7 Ideas In The Kitchen You Could Consider Skipping

Designing your dream kitchen is exciting, but not every trendy idea stands up to real-life use. Some choices that look stunning in magazines can end up being impractical, costly, or difficult to maintain.

The following suggestions are based on common experiences and professional observations, but results may vary depending on your kitchen’s size, layout, and personal needs.

To help you avoid regrets, here are eight kitchen design trends and ideas that many homeowners later wish they had skipped, saving you time, money, and unnecessary frustration.

1. Overly Dark Cabinets

Dark cabinets might look stunning in showrooms, but living with them is another story. They show every speck of dust, fingerprint, and water splash turning your cleaning routine into a daily battle. Plus, they can make smaller kitchens feel like caves.

I installed espresso cabinets in my previous home and regretted it within months. Without constant wiping, they looked perpetually dirty. They also absorbed light instead of reflecting it, requiring me to install additional lighting.

If you love the rich look of darker woods, consider using them as accents instead. Maybe choose a dark island with lighter perimeter cabinets, or incorporate dark open shelving for display items only.

2. Too Many Small Appliances

Are you hoarding single-purpose gadgets that promised to revolutionize your cooking? That air fryer, bread maker, pasta machine, and juicer might have seemed essential during purchase, but now they’re just collecting dust and hogging precious counter space.

My kitchen once resembled an appliance showroom. The waffle maker came out twice a year, while the fancy food processor remained boxed after the initial excitement wore off. Meanwhile, I struggled daily with cluttered counters.

Instead, invest in fewer, high-quality multipurpose tools. A good stand mixer with attachments can replace several appliances. Before buying anything new, honestly ask yourself how often you’ll use it and where you’ll store it.

3. Excessive Open Shelving

Pinterest makes open shelving look dreamy with perfectly arranged dishes and matching accessories. The reality? Dust, grease, and constant maintenance. Those beautiful shelves require serious dedication to keep looking presentable.

When I replaced my upper cabinets with open shelving, I didn’t anticipate how cooking steam and grease would coat everything. Dishes we didn’t use daily needed washing before use, and arranging everything to look “casually perfect” became a part-time job.

If you love the airy feel of open shelving, try a hybrid approach. Use a few open shelves for display-only items or daily essentials, while keeping closed storage for the majority of your kitchen necessities. Your future self will thank you during cleaning day.

4. Trendy Backsplash Choices

That bold geometric tile or bright mosaic might seem perfect today, but trendy backsplashes are among the first elements to date your kitchen. What’s hot right now could look painfully outdated in just a few years.

My friend splurged on a copper penny tile backsplash that was all over design magazines. Within two years, she couldn’t stand it anymore, but replacing it meant major demolition and expense.

Consider timeless options like subway tile, which has remained stylish for over a century. If you crave personality, add color through easily changeable elements like dish towels, small appliances, or artwork. Remember that permanent installations should have staying power beyond current trends especially if you might sell your home in the future.

5. Too Much Counter Clutter

Keeping everything on your countertops seems convenient until you need space to actually cook. Coffee makers, knife blocks, spice racks, utensil holders they creep across your workspace until you’re preparing dinner in a tiny corner.

After years of kitchen chaos, I finally cleared my counters and discovered I had twice the usable space. Cooking became less stressful, cleaning took half the time, and the whole kitchen looked more expensive instantly.

Try this exercise: temporarily clear everything off your counters, then only return items you truly use daily. Store occasional-use items in cabinets or drawers. For visual appeal, choose just one or two beautiful things to display a fruit bowl or nice olive oil dispenser can add personality without sacrificing function.

6. Overly Bold Wall Colors

Fire engine red or electric blue might energize you initially, but living with intense wall colors day after day can become overwhelming. Bold colors also reflect onto food and countertops, potentially making your cooking look unappetizing.

My sister painted her kitchen walls bright orange, convinced it would make the space feel warm and inviting. Six months later, she couldn’t take it anymore the color made the room feel smaller and gave everyone a strange glow at dinner time.

If you love color, consider softer, more muted versions of your favorites. Sage instead of emerald, terracotta instead of red. Another approach is using bold color on just one accent wall or bringing vibrant hues in through accessories that can be changed when you need a refresh.

7. Large, Awkward Kitchen Islands

The massive kitchen island trend has led many homeowners to install islands too big for their spaces. These behemoths look impressive but create traffic jams and awkward workflow patterns that make cooking frustrating.

When I remodeled my kitchen, the designer pushed for the largest possible island. Thankfully, I tested the layout first with tape on the floor and discovered we couldn’t open the refrigerator door fully with the proposed island size!

Scale matters tremendously. Your island should allow at least 36 inches of clearance on all sides 42 inches is even better. Consider your actual cooking habits too. If you rarely use the island for food prep, a narrower version might work better. Some kitchens might benefit more from a mobile cart that can be moved when needed.