17 Outdated Kitchen Design Trends You Should Avoid Completely

Often called the heart of the home, the kitchen could be considered the centerpiece of the house. It's a focal gathering point when you entertain guests and prepare food to fuel your body. We wouldn't be surprised if you spend more time in the kitchen than any other room in the house. When a kitchen is warm and inviting, it helps the whole home feel cozier. On the flip side, a bare, cluttered, or otherwise unseemly kitchen isn't as motivating. Take a look at your kitchen and consider whether it's a room you want to spend much time in — if it isn't, it may be time for a kitchen remodel.

Whether you're doing a DIY kitchen remodel or hiring experts, a remodel can be daunting, especially when it comes to curating a stylish modern space. Fortunately, it probably isn't hard to find something you like among what's currently trending in kitchen styles. Earth tones are huge, mixed metals are very in, and playful lighting and ceiling designs offer a plethora of fun upgrade ideas for your space. However, even the kitchen is subject to fashion faux pas, and you probably don't want to be caught in the embarrassment of choosing an outdated fad. As you're redesigning your kitchen, personal preference is obviously the most important factor in choosing decor elements, but whatever you do, you should stay away from these outdated kitchen designs.

We apologize if our first kitchen don't upsets you, but someone has to break the sad news — the classic subway tile backsplash is decidedly out. If you're wondering how on earth a long-reigning kitchen staple has been booted from the decor dos, you're not alone. Fortunately, founder of TileCloud Floss Kelly offered The Kitchn an explanation: "The design world is gravitating towards authenticity and materials that evoke warmth and organic charm." 

Scratch white subway tiles from your backsplash brainstorm list, but you don't have to totally go back to the drawing board. If your heart is set on the clean-lined appeal of a subway tile, picking a tile color other than white (or cool tones, which we'll talk about later) is an easy way to update the outdated trend without sacrificing the signature subway design. You could also opt for a popular subway tile alternative, like natural stone, zellige tile, or even a 3D backsplash. 

If your kitchen already has granite countertops, don't panic — there's no need to make swapping them out a top priority. However, if you're planning on redoing your countertops anyway, designers agree that granite is an outdated choice for new kitchens. Why? The busy, often speckled designs typical for granite don't mesh with the modern bright and sleek kitchen trends. 

If you were married to the idea of granite countertops, there's no need to spend too much time in mourning. Simply go with a quartz countertop instead. Quartz often offers a more streamlined look and can even be made to look like marble if you want a veiny appeal. Quartz is also a no-brainer choice over granite when it comes to functionality. Though it'll cost slightly more than its counterpart, it's less porous than granite, making it more resistant to bacteria. Quartz is also more durable and easier to maintain. 

Unfortunately for kitchen maximalists, it may be time to rein in the functional decor elements of your kitchen in favor of a more minimalist appearance. That means that opting for an open shelving design in your kitchen remodel probably isn't in your best interests (even if it's a look you're currently in love with). Reasons for the disappearance of the open-shelf trend are numerous and range from aesthetic interest to maintaining a well-functioning kitchen. Essentially, choosing cabinets for your redesign is the way to go. 

Why is open shelving out? Mostly because they're too much of a hassle to maintain, both aesthetically and in terms of functionality. You can curate your open shelving to be beautiful and functional, but you'll be sacrificing shelf space. Closed cabinets can normally pack precariously layered piles of mugs, and that's not an appealing way to design an open shelf. Items on open shelves are also more prone to collecting dirt and grime and will need to be cleaned more frequently. If you want the open feel, glass-front cabinets may be your best bet.

Don't throw your hands up in exasperation just yet — you don't have to abandon all elements of the modern farmhouse appeal. Certain aspects of a modern farmhouse kitchen will never go out of style, like a wooden farmhouse-style dining table, farmhouse sinks, and vintage rugs. These farmhouse decor staples are likely to stick around for a while, so you don't need to completely rethink your kitchen redesign. When it comes to other pieces of decor, it will benefit you to be discerning.

So, what popular farmhouse decor items are on their way out? If it's on a Pinterest board you made in the mid-2010s, there's a decent chance it's an outdated style. Examples include wooden typography signs with kitschy sayings, buffalo check patterns, pre-distressed items, and DIY barn doors. A good rule of thumb when it comes to designing an in-style farmhouse kitchen is to opt for authenticity; for example, choose genuinely distressed vintage decor items over brand-new items that were crafted to look vintage. 

Yet another kitchen style staple is now reportedly out. Experts suggest the over-the-range microwave no longer makes sense in a modern kitchen — and after hearing their reasoning, we must say we agree. This is another kitchen design element that you don't need to rush to replace if you already have it. But if you're updating your kitchen, it could be beneficial to think twice about the placement of your microwave.

Over-the-range microwaves are a no-go because of stylistic and functional elements. The aesthetic of an over-the-range microwave no longer meshes with the appeal of a clean, streamlined kitchen. Simply put, it's too much of an eyesore to be in such a prominent spot. There are also accessibility concerns to consider. Microwaves placed over a stove are likely out of reach for children or disabled family members. To that end, a drawer microwave or a built-in unit lower down in your kitchen makes more sense. 

We know it seems like all-white kitchens should never go out of style — the safe color choice has been a go-to for decades, which is actually precisely why we recommend staying away from it when you redesign your kitchen. While a white color scheme falls in line with the modern, clean kitchen appeal, it often looks too sterile to contribute to the warmth that many updated kitchens are striving to attain.

You don't need to exclude white color from every part of your kitchen, but we recommend playing around with earth tones when it comes to accents like cabinet doors, backsplashes, and even kitchen islands. Earth tones like light sage green or terracotta, as well as jewel tones (think: oxblood or emerald green), are decidedly modern color choices that will add a wealth of visual appeal to your updated kitchen.

Maybe you're not doing a whole kitchen remodel, but you want to update your space with some budget-friendly DIY kitchen designs. Swapping out metal accents can be a great, easy way to give your kitchen a new look. If you go this route, stay away from matching your metals. Mixed metal finishes are all the rage, and mixing your metals can give your kitchen an added visual interest that it might be sorely lacking.

How do you mix your metals tastefully? Pick one metal finish to be the main one you use throughout the kitchen (like having stainless steel appliances), and use different metals as highlights around your kitchen, like gold cabinet knobs or a black metal faucet. Don't use too many different metals, however, or else your kitchen could look too busy. For best results, stick to two complementary metal finishes. 

Gone are the all-white kitchen ceilings of yesteryear. Though white is a pretty standard color choice for a kitchen ceiling, they're very ordinary, and ordinary is the last thing we'd want from a kitchen remodel. While there are plenty of ways to colorfully redesign your kitchen, giving the ceiling a colorful makeover is an easy, often-overlooked method to add visual appeal to your kitchen without needing to do a whole remodel.

Consider the color of your walls when you're choosing paint for your ceiling (and while you're at it, paint the walls too if they're white). You could coordinate your ceiling color with your walls or with your cabinetry. Choose a color that's close to the color of your walls on the color wheel, or go with a contrasting color if you want an especially eye-catching look. While a plain paint job will work perfectly well, you could also do a textured design to make it more interesting. 

By now, you probably have a decent idea of what to do and not to do when you're planning your kitchen remodel, so this next tip should come as no surprise. If you're including new flooring in your updated kitchen, it would be wise to avoid installing glossy floors at all costs. Why? In addition to creating a somewhat sterile kitchen atmosphere (similar to all-white kitchens), high-gloss floors aren't the most practical. It's a lot of work to maintain the shine on your glossy floors, especially in areas where people are always walking around, like the kitchen. 

Fortunately, alternative kitchen flooring options are abundant. If you opt for a low-shine (or even matte) tiled kitchen floor you'll have plenty of room to play around with colors — for example, an emerald green floor could play nicely with a kitchen that has a lot of warm wood elements. You could also consider incorporating sustainable elements into your flooring design by using materials like bamboo or reclaimed wood. 

Given that warmth and coziness are at the forefront of modern kitchen design, it only makes sense that cool-toned finishes are definitely out. This means it's time to swap out your navy blue or cool grey kitchen coloring for something more inviting. This doesn't mean you have to embrace colors outside a neutral palette — rather, choose warmer neutrals to make your kitchen feel more welcoming. 

Natural, warm, earthy wood finishes (like what you'd find with oak or walnut woods) are incredibly in, and a great way to make your kitchen appear lighter while maintaining a streamlined neutrality. On the other hand, if you want to opt for color, choose warm shades of your favorite colors. Instead of a navy blue or cool powder blue, you may want to go with a blue that almost verges on being teal. 

If you do decide to take our prior tip on mixing metals to heart, you should think twice before including brass in the lineup, simply because it's overdone and not the easiest material to incorporate into a design. Given that brass tones can widely differ, you'd want to get all your brass fixtures from the same place. If your heart is set on brass, natural brass is your best bet — avoid brushed brass if you can. 

If the thought of designing a brass-filled kitchen makes your head spin, we have some good news — chrome is on the rise, especially when it comes to kitchens. The shiny, reflective, decidedly futuristic metal is a safer choice than brass partially because of its likely staying power. Also, if you want to have a uniform look, chrome is much easier to match as the tone and the finish are always the same, regardless of where the fixtures come from.

Bet you thought we were done talking about backsplashes, but alas, there's one more outdated backsplash design we couldn't possibly leave off this list: the familiar glass mosaic. Reminiscent of the apartment ads you'd see in the 2010s, glass mosaic backsplashes have long overstayed their welcome, and it's past time they move aside in favor of more updated alternatives. 

We're saying goodbye to this backsplash for a couple of reasons. First, it's just too busy. Again, we're doing away with kitchen maximalism in favor of clean, streamlined looks, and a glass mosaic backsplash is anything but. Second (and perhaps most important), they're a pain to keep clean. Sure, it's easy enough to wipe splashes off the tile, but when the tiles are tiny and form intricate designs, cleaning them becomes a much bigger task. 

Speaking of the hefty task of keeping a kitchen clean, grout is another kitchen element we should address. It's long past time for white grout in kitchens to be a distant memory. Honestly, we aren't sure why it was ever used in the first place. It's understandable if you haven't even considered your grout color until now. It's an often overlooked (yet very necessary) aspect of kitchen design that deserves more attention than it's typically given.

Avoiding white grout doesn't have as much to do with aesthetic as it does with cleanliness. While white grout certainly looks good in almost any circumstance, it's definitely impractical in the kitchen, whether you're using it between backsplash or floor tiles. Grout is a pain to keep clean, especially in a room that sees as much traffic as your kitchen. The darker the grout, the better. If you don't want to go too dark, even a warm grey would fare better than white. 

Sorry, kitchen space savers, but it's time for those hanging pot racks to go. While they've historically been a great way to utilize space in a small kitchen, they're decidedly outdated for a reason you can probably guess: yes, they contribute to a kitchen's visual clutter. Fortunately, since you're already doing a kitchen remodel, there's no better time to build in more storage options for your pots and pans.

Consider adding drawers to your kitchen as an alternative home for those pots and pans that have been hanging over your counter for years. Even if you're short on drawer space, you could always convert a cabinet into a suitable pots and pans storage spot by adding some pull-out shelves to maximize the available vertical space. If you have a small kitchen, it may take some finagling and creative thinking, but we promise you can find a better way to store your pots and pans that helps your kitchen look more sleek.

Pastels may not be completely out yet, but they're certainly on their way, making it wise to stray away from pastel colors when you're remodeling your kitchen. While the once-popular pastel color palette can certainly brighten up a kitchen, it's a trend that's overstayed its welcome, and nowadays, pastel kitchens look more dated than fresh. Again, you don't have to re-paint your pastel walls and accents in a panic, but you definitely shouldn't incorporate them into a newer kitchen design.

Instead of going the pastel route, opt for rich, warm hues and accents. Oxblood will come in handy here (as will many other jewel tones), and this is another time to incorporate warm neutrals like cream or a muted terracotta. Can't decide on a color for your cabinetry? We have some good news — two-toned cabinets seem to be growing in popularity, so get ahead of the trend by incorporating a two-toned color scheme into your kitchen ASAP.

Whatever you do during your kitchen remodel, don't forget to update your kitchen lighting. Lighting might seem like a small, unnoticeable detail, and it honestly kind of is — which is exactly why you should stay away from standard kitchen lighting in favor of something updated and eye-catching. If you're still utilizing the plain pendant fixtures that have been in your kitchen since you moved in, you may find that changing them gives your new kitchen the perfect finishing touch.

Simply put, stay away from the simplistic options. Pendant lights are fine as long as they're oversized, but design-centric lighting fixtures are really making waves in modern kitchen design. Look for vintage glass light fixtures that make a statement, lights that could double as sculptures, or lighting made from natural materials. This is another opportunity to incorporate mixed metals into your kitchen, and while you're at it, trade your bright white bulbs for ones with a warmer glow. 

This idea is a little unexpected, very practical, and can do a lot to make your kitchen instantly inviting. When you're remodeling your kitchen, refrain from giving your fixtures sharp corners. It might feel a little extra — after all, most kitchens follow this design — but trust us when we say that eschewing sharp angles for rounded edges will make your kitchen instantly more inviting. Plus, there's the obvious safety bonus of not having to worry about kids running into sharp objects.

If you're including an island in your kitchen, make sure the corners are soft and rounded. Apply the same principles to other elements of your kitchen, like countertops and even cabinetry. Having rounded corners can instantly make a space feel more warm and welcoming, which is ideal if this is the look you're going for with your new kitchen. If small touches like this can make a world of difference, they're seemingly a no-brainer.