5 Kitchen Trends Contractors Are Quietly Retiring (and You Should, Too)

You know how all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares? I like to apply this line of thinking to decor trends. Every trend won’t be reflective of your personal style, but some aspects of your personal style can include trends. Does that make sense? 

The moral of the story is that when you’re renovating, you should always put your personal wants, tastes, and desires first when making decisions. That way, you know you’ll be happy with it in your own home for years to come. But if you’re curious about what the pros are seeing less of (just in case it might be something you were considering for your reno), I spoke to a few contractors and asked them to share what’s out in terms of kitchen trends for 2026 — and what they’re seeing as statement-making design features for years ahead. You might want to avoid the “out” design elements for longevity’s sake. But it’s also perfectly fine to do whatever makes you happy. 

Generally, you want your kitchen to feel lived-in and homey — not like it’s a sterile, all-white and cold metal industrial cook space. “While I always respect my client’s decisions, it pains me to see tens of thousands of dollars spent on a kitchen just for it to be pure white or pure gray,” explains Thomas Borcherding, owner and lead designer at Homestar Design Remodel. “If a client is insistent on all-white cabinetry, I try to walk them towards a different-colored island to breathe some life into the kitchen.”

Whitney Hill, CEO and co-founder at Snap ADU, agrees that 100 percent white or gray kitchens are starting to feel outdated. Instead, she offers neutral color design options to her clients with a little more warmth and pigmentation. “We steer our standard finishes towards warm wood tones and more versatile colors, like sage green or deep blue,” she says.

Unless you want to spend your days endlessly wiping down your backsplash, glass designs are a major no. In 2025, “homeowners learned what we knew: Huge glass surfaces reveal every water spot, fingerprint, and grease splatter — with maintenance that isn’t congruent with real-life cooking use,” says Cliff Gielow, contractor at Lemon Bay Glass & Mirror.

Instead, Gielow suggests trying a statement glass panel behind the range with complementary ceramic or porcelain tile elsewhere, if you have your heart set on glass. Or  try featuring it in your upper cabinets. Single glass panels can showcase your dinnerware without the need to clean entire glass walls. “This change in direction acknowledges the function of kitchens should be more important than how photogenic they are,” he says. 

Along those same lines of practicality, multiple contractors mentioned open shelving as an outdated trend, including Nichole Cuglietta, senior design studio consultant at Glenview Homes. “Although popular and aesthetically pleasing, open shelves in your kitchen can expose your items to dust,” she says. “They also need to be cleaned and organized consistently to keep up the appeal.”

Hill agrees. “While beautiful, it’s just not a practical option for many homeowners,” she adds. “It makes storage more challenging, particularly in small spaces like ADUs, and they are difficult to clean.”

Cuglietta recommends using open shelving in a pantry, where the shelves are a bit more hidden and can be shut behind a door. That way, you won’t constantly feel the need to reorganize them.

The problem with thick-veined quartz, says Borcherding, is that “unless it is designated as quartzite or natural quartz, it’s a man-made, engineered product.” Therefore, he says, it can have an unnatural feel and look once it’s installed, and some clients can be unhappy with that in situ. “While engineered quartz is a fantastic, sustainable countertop material, it’s important for clients to be informed of its engineered nature,” he says. “I find it distasteful and even predatory how countertop manufacturers don’t make this distinction clear.”

Instead, if you’re looking for natural stone countertops, he suggests granite as an affordable alternative to quartz. Of course, marble is always an option as well, but typically it does require more maintenance than granite. And if you’re OK with the obviously faux look, that’s cool too — just be sure you know what counters you are getting so you can properly take care of them. They’re a huge investment, and you’ll want to make them last. 

Can’t you just hear Joanna Gaines’ voice saying “backsplash” when you think about subway tile? Borcherding says this trend is officially retired for the new year. 

Not only is it extremely overdone at this point, but Borcherding’s experience also tells him that homeowners often grow tired of material choices that truly are everywhere. “If you are in love with subway tile, I’d encourage you to find a subway-esque tile, such as one that features a decorative glaze, texture, or irregular edges,” he adds. So think a little beyond white here, and you’ll be good to go.