7 Kitchen Trends Designers Are Quietly Retiring (and You Should, Too)

Glass Front Cabinets

Designer Ellie Mroz is ready to say goodbye to glass front cabinets in the kitchens she designs. It all comes down to practicality in her mind. “These unfortunately too easily become cluttered and impractical for functional storage,” says Mroz. “Today’s kitchen is more about the edited display and quiet storage.” 

Have glass front cabinets and feel like your stuff is a little too messy or visible? You could always change your cabinetry to solid doors. Or, if you only have a pair of glass front cabinets mixed into your kitchen layout, consider adding curtained panels. They conceal clutter, are very on trend right now, and can always be reversed because you use rods to install them. 

Open Shelving

Speaking of kitchen storage solutions, don’t expect to see as much open shelving in the near future. This look, designer Eilla Pradier says, is “becoming extinct.” 

It’s not so much the aesthetic being outdated — it’s the maintenance involved in the upkeep of open shelving that’s off-putting. Like glass front cabinets, open shelving puts all of your mugs, dinnerware, and accent pieces on display, so you have to be willing to keep shelves tidy 24/7. The founder of Eilla Adi Design adds, “The desire for closed upper cabinets is a direction more clients are seeking, creating structure with less clutter and dust.”

Two or Three Island Pendants

Mroz is ready to break up with kitchen islands featuring two to three pendants hanging above them. It’s a furniture and fixture combination that she refers to as “predictable.”

For something a little more unexpected, Mroz is embracing a new, fresh setup (think: architectural flush mounts, a single statement fixture, or even integrated lighting). “Layered, subtle, and architecturally integrated is the focus today,” she says. 

Contrasting Kitchen Island and Cabinetry Finishes

For some designers the two- and three-tone kitchens making the rounds on social media are a little too disjointed visually, especially when they feature high-contrast cabinet colors. And that’s why they’d like to see this look be quietly retired. 

Mroz prefers continuity in cabinetry colors and stains across both upper and lower cabinets and the kitchen island. That way, she has a more streamlined base for layering in other accents with her designs. “A cohesive palette gives the foundation for design and materials to shine,” she says. 

Stainless Steel Appliances

Some designers, including Kristina Petit of Kristina’s Collective Interiors, are opting for panel-ready appliances over exposed stainless steel models. According to Petit, panel-style appliances can actually make a kitchen appear larger. That’s because the paneling creates a visually seamless look; your whole kitchen appears as though its built-in rather than punctuated by pops of silver. 

If your cabinets are glossy or lighter in color, paneled appliances will also reflect more light than stainless steel. This can add to the optical illusion of a larger space. 

Open Floor Plans

Think about it: Kitchens can be hot spots for guests to congregate, and they’re also full of sounds and smells that can be distracting. That’s why Petit is all about designing cook spaces that are more closed off from the rest of a home where possible. “Kitchens are loud, and we want to sit down to a meal at a table,” she says. “Let’s make family meals and dinner parties feel special again.” 

If you don’t want to fully enclose the room, though, a wall of interior windows can help do the trick. This type of feature essentially becomes a room divider for a little bit of separation and privacy. But overall, the kitchen still will look light and airy. 

All-White Kitchens

It’s hard not to see an all-white kitchen as somewhat sterile and cold, especially if it’s not accessorized. That’s why many designers are ready to sunset this look. “The appeal of an all-white kitchen is taking a step back in 2026,” Pradier says. After all, as she explains, “People are seeking a warm ambiance to cook and gather together.” 

Moving forward, she would like to see kitchens with a mix of wood tones, stone, artwork, and decor. Not sure where to begin? Try bringing in some metallic touches. “Small updates of bronze pendant lights and rounded shapes can help a kitchen shy away from being too sterile,” Pradier says.