6 Kitchen Trends Designers Already Regret Trying This Year

There are plenty of timeless kitchens out there, but there are also kitchen fads that don’t stand the test of time. Sure, they’re buzzy in the moment, after actually cooking, cleaning, and eating with the fancy design feature du jour, the infatuation might fade.

Nobody knows this better than interior designers, who are often the first to test trends, even if that means taking a bold risk. We spoke to three interior design pros and asked them which popular kitchen trends they tried and regretted.

You might have seen some of these kitchen trends on your Instagram feed, but before you commit to a makeover, take a cue from the pros: Here are the six kitchen trends designers say they wouldn’t try again—and why you might want to skip them as well.

Open Shelving

It’s official—designers agree that kitchens filled with open shelving are on their way out in 2026. Although the concept encouraged spaces that felt open, airy, and perfectly curated, in practice, the trend was anything but practical. 

“In real life, it became a consistent maintenance—a dust trap,” Shannon Kadwell, Kitchen and Bath Director at Anthony Wilder Design/Build, says. “Plates, glasses, and other items collected grease, dust, and cooking splatter and needed to be cleaned constantly…In the end, this look lost its clean, light, open, and calm aesthetic we were trying to achieve.”

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Color Drenching

Even though the color drenching paint trend dominated this year, the dramatic look didn’t work as well in the kitchen as it did, say, in living rooms and bedrooms.

For Rick Berres, owner of Honey-Doers, the lesson learned was that color drenching often suits smaller spaces better than larger ones.

“I gave color drenching a try multiple times, actually…and while I can’t say I hated the results, I also can’t say I loved them, you know?” he says.

Textured Walls and Ceilings

A bit more elevated than popcorn ceilings of the 1980s and 90s, textured walls and ceilings (think: limewash, Roman clay, tongue and groove, and more) are having a moment right now in interior design. But Berres says adding this feature to your home might be more hassle than it’s worth.

“Let me tell you, I tried the textured walls and ceiling, and I think bringing that back was a huge mistake,” he says. “It’s a pain to install, it’s a pain to paint, it’s a pain to fix, and it’s the biggest pain to remove when you’re sick of it. Avoid at all costs.” 

White on White

Although dark-colored kitchen cabinets rose in popularity, all-white kitchens remained sought-after, and Sarah Trop, interior designer and founder at FunCycled, calls the look “overly prescribed.”

She says her all-white projects for clients fell flat.

“Without contrast or natural materials to break things up, the spaces felt sterile rather than inviting,” she says. “Even beautiful millwork can disappear when everything is the exact same tone.”

Overly Saturated Hues

On the other hand, going overboard with overly saturated hues was another kitchen design misstep Trop experienced this year, especially when she tried out red cabinets in a relatively dark room.

“Reds, especially saturated ones, have an incredible amount of visual weight. In a kitchen with limited natural light, the color dominated the room,” she says.

Instead of committing to red paint or cabinetry, Trop recommends smaller pops of red in the kitchen, like with picture frames, chairs, or decor. 

Ultra-Bold Countertops

Similarly bold, swirled statement countertops were a trend that didn’t live up to Kadwell’s expectations this year.

While countertops with dramatic designs or colors (deep burgundy, gold, or heavy black veining) look stunning in photos, they can feel heavy in practice. Plus, they’re quick to feel dated as the next trend comes along.