What new designs, features and colors are home builders and home remodelers adding to homes? What are the hottest improvements expected for 2023?

Design often is inspired by our times. As a result, many current trends have pandemic influences, from the growing importance of adding "Zoom Rooms" and home workspaces to building outdoor living spaces. 

Forbes and House Beautiful recently interviewed top home designers about emerging trends for 2023 and the ones that are here to stay. Here are what the experts are saying:

1. More outdoor space improvements: It’s time to welcome the new outdoor living room. According to home advice expert Bob Villa, merging indoor and outdoor spaces is one of the hottest trends. Rooms with sliding walls or doors open to a patio or garden. An enclosed veranda extends one's living space. In addition, outdoor living rooms with plush sofas, chairs and fire tables are the rage.

2. Let there be lighter colors: Last year, it was subtle greens. This year it's a warmer shade of white. For example, BEHR's color of the year is Blank Canvas, a warm off-white. The accompanying color palette contain all muted colors as well. Throughout the design world, soft colors are a common theme. Design forecaster WGSN 2023 color of the year is Digital Lavender, and Martha Stewart is touting warm aqua and gray tones.

3. Zoom rooms and workspaces: The abundance of hybrid work schedules allowing more people than ever to work at least part of their workweek at home is driving home design. According to a Pew Research study, about 60% of workers surveyed said they could do most of their jobs from home. Home builders are listening. Garman Homes of Raleigh, North Carolina, created "Barnaby" based on the results of an America At Home Study. It features two dedicated office spaces, one for dad and one for more, or for the kids’ remote schoolwork.

4. Adding wellness features: Homes are adding more self-care and well-being elements, according to House Beautiful. Turning the master bath into a home spa with an under-counter refrigerator to "chill towels" may sound extreme. Still, mini refrigerators are popping up in the new home workspaces and bedrooms. People are also seeking ways to make a home more comfortable, and coffee stations outside the kitchen are another hot trend.

5. Kitchens still reign: One design that is not going away in 2023 is the importance of the kitchen in our primary living space. A 2023 Design Trends study from the National Kitchen & Bath Association sheds light on what consumers want in the home’s most popular gathering space. Larger spaces with multifunctional use it the top trend. Extra room is needed for the growing popularity of walk-in or built-in pantries to fulfill a desire for extra storage space.

6. Meaningful objects: Not all design trends for 2023 are big and flashy. Creating authenticity with items that bring you joy is trending in home design. Showcasing a personal collection or things of historical connections to one's heritage or family is becoming more commonplace. In an anxious world, designers observe that adding meaningful objects can bring us joy and reduce our anxiety.

Researchers say that making a house a home has taken on greater importance after the pandemic's intensity. Home instantly became more than shelter: it served a workplace, a school, a gym and more. People discovered what they loved – and didn't enjoy – about their homes in ways they may not have imagined.

Design trends for 2023 are reflecting the love Americans have for their homes. Real estate agents can help clients protect the place they love the most with a Cinch home warranty. Make sure your buyers and sellers are covered by learning more at cinchrealestate.com.