7 Antiquated Kitchen Design Elements Design Professionals Long to Forget
Refresh your kitchen with a modern twist by steering clear of these seven outdated designs that could make your space feel cramped or impractical. Here's what you shouldn't include:
1. Tuscan-Inspired Spaces
Multiple designers agree - Tuscan designs are better off being authentically aged and in Tuscany itself, according to Adam and Amber Ford of A.A. Ford Interiors in Knoxville, Tennessee. Jen Baxter of Baxter Hill Interiors in Savannah, Georgia, and Rebecca Merritt of Merritt Design Co. in South Florida feel similarly. Tuscan-style kitchens, with their dark cabinets, ornate corbels, and "weird faux finishes," can make cooking feel like a dreadful dungeon experience.
2. All-White Kitchens
While nobody wants a dark kitchen, all-white kitchens also aren't the perfect solution, Merritt tells us. "White on white on white with chrome or black hardware ends up feeling more like a hospital than a home," she adds. A splash of color in your cooking space is never a bad idea.
3. Multi-Level Islands
Baxter believes that multi-level islands should have stayed in the '90s. "They interrupt the flow of the space and increase the chances of something tipping off the upper ledge," she notes. "A single, generous work surface is far more functional (and elegant)."
Esther Ellard of Effortless Designs in Athens, Georgia, also disapproves of multi-level islands with raised bar tops. "They tend to visually chop off what should be a clean, cohesive surface," she says. "Raised bars are not only awkward as they limit the countertop space but it also makes conversations across the kitchen feel disconnected."
4. So-So Storage
Designers like Baxter say that wall-to-wall upper cabinets "can make a kitchen feel heavy and confrontational." She suggests using floor-to-ceiling cabinets instead. And while you might think open shelving is the perfect solution, Baxter warns against cluttered open shelving. "Unless meticulously styled and kept tidy, these just add mental noise," she says. "A good kitchen should feel calm and purposeful."
5. Mosaic Backsplashes
Mosaic backsplashes, while once popular, are now considered visual noise. "I'm all for mixing textures and patterns, but there's a big difference between layered and loud," says Michael Mitchell of Michael Mitchell in Charleston, South Carolina. "A kitchen should feel collected, not chaotic."
6. Orange-Toned Woods
Orange-toned woods can quickly date a space, according to Esther Ellard of Effortless Designs. "Orange-toned woods often fight against the softer more neutral tones we have all come to embrace in the past few years," she says. "Lean instead into the earthy, soft wood tone options to keep the kitchen updated and fresh for years to come!"
7. T-Shaped Cabinet Pulls
The right cabinet pull can make or break your kitchen experience. Merritt strongly opposes T-shaped cabinet pulls, citing potential pocket-catching issues and their overall blandness. "It's the subway tile of hardware," she says.
Don't let dated designs bring your kitchen down. Revamp your space by avoiding these trends and embrace a modern, functional, and aesthetically pleasing kitchen design.
- Southern Living advises against Tuscan-inspired kitchen interiors, as they can make cooking feel like a dreadful experience due to dark cabinets, ornate corbels, and "weird faux finishes."
- A splash of color in your home's kitchen design is better than all-white kitchens which, according to Rebecca Merritt, can feel more like a hospital than a home.
- Multi-level kitchen islands, as Jen Baxter suggests, should have stayed in the '90s due to their flow-interrupting nature and potential for items tipping off the upper ledge.
- When it comes to storage in home-and-garden designs, wall-to-wall upper cabinets can make a kitchen feel heavy and confrontational, while cluttered open shelving adds mental noise.
- Michael Mitchell suggests avoiding mosaic backsplashes for a kitchen with a collected, not chaotic, feel. Instead, he advises choosing textures and patterns that are layered, but not loud.
