12 Decorating Moves In Kitchens That Might Not Age Well
Kitchen trends can be exciting, but what’s trendy today might feel outdated tomorrow. While experimenting with style is fun, some design choices can quickly turn a fresh remodel into a look that feels stuck in the past.
Based on my observations and industry insights, I’ve highlighted kitchen decorating ideas that might not age well.
Keep in mind that personal taste, kitchen layout, and lifestyle can affect how these trends work in your space, so results may vary.
1. Overly Bold Patterned Backsplashes
Remember when everyone went crazy for those Moroccan-inspired tile backsplashes? While they looked stunning in magazines, many homeowners now regret this loud design choice. Bold patterns tend to define an exact moment in design history, making them easy to date later on.
I’ve noticed that heavily patterned backsplashes often clash with other elements when you try updating your kitchen down the road. They’re also expensive to replace since it involves demolition and new installation.
If you love patterns, consider using them in easily changeable places like window treatments or rugs instead. For backsplashes, timeless subway tiles or simple stone options will give you more flexibility as your taste evolves over the years.
2. Neon or Very Bright Cabinet Colors
That electric blue or lime green cabinet color might seem fun and energetic now, but bright colors are among the quickest elements to feel dated. Vivid cabinet colors create such a strong statement that they often become the defining feature of your entire kitchen.
Homeowners frequently tire of bold colors within just 2-3 years. When selling your home, these vibrant choices can actually reduce your property value since most buyers immediately calculate the cost of repainting or replacing.
If you crave color, try incorporating it through accessories like small appliances, dish towels, or artwork instead. Neutral cabinet colors (white, gray, natural wood) provide a timeless backdrop that can evolve with changing tastes without requiring a complete overhaul.
3. Too Many Open Shelves Without Organization
Open shelving looked amazing in those Pinterest photos, didn’t it? The reality is far less glamorous for most families. Without careful curation and constant attention, open shelves quickly become cluttered catchalls that collect dust and grease.
Kitchen items rarely look as cohesive as staged photos suggest. Your mismatched mug collection and plastic sippy cups create visual chaos rather than the serene, magazine-worthy display you imagined. Plus, maintaining picture-perfect shelves becomes another household chore.
If you still want the airy feel of open shelving, try a balanced approach. Keep some closed cabinets for practical storage and limit open shelving to displaying your most attractive items. This compromise gives you the best of both worlds without dating your kitchen.
4. Trendy Pendant Lights That Overpower The Space
Giant industrial pendants and quirky statement lighting fixtures dominated kitchen design for years. While dramatic lighting makes a splash initially, these oversized fixtures often become the first elements to look outdated as trends shift.
Massive pendants can overwhelm a kitchen’s proportions, especially in average-sized homes. They also create practical problems by blocking sightlines across the kitchen or casting shadows exactly where you need the most light for food preparation.
Simpler, more timeless lighting choices will serve you better long-term. Look for fixtures with clean lines and classic materials that complement rather than dominate your kitchen. Remember that good kitchen lighting should be functional first, with style as an important but secondary consideration.
5. Overuse of Stainless Steel Appliances
Stainless steel has dominated kitchens for decades, but its reign may finally be ending. When every surface gleams with metallic coldness, kitchens can feel more like commercial restaurant spaces than warm family gathering spots.
All those fingerprints and water spots make stainless steel surprisingly high-maintenance too. I’ve talked to many homeowners who spend more time than they’d like wiping down their refrigerators and dishwashers just to keep them looking presentable.
Newer options like panel-ready appliances that blend with cabinetry or matte finishes offer a more timeless alternative. These choices create a more integrated look that won’t scream “2010s kitchen!” a decade from now. Consider mixing materials rather than going all-in on the stainless steel look.
6. Busy Tile Patterns on Both Floor and Walls
Competing patterns create visual chaos that quickly becomes overwhelming. When both your floor and walls feature busy designs, the effect is dizzying rather than designer. This pattern overload is one of the fastest ways to date your kitchen to a specific trend period.
Many homeowners discover that living with so much pattern becomes visually exhausting. What seemed exciting during the design phase becomes an eyesore that you can’t escape. It also severely limits your ability to update other elements without a complete overhaul.
A better approach is selecting one statement surface and keeping others more subdued. If you love a bold floor tile, balance it with simpler wall treatments. This strategy creates interest without overwhelming the space and gives you more flexibility as trends evolve.
7. Cabinet Hardware That’s Too Ornate
Those ornate, crystal-look cabinet pulls might have seemed luxurious when you installed them, but highly decorative hardware tends to date quickly. Elaborate drawer pulls and knobs often reflect very specific design trends that become time-stamped to particular eras.
Heavily embellished hardware also competes visually with other kitchen elements. When every cabinet and drawer sports an intricate handle, the overall effect becomes busy rather than sophisticated. These decorative pieces also tend to collect grime in their detailed crevices.
Simple, clean-lined hardware in classic finishes provides more staying power. Think of hardware as jewelry for your kitchen understated pieces that complement rather than dominate the look are usually more elegant. The good news is that hardware is one of the easiest and most affordable elements to update when you’re ready for a change.
8. Excessive Use of Themed Décor
Those “Live, Laugh, Bake” signs and rooster collections might seem charming at first, but themed décor is among the quickest elements to feel dated and cliché. Farmhouse signs, wine-themed accessories, and chef figurines often accumulate until they overwhelm the actual function of the kitchen.
Heavily themed kitchens tend to look like impersonal catalog displays rather than authentic living spaces. They also collect dust and grease while making counters less functional for actual cooking. Most homeowners eventually tire of maintaining these purely decorative items.
If you love a particular theme, try incorporating subtle nods through one or two quality pieces rather than an all-out theme park approach. Focusing on beautiful but functional items like a handmade ceramic fruit bowl or quality wooden cutting board adds character without the dated theme-park feeling.
9. Laminate Countertops Mimicking Expensive Stone
Faux marble laminate seemed like a budget-friendly alternative to natural stone, but these imitations rarely fool anyone. The repeating patterns and artificial sheen of laminate “stone” countertops quickly reveal themselves as imposters, especially as wear patterns develop.
Unlike real stone that develops character with age, imitation surfaces just look worn and dated after a few years. The edges and seams are particularly problematic, often peeling or showing wear that real stone wouldn’t experience.
If natural stone exceeds your budget, consider solid-surface options like quartz or newer materials like concrete or butcher block that don’t pretend to be something they’re not. Authentic materials, even simpler ones, age more gracefully than imitations of luxury materials. Your kitchen will look more timeless with honest materials rather than unconvincing replicas.
10. Overly Glossy Cabinet Finishes
High-gloss cabinets once symbolized ultra-modern luxury, but they’re proving to be less practical than anticipated. These mirror-like finishes show every fingerprint, smudge, and speck of dust making them surprisingly high-maintenance in busy kitchens.
Beyond the practical concerns, extremely glossy finishes tend to define specific design eras. The early 2000s high-gloss white or black cabinets are now instantly recognizable as belonging to that period. Their reflective quality also creates harsh glare under kitchen lighting.
Satin, matte, or lightly textured finishes tend to age more gracefully while being more forgiving of daily use. These subtle finishes create depth without the dated “showroom” feel of high-gloss options. They also hide minor imperfections better as cabinets naturally age and settle over time.
11. Too Many Decorative Jars and Containers on Counters
Mason jars filled with pasta, decorative oil bottles, and matching canisters lined up like soldiers – this styling trick has become the hallmark of over-decorated kitchens. While these containers look pristine in staged photos, they quickly create visual clutter in real homes.
Most families don’t actually use these items regularly, turning them into dust-collecting props rather than functional storage. The precious counter space they occupy could be better used for actual cooking. Plus, transferring groceries into “pretty” containers creates an unnecessary chore that most people eventually abandon.
A more timeless approach keeps counters mostly clear, with just a few beautiful and useful items displayed. Consider what you genuinely use daily and find attractive storage solutions for everything else. Your future self will thank you for the additional workspace and reduced cleaning burden.
12. Tuxedo Cabinets Without Consideration for Space
The trend of contrasting upper and lower cabinets (often black lowers with white uppers) swept through kitchen design like wildfire. While this “tuxedo” look can be striking in the right setting, it often makes smaller kitchens feel chopped up and disjointed.
Dark lower cabinets particularly tend to make narrow kitchens feel tighter and more cramped. The high-contrast look also creates a very specific time stamp that screams “2015-2020 renovation!” to anyone familiar with design trends.
If you love the idea of cabinet contrast, consider more subtle variations in tone rather than stark opposites. Alternatively, use different materials while keeping colors similar. This approach creates interest without the jarring contrast that quickly dates a kitchen. Remember that what works in a spacious showroom kitchen often translates poorly to average-sized homes.
