Feature
2023 Design Trends from Local Professionals
March 2023—Bold Colors. Statement Furniture & Lighting. Natural Stone. Mixed Metal Finishes. These are just some of the hottest home trends for 2023. Want to learn more? We went to some of our favorite local stores and designers to get their insight into what’s trending.
Kitchen & Bath
When it comes to the latest trends in kitchen and bath fixtures, Sarasota boasts one of the best and largest (6,000 sq.ft.+) interactive showrooms anywhere—The Plumbing Place (941.378.5678 | theplumbingplace.com)—serving our community since 1986.
Owner John Smithman is always on the cutting edge offering the best kitchen and bath fixtures and accessories as well as architectural hardware from top manufacturers and designers from around the world.
When we asked John what’s trending in the industry, he told us TopZero’s Seamless Edge kitchen sinks made with top grade, non-porous, rust-free brushed satin stainless steel. With many configurations, these seamless and rimless edge sinks are the new alternative to undermount stainless steel sinks, and bring a flawless, vanishing-edge appearance as well as hygiene to solid surface countertops.
Best yet, your outdated undermount sink can be replaced with a TopZero Seamless Edge sink without replacing the countertop, and installation typically takes only one day.
Also trending is Hansgrohe’s SBox—a tidy solution for your pull-out kitchen sink spray. It makes lowering and raising the faucet spray head extremely smooth and easy. We’ve all experienced hoses getting jammed as we try to pull them. This happens because they dangle freely under the sink and often get caught on pipes or other things we keep under the sink. By keeping the hose contained inside a channel with a “pulley-like” weight, the hose cannot get caught on under sink obstructions plus it expands the hose reach making it easier to water plants or fill tall vases.
For the bath, the Wavecrest vanity collection by Jeffrey Alexander in a cool coastal weathered gray finish creates the perfect “beachy” vibe. With a variety of vanity sizes available, this exceptional quality solid wood vanity creates a light, airy, and upscale look ideal for our Gulf Coast scene. The collection features furniture-style construction, dovetail joinery on the drawers, concealed full-extension drawer slides with soft-close drawers and functional soft-close tip-out trays beneath the sink.
Art Anchors
There’s no better way to complete a room and make a statement than with a fabulous area rug. They anchor a room and oftentimes are its focal point. When it comes to fabulous area rugs, our town boasts one of the nation’s most prestigious and award-winning showrooms to find exactly what you want—Rugs As Art (941.921.1900 | rugsasart.com).
With 20,000 sq. ft. of showroom space, at this locally owned family business you will find an extensive, eclectic collection of area rugs, carpeting, accent furnishings, art, and accessories with unbeatable prices.
To find out what’s trending, Jesse Murse at Rugs as Art told us it’s a versatile series of modern geometric rugs that combine beauty and functionality. The series includes colors from charcoal grey to pale blue and hues that range from dark to light. In the spirit of minimalist design, the sleek uncluttered patterns focus on clean lines and shapes. These rugs are hand-knotted from 100% wool and are available in a multitude of sizes (2×3, 4×6, 5×7, 6×9, 8×10, 9×12, 10×14).
Classic Concept
Lancaster Interior Design (941.365.2342 | lancasterinteriordesign.com) has been partnering with homeowners for the last 75 years, offering an abundance of services to create just what you want. At their new showroom at 1851 Hillview St, they added another opportunity for individuals to experience firsthand examples of Lancaster’s attention to detail, which has endeared them to their client families throughout the years.
Keffie Lancaster, Principal Interior Designer at Lancaster, shared with us a couple of recent designs that highlight high quality, beautifully designed examples of ways to update your home.
“This upscale twist on the classic black and white bedroom is one of our favorites. A casual woven rug paired with the traditional black and gold bed and nightstands, creates a moody sophisticated vibe without too much formality. The beauty of this space is layers of textures and fabrics, and the focus on the gorgeous view.”
We live in Florida, so there are few aspects of a home more important than outdoor living. “Sleek modern lines of high gloss white pop off the bright blue background of the Sarasota Bay. This cantilevered pergola with integrated wood panels creates the feeling of an outdoor room without walls. This simple and classic blue and white color combination is never going out of style.”
Shop local to experience exciting store design and atmosphere, consistently great product quality, products you won’t find anywhere else, and personal touch details. Whether it’s an additional piece, revitalizing your space, renovating, or starting from building inception, Lancaster Interior Design delivers for you.
Smart Technology
Knowing about Andrew and Andreas Guenther and their company, Advanced ESI (941.554.5000 | Advanced-Esi.net), is like having the secret code to an easier, more beautiful, and smarter life. This highly experienced father/son duo offers the latest technology and ideas to design an easy to operate, state-of-the-art low voltage electronic system in your home.
There’s no better source in town to learn about the latest trends in audio, video, security, lighting, and life safety technologies than Advanced ESI. They have implemented tons of installation solutions for not only homes, but for the most demanding systems in the most complex facilities around.
We asked Andrew and Andreas about some of the latest trends in smart home technology.
“Interactive home security has been with us for some time, and it continues to be in demand,” says Andrew. “With fully integrated systems with cameras that control multiple doors, windows and specific interior areas, homeowners can monitor property via an app or voice commands. Facial recognition is also becoming quite popular. It gives you the opportunity to unlock doors, turn on lights, and monitor security cameras with just a glance. We are seeing more and more clients ask for this technology.”
According to Andreas, advanced technology in automated lighting makes it possible to set up lighting scenes and for lights to automatically switch from task to ambient lighting on a simple voice command. Configuring lighting schedules, dimming lights, and changing lighting color has also never been easier. You can also sync your lights to your alarm clock to wake up for work or get the kids off the school.
When it comes to home entertainment, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based materials are used as furniture upholstery to enable homeowners to create an interactive ambiance by changing colors and textures to suit your mood. You can also add other virtual interactive displays for an entirely immersive experience. If you don’t like the look of your big screen, with new technology you can cover it in art and put a frame around it.
Not sure what all this looks like or feels like? Well, one visit to Andrew and Andreas at Advanced ESI’s showroom, and you can see for yourself how easy it all is!
Hardwood Decadence
Miller’s Dutch Haus Furniture (dutchhausfurniture.com) carries a full line of Amish hardwood furniture. Each piece is designed and constructed by skilled craftsmen who take great satisfaction in creating distinctive and superior products. The blend of quality, function, and style means you will receive furniture that provides service and pleasure for generations.
Because Miller’s specializes in made to order furniture, people often customize sizes, styles, or finishes and request unique designs to fit their home spaces.
According to Miller’s, “One common problem people moving into Florida face is adjusting to smaller homes than they were accustomed to in the north. Plus Floridians tend to host a lot of overnight guests. So one common solution for our customers is a custom designed Murphy bed which helps them create multi-function spaces like this beautiful office/guest room. Our company is thrilled with the opportunity to help our customers transition to the beautiful sunshine state.”
Visit their two Sarasota locations to browse the largest in stock selection of Amish furniture in Florida and experience Miller’s handcrafted quality for yourself.
Cool Functionality
Who doesn’t love the latest home appliances? It’s amazing how many cool things they can do for us. For a display of the latest and best, a visit to Mullet’s showroom on Clark Road is the way to go.
Owner Scott Mullet was eager to tell us about SubZero’s 48” French Door Refrigerator that blends functionality, style, and advanced technology. Can a refrigerator be beautiful? We think so! This one certainly is just that. Sleek stainless accents trim the interior, matching the sophistication of the exterior.
“The Split Climate™ intelligent cooling system revolutionizes Sub-Zero’s already superior preservation capabilities, keeping your food fresher for longer,” said Scott. This model is equipped with ClearSight™ LED lighting system that fully illuminates the interior, reducing shadows. The touch control panel is conveniently located for easy access at the tap of a finger, and Night Mode optimizes the interior lighting based on the detected ambient light, reducing the brightness by 90% in dim environments.
The refrigerator features lift-up dairy compartments that allow you to store taller items on the shelf below, and it delivers fresh, filtered water through an internal dispenser located discreetly within the refrigerator. You can activate Max Ice Mode to temporarily increase ice production, and the base of the expandable freezer basket conveniently slides out of the way, offering customizable storage for taller items below. The refrigerator is Wi-Fi enabled, providing remote access from your mobile device.
The stainless-steel exterior and tubular or pro handles match other Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove products, making it a perfect addition to your kitchen. Whether you’re a large family, entertain frequently, or simply appreciate the finer things in life, the SubZero 48” Classic French Door Refrigerator/Freezer is a must-have appliance that meets all your refrigeration and freezing needs.
Tranquility
Girka Design Build (941.223.0349 | girkadesignbuild.com) is a full service remodeling company specializing in kitchen, bathroom and laundry room renovations.
According to their experts, what’s trending in bathrooms is a spa-like setting using a white palette with touches of natural wood. Or a vanity with a fun pop of color paired with a complimentary wood tone.
The bathroom vanity is a perfect place to use natural wood tones. Add unique touches that create a peaceful mood with undercabinet lighting or hanging pendants for a true spa feel.
Living Comfort
Whether its technology, style, luxurious feel, or statement pieces, the next level of living comfort is trending at Leather Gallery of Sarasota (941.993.1057 | leathergallerysarasota.com).
It’s Himolla’s ultimate combination of comfort technology and high-end German engineering in a range of reclining sofas, armchairs, and innovative corner configurations in colors ranging from subtle tradition to vivid pop. Styles that say, “welcome home” or “art gallery chic”.
Himolla is known for its soft-as-silk leather using only the finest materials with quality that lasts for many years to come. Himolla is art meeting the best of comfort technology backed by the highest standards of German engineering. Rest yourself on one of these recliners and prepare to be seduced. By the softest skin. By gentle curves and supple lines. By flexible engineering that shifts its shape to meet your mood.
So, make a statement with one of these reclining beauties. They say volumes about your sense of style. Your determination to fill your life with objects of the highest quality. Your ability to turn your living space into a gallery—an exhibition of design and indulgence.
Landscape Design
Sarasota Landscaping Inc. (941.893.7767 | sarasotalandscaping.com) works hard to help bring your dream outdoor space into reality. From classic to modern and anything in between, they strive to create landscapes that make your space stand out and exude serenity.
Owner Craig Franca says one common misconception is the amount of space you actually get using retaining walls. “Retaining walls can be beautiful and functional at the same time. Create more useful space with retaining walls and hardscaping.”
Some more traditional (yet classic) options include using lining your patio with beautiful palm trees and hardscaping to make your backyard a tropical paradise. With professional landscape design and installation, you can elevate the look of your home and have a stunning result.
Clear Serenity
According to the design team at The Shower Shop (941.927.2535 | theshowershopfl.com), which is family-owned and operated, the trend people have been wanting is more serene, spa-like bathrooms. Leading the way for this trend is low iron glass, the clearest glass on the market. This glass allows more light through, to achieve no distortion to the colors of tile in the shower area, making your bathroom vivid and calming.
Another huge trend of the season is frameless style doors on tubs. Featuring sleek and thoughtful designs, are the Sienna Folding Door/Screen, or Mercury Sliding Doors. Brushed gold variables and matte black hardware seem to be here for the foreseeable future. These trends and more can be explored locally at The Shower Shop.
Handcrafted Furniture
American-made solid wood furniture is always in demand. While it reminds us of traditions of our past, it will always belong in our present and in our future.
There’s no better place to find the real deal than our local Amish furniture retailers. One such store is DutchCrafters (dutchcrafters.com | 3709 N Lockwood Rd.), which sources heirloom-quality furniture from the Amish country in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. When we asked what’s trending, our friends at DutchCrafters had some great pieces to share.
The Looking Glass 1869 Dining Table with Reclaimed Barnwood transports you back to America’s past with its inspirational “Looking Glass” dining tabletop. Discover centuries old craftsmanship with this statement piece that exudes warmth and draws family and friends together to relive the heritage of solid wood from American barns. It is beautifully designed and crafted with pride to give these pieces of solid wood a new life.
Barnwood tables not only look beautiful, but they contribute to a sustainable household by reusing wood versus disposing of it. This piece is an example of the “slow” furniture movement, which promotes sustainability. Plus, no two pieces of reclaimed barnwood are alike. Each bring their own story to tell, with different sunspots, markings, and nail holes. To create the perfect look for your space, select one of several finishes to make it uniquely you.
This Amish Modern Shaker Canopy Bed is always trending. Straight from a storybook and into your home, you will love falling to sleep in this beautiful bed after a long day! Handcrafted and American made from solid hardwood with simple, sleek lines, the classic Shaker style is evident in every detail. It is made with the highest attention to precision craftsmanship in wood and design.
The canopy sits above the headboard and footboard which allows endless ways to create a look you love. Style with sheer linens to add texture for a luxurious or airy feel. Keep the décor minimal for a more classic and traditional look. No matter how you choose to style it, this bed’s presence is sure to serve as the centerpiece of your entire bedroom suite.
Oak Elegance
One thing that can make or break the look of your home is its flooring. We asked the experts at Your Flooring Warehouse (941.241.0879 | yourflooringwarehouse.com) about the current state of the ever-changing trends for the best quality flooring.
“The hottest look in flooring right now is the European white oak visual,” says Peter Beale, manager of Your Flooring Warehouse. “It has the ‘three C’s’ that Floridians are looking for: clean, casual, and coastal. You can always opt for the real thing, like the Shaw Castlewood. Or, if you want a tougher, lower maintenance option, we suggest Coretec Vinyl Plank Flooring. It’s topically waterproof, very scratch resistant, and with the introduction of new embossing technologies it is incredibly realistic looking.”
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