-Mindfulness
Environmental awareness has become an important part of everyday life and influences homeowners’ decisions, from kitchen and bath designs to the products they bring into their homes. Conscious consumers will increasingly pursue earth-conscious plumbing fixtures, recycled materials and smart appliances that use less energy. Products made from renewable resources, such as bamboo and cork flooring, offer an attractive option for those wishing to reduce the carbon footprint of their renovation projects. Moreover, consumers will opt for non-toxic and chemical-free materials in every stage of a project which helps protect homeowners’ health and aids in preserving the environment by eliminating potentially harmful chemicals from entering landfills or being introduced into the water supply.
Gothic Glam
If Halloween is your most beloved holiday, celebrate the luxurious, edgy, bold look of Gothic Glam all year long. Statement fixtures like wrought-iron chandeliers and candelabras are mixed with a contemporary twist of large, tall windows flooding the rooms with natural light; the result is dramatic. Bronze plumbing fixtures add to the drama. Black accents, woodwork and other vivid jewel tones and glamorous wallcovering are a must for this dramatic style.
Cafe at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
Modernized Mid-Century
Successive generations since the mid-1950s have embraced mid-Century Modern’s timeless design, each adding its spin to update the style. Some of these touches are purely aesthetic, while others are more functional, such as altering the original concept or adding built-in features. Today’s MCM aficionados, still drawn to clean, uncomplicated lines, are adopting integrated, streamlined appliances with cutting-edge technology that blend in with the home’s décor. Furthermore, this year introduces softer lines and bolder hues. Remember Sputnik lighting, an MCM essential? It is back with a more linear look. Finally, contemporary and geometry-inspired fixtures complete the twist on this classic style.
Moody Japandi
The earliest iterations of Japandi, a meshing of Scandinavian and Japanese styles, brought modern and contemporary lighting, plumbing fixtures, clean lines with hidden storage and materials like marble and bamboo, brass and slate. This year, the minimalist style retains its functionality while incorporating darker tones than observed previously. To create harmony, blend elements of matte black, gold, darker shades of wood and hints of purple.
Multi-Sensory Design
Activate the five senses with texture. Interior design becomes more meaningful to the homeowner when it is engaging. The feel of fabric, wood and stone surfaces invites touch, making a home more inviting with thoughtful hardware and fixtures. Enjoy brightness and warmth with lighting. Water is elevated to a multi-layered experience to be felt, seen and heard through plumbing fixtures. Mixing tactile materials along with layering is key to making textural elements work.
Old World Estate
Grand and strongly influenced by historical European manors, the Old World trend is defined as using warm, rich and frequently dark woods and earthy materials found in flooring, sinks and hardware. In addition, the style possesses a sense of opulence achieved with Grecian marble countertops, travertine fixtures and Parisian-inspired chandeliers. Romantic without being too frilly, other elements of the Old World trend include lavish decorations, oversized furniture pieces and deep texture on walls, fabrics and flooring. This style calls on several other European influences, such as French Country, Tuscan, Spanish and Mediterranean.
Royal Aspirations
Aspire to greatness this year and embrace your inner royal. The Royalcore design style incorporates all that is magnificent, romantic and traditional about castle life. Born of Regency style with a bit of Victorian for good measure, this trend features crystal chandeliers, clawfoot tubs, ornate vanities, candelabras and sconce lighting. Then, to finish creating your modern-day Versailles, mix metallic fixtures and gilded accents, incorporating pieces of the past with a fresh new twist.
Technical Support
Homeowners are increasingly discovering that smart devices support a more modern lifestyle and simplify daily routines. Home hubs easily control smart devices from one central location, helping to automate many tasks that keep a household running smoothly. WiFi-enabled appliances can also be accessed remotely, a convenience for busy families. Turn connected bulbs and fixtures on with voice control as you enter a room. Smart thermostats save energy and money by automatically adjusting the temperature based on whether anyone is home. As the world progresses, so do our homes. In the next few years, homeowners will continue to invest and upgrade their home’s technologies.