11 Great Design Ideas From the Best of Houzz 2023 Award Winners
These popular photos earned pros praise from the Houzz community and offer design details worth considering for any home
Mitchell Parker
February 15, 2023
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
There are many things homeowners look for when hiring a local home design or remodeling pro. High on the list are quality of work and good customer service. And one way to quickly assess if a pro on Houzz has those attributes is with the just-announced Best of Houzz 2023 awards.
The photos homeowners save to Houzz ideabooks help pros earn a Best of Houzz Design award, giving them recognition for their engaging designs. When homeowners leave reviews on a pro’s Houzz profile, it helps pros earn a Best of Houzz Service award. So if you see a Best of Houzz badge on a pro’s profile, you know their work is popular with homeowners, their customer service is well-liked or both.
Here, we collected 11 trends from photos that won a Best of Houzz 2023 Design award. In some cases, the pro also won a Best of Houzz Service award.
The photos homeowners save to Houzz ideabooks help pros earn a Best of Houzz Design award, giving them recognition for their engaging designs. When homeowners leave reviews on a pro’s Houzz profile, it helps pros earn a Best of Houzz Service award. So if you see a Best of Houzz badge on a pro’s profile, you know their work is popular with homeowners, their customer service is well-liked or both.
Here, we collected 11 trends from photos that won a Best of Houzz 2023 Design award. In some cases, the pro also won a Best of Houzz Service award.
Kitchens
1. Gray cabinets. Gray is one of the most popular color choices for kitchen cabinets, according to the 2023 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study. And this Washington, D.C., kitchen by WINN Design+Build is a good example of why. Soft gray cabinets balance solid white countertops and backsplash tile to create a subtle yet elegant style. Brass and wood details add touches of warmth.
The design helped earn the firm a Best of Houzz 2023 Design award. The firm also earned a Service award.
Having the right business tools can help save time and minimize unnecessary work, so you can provide clients with the best service possible. Houzz Pro software allows you to stay on top of leads, communicate with existing and potential clients, create estimates and proposals, and track payments all in one place.
1. Gray cabinets. Gray is one of the most popular color choices for kitchen cabinets, according to the 2023 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study. And this Washington, D.C., kitchen by WINN Design+Build is a good example of why. Soft gray cabinets balance solid white countertops and backsplash tile to create a subtle yet elegant style. Brass and wood details add touches of warmth.
The design helped earn the firm a Best of Houzz 2023 Design award. The firm also earned a Service award.
Having the right business tools can help save time and minimize unnecessary work, so you can provide clients with the best service possible. Houzz Pro software allows you to stay on top of leads, communicate with existing and potential clients, create estimates and proposals, and track payments all in one place.
Elms Interior Design used charcoal gray cabinets (Trout Gray by Benjamin Moore) with white upper cabinets (Cloud White by Benjamin Moore) to create a beautiful two-tone effect in this Cambridge, Massachusetts, kitchen. White glass elongated hex backsplash tile, transom windows and glass pendants create a light and airy look. And a Bianco Venatino marble island countertop with waterfall edges complements the whites and grays and brings a hint of drama. Elms won a Best of Houzz Design award for this space.
Learn more about the Best of Houzz awards, including how to earn a badge
Learn more about the Best of Houzz awards, including how to earn a badge
Christina Wikman won a Best of Houzz Design award for this Woburn, Massachusetts, kitchen, which features a warm greige cabinet color (Dropcloth by Farrow & Ball).
Heidi Caillier Design embraced a sage greenish gray for the cabinets in this Seattle kitchen. The soapstone countertops and backsplash and terra-cotta hex floor tile create a stylish vintage look that complements the Tudor home. Caillier earned a Best of Houzz Design award for this kitchen.
35 Home Design Trends on the Rise in 2023
35 Home Design Trends on the Rise in 2023
2. Wood cabinets and details. Wood is a great way to add warmth and texture to a kitchen.
Designer Ruth Bergstrom of Kitchen Associates won a Best of Houzz Design award for this Sterling, Massachusetts, kitchen that features natural knotty alder cabinets with a brown glaze. The backsplash is porcelain tile in varying shades of white. Kitchen Associates also earned a Best of Houzz Service award.
Designer Ruth Bergstrom of Kitchen Associates won a Best of Houzz Design award for this Sterling, Massachusetts, kitchen that features natural knotty alder cabinets with a brown glaze. The backsplash is porcelain tile in varying shades of white. Kitchen Associates also earned a Best of Houzz Service award.
Amethyst Home added subtle warmth and texture to this Omaha, Nebraska, kitchen with light wood for the flooring, island base and range hood, helping the interior decorating firm earn a Best of Houzz Design award.
In this Phoenix kitchen, KENT architects paired light wood Shaker-style cabinets with a dark island base for a luxurious look. Stone tile masonry flanking the range hood adds captivating texture, while veining in the countertops brushes the room with character. The kitchen earned the firm a Best of Houzz Design award.
Bathrooms
3. Wood vanities. Speaking of wood cabinets, they also work great in bathrooms, bringing warmth to what’s often an abundance of cool-toned tile and other hard surfaces. In fact, after white vanities, wood vanities are the most popular choice among homeowners, according to Houzz research.
Wanderlust Home Interiors won a Best of Houzz Design award for this Del Mar, California, bathroom, which features stylish wood cabinets that mix slab-front drawers with Shaker-style doors and help soften and warm various tile and slab surfaces.
3. Wood vanities. Speaking of wood cabinets, they also work great in bathrooms, bringing warmth to what’s often an abundance of cool-toned tile and other hard surfaces. In fact, after white vanities, wood vanities are the most popular choice among homeowners, according to Houzz research.
Wanderlust Home Interiors won a Best of Houzz Design award for this Del Mar, California, bathroom, which features stylish wood cabinets that mix slab-front drawers with Shaker-style doors and help soften and warm various tile and slab surfaces.
A slab-front walnut vanity adds warmth and midcentury style to this Portland, Oregon, bathroom, which earned Mosaik Design & Remodeling a Best of Houzz Design award.
In this Seattle bathroom by K&L Interiors, a cloud print wallpaper, dark blue tile and swirling white and gray floor tile recall a rainy day. But a rich wood vanity prevents the space from veering cold and dreary. K&L won a Best of Houzz Design award for this bathroom.
4. Colored vanities. As in kitchens, painted nonwhite cabinets in a bathroom can add pop and personality. This Grand Rapids, Michigan, bathroom by KLH Custom Homes is a good example. A dark vanity mixes with a wood mirror frame, black details and white board-and-batten siding to create a compelling look and feel. The space earned KLH a Best of Houzz Design award. The builders also won a Service award.
Jim Scott and Sons Builders won a Best of Houzz Design award for this Dallas bathroom, which features a light blue-gray vanity and coordinating stone countertop, backsplash tile and wallpaper.
5. Curbless showers. A curbless shower creates a streamlined look with increased accessibility. Notice how the wood-look plank tile in this Orange County, California, bathroom runs front to back to give a clean look that accentuates the length of the room and provides a barrier-free entry to the shower — good for people with mobility issues.
Stone-look tile in the shower pulls attention farther into the room, while a barely there frameless glass door and white finishes create a light and airy feel. The bathroom won Sea Pointe Design & Remodel a Best of Houzz Design award. The firm also won a Service award.
Stone-look tile in the shower pulls attention farther into the room, while a barely there frameless glass door and white finishes create a light and airy feel. The bathroom won Sea Pointe Design & Remodel a Best of Houzz Design award. The firm also won a Service award.
Living Rooms
6. Comfortable furniture. A focus on comfortable furniture helps establish a living room as one of the most popular rooms in a home. That’s why comfortable furniture is one of the top 10 living room features design pros always recommend.
Whitley & Co took that to heart when designing this Nashville, Tennessee, living room, which features a large armchair in a gingham slipcover, a soft gray slipcovered sofa and an upholstered wingback armchair. The space earned the interior design firm a Best of Houzz Design award.
6. Comfortable furniture. A focus on comfortable furniture helps establish a living room as one of the most popular rooms in a home. That’s why comfortable furniture is one of the top 10 living room features design pros always recommend.
Whitley & Co took that to heart when designing this Nashville, Tennessee, living room, which features a large armchair in a gingham slipcover, a soft gray slipcovered sofa and an upholstered wingback armchair. The space earned the interior design firm a Best of Houzz Design award.
7. Connection to outdoors. Pros also recommend connecting a living room to an outdoor area, either with large windows or sliding glass doors. Denali Custom Homes employed both features in this Minneapolis living room. Meanwhile, Orijin Stone brought some attention back inside with a split-face limestone fireplace surround and oversize limestone hearth. The feature helped earn the stone company a Best of Houzz Design award for this space.
Denali won a Design award for its work on a home office in collaboration with Studio M Interiors.
Denali won a Design award for its work on a home office in collaboration with Studio M Interiors.
Outdoor Features
8. Multipurpose spaces. Combining functions is a great way to maximize space in any room. And blending activities in one outdoor area can have tremendous results.
Yates Desygn mixed grilling and lounging functions on this Dallas covered patio. A seating area surrounds a roaring brick fireplace and a flat-screen TV. Nearby, a built-in grill turns the area into the spot to be on any given day. The patio earned the interior design firm a Best of Houzz Design award.
8. Multipurpose spaces. Combining functions is a great way to maximize space in any room. And blending activities in one outdoor area can have tremendous results.
Yates Desygn mixed grilling and lounging functions on this Dallas covered patio. A seating area surrounds a roaring brick fireplace and a flat-screen TV. Nearby, a built-in grill turns the area into the spot to be on any given day. The patio earned the interior design firm a Best of Houzz Design award.
Petrucci Homes took a similar approach with this Detroit patio, which earned the builder a Best of Houzz Design award. A built-in grill with a vent hood sits conveniently near an outdoor dining table. And next to that, a lounge area features a TV and a fireplace.
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See how Houzz Pro can help your business
9. Hot tub. Few things perk up an outdoor area like a hot tub. It can be less expensive than a full-size swimming pool and easier to maintain. Plus, a hot tub brings a soothing spa experience to the outdoors. And this Santa Monica, California, backyard offers plenty of proof.
Oslo I LA landscape contractors maximized the relatively small backyard with a cedar deck and built-in hot tub. Perimeter planters contain hedges that will grow to create privacy. Concrete pavers add stylish pathways, and string lights give the design casual charm. The space earned the pros a Best of Houzz Design award.
Oslo I LA landscape contractors maximized the relatively small backyard with a cedar deck and built-in hot tub. Perimeter planters contain hedges that will grow to create privacy. Concrete pavers add stylish pathways, and string lights give the design casual charm. The space earned the pros a Best of Houzz Design award.
Laundry Rooms
10. Combined laundry and mudroom. Combining laundry and mudroom functions in one space makes practical sense. You can conveniently toss dirty sports or winter gear directly into the wash before grime is tracked in to your home.
Kelsey Leigh Design paired the functions in this Oklahoma City space, earning it a Best of Houzz Design award. Gray cabinets (Magnetic Gray by Sherwin-Williams), red tile flooring and light wood planks backing the open storage add style and warmth.
10. Combined laundry and mudroom. Combining laundry and mudroom functions in one space makes practical sense. You can conveniently toss dirty sports or winter gear directly into the wash before grime is tracked in to your home.
Kelsey Leigh Design paired the functions in this Oklahoma City space, earning it a Best of Houzz Design award. Gray cabinets (Magnetic Gray by Sherwin-Williams), red tile flooring and light wood planks backing the open storage add style and warmth.
Entertaining
11. Home bar niche. If you enjoy entertaining at home, a dedicated hub for beverages helps keep guests happy and out of busy kitchen areas. Collaborative Interior Design created a stylish home bar niche off this Charlotte, North Carolina, living room, which earned the firm a Best of Houzz Design award.
The bar allows guests to grab drinks and mingle in the living room or move through the sliding glass doors to a sundeck with views of a lake. The TV is mounted on a pull-down bracket that allows it to be lowered to a more comfortable viewing height when the fireplace isn’t in use.
11. Home bar niche. If you enjoy entertaining at home, a dedicated hub for beverages helps keep guests happy and out of busy kitchen areas. Collaborative Interior Design created a stylish home bar niche off this Charlotte, North Carolina, living room, which earned the firm a Best of Houzz Design award.
The bar allows guests to grab drinks and mingle in the living room or move through the sliding glass doors to a sundeck with views of a lake. The TV is mounted on a pull-down bracket that allows it to be lowered to a more comfortable viewing height when the fireplace isn’t in use.
This popular North Tustin, California, home bar earned Pure Salt Interiors a Best of Houzz Design award. It features a wine fridge and a beverage fridge, a spacious countertop, Shaker-style storage, zellige-style backsplash tile and floating wood shelves.
If you’re looking for a pro to help with a design or remodeling project, check out all the Best of Houzz 2023 winners. You can search for pros in your area — and by the room you’re looking to update — and hire them through Houzz.
If you want to know if any professional on Houzz has received a Best of Houzz award, just visit their profile page and look for badges displayed on their page, as shown here. Best of Houzz badges are given in three categories: design, service and photography. When you see a Best of Houzz badge, that means the Houzz community has highly rated the professional, has saved photos from their Houzz portfolio or both.
A little more than 3% of Houzz’s 3 million home professionals win Best of Houzz awards each year.
View all the Best of Houzz 2023 winners
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in pro-to-pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
If you want to know if any professional on Houzz has received a Best of Houzz award, just visit their profile page and look for badges displayed on their page, as shown here. Best of Houzz badges are given in three categories: design, service and photography. When you see a Best of Houzz badge, that means the Houzz community has highly rated the professional, has saved photos from their Houzz portfolio or both.
A little more than 3% of Houzz’s 3 million home professionals win Best of Houzz awards each year.
View all the Best of Houzz 2023 winners
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in pro-to-pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
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We have the LeGrand system that is under the cabinets and also have lighting. I love it. But, I do not have a lot out on my counter tops......mixer and coffee maker is all.
I love looking at the backsplash and not see any plugs.
KL, I only have to bend forward an inch or two to see the plugs.
Why spend a fortune on a beautiful backsplash only to have it broken up by plugs and switches??
To each his own!!!
I like the idea of hiding them. Thanks for the reassurance.
I love this article!! I got my inspiration for a gray kitchen from a trip to Colonial Williamsburg Virginia. The article mentions gray kitchens remain popular. It also mentions colored vanities are popular too. I chose a sage green vanity and charcoal vanity for 2 of my bathroom renovations.