3 Buzzy Kitchen Trends That Designers Say Clients Always Regret

Designing a kitchen from scratch can feel super risky, as buzzy trends are very alluring — but you can never be totally sure if a specific detail won’t go out of style. There were moments when orange-tinted cabinetry and linoleum floors were desirable kitchen features, but these days, these elements routinely take the brunt of a sledgehammer in renovation after renovation. So how do you avoid going after a kitchen trend you may regret? Well, for starters, you consult the pros, and I’ve got you there. 

“Timeless kitchens feel personal, functional, and never try too hard,” says designer Alvin Wayne. “Start with a classic foundation: clean lines, quality materials, and a neutral palette. Trends should be layered in, not lead the way.” After creating a mood board for your dream kitchen design, it can be hard to resist incorporating a trend or two that you know so many other of-the-moment spaces have capitalized on. I asked four pro designers to share the kitchen trends their clients most often regret years down the line: read on for their list below. 

This list surrounds everything that’s just too hard to maintain. It’s always nice when there’s a clear-cut design detail to avoid when undergoing the stress and financial upheaval of a kitchen renovation. And there was a common theme among pros: Don’t pick anything that ends up requiring extra effort.

“I only say tiled countertops because of how annoying cleaning the grout can be,” says interior designer and stylist Emily Henderson. “Why make your life harder?” 

Rachel Robinson, architect and founding partner of Dunham Robinson, also mentioned tiled countertops as “a major misstep,” but adds that marble would be just as difficult for someone who doesn’t want to deal with stains or scratches. “Don’t choose a countertop based on an imagined lifestyle rather than your actual needs,” she says.

Anne Sage, interior designer and content creator, also had scrubbing in mind when she noted the pitfall of fluted cabinets and island fronts: They’re beautiful in theory, but tough on cleaning day. 

“I’m constantly wiping kitchen surfaces, so I look at those fluted fronts, and all I can think about is what a nightmare they’d be to clean,” says Sage. “Seriously, can you imagine the horror scene if a package of raw chicken dripped into all those crevices? I’ve been known to make aesthetic choices over functional ones plenty of times, but when it comes to upkeep and hygiene, fluting could become a pain very quickly.”

In that same vein, Wayne would sidestep an all-matte black kitchen. “They show wear easily and can feel heavy over time,” he says. And in keeping with this theme, Wayne wouldn’t do wall-to-wall open shelving, either. “They look great in photos, but are hard to maintain in real life,” he says. 

All of the designers I spoke to agreed on this: When a kitchen detail requires too much effort, it’s often not worth the hassle.  

On the flip side, all four designers had similar advice for making kitchen upgrades you likely won’t regret. “To strike the perfect balance of timeless and trendy, identify which elements will be more costly and intrusive to update in the future, and choose classic profiles and finishes for those,” Sage says. “Then, for components that can easily be swapped out for a fresh look down the line, have fun with current trends.”

And if they all reached one consensus, it’s this: Even if you end up regretting a kitchen detail, that doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch. “Sure, maybe you’ll need to deep-clean those counters a little more often,” Henderson says. “Not a huge deal.”