05/17/2026
Some kitchen trends start showing their age within the first five years of install.
After 30 years of designing kitchens across San Diego, these are the five moves I see date fastest and what holds up better instead.
1. All-gray kitchens. Gray without warmth or contrast dates quickly. Warm whites, greige tones, and natural wood accents age far more gracefully.
2. Overly ornate cabinet doors. Heavy carved profiles tied themselves to a specific era. Shaker and flat-front doors let the material and finish do the work without an expiration date.
3. Heavy-veined granite. Dramatic slabs were the luxury standard for years. Quieter stones like quartzite and honed marble sit easier in a room and tend to outlast the moment they were chosen in.
4. Subway tile floor to ceiling. The tile itself is not the problem. But covering every surface with it means more grout lines, more maintenance, and a look that peaked and dropped in the same decade. Used selectively, it still works.
5. Oil-rubbed bronze hardware. It ran its course. Unlacquered brass and brushed nickel sit quietly in a space and have consistently held up across styles and eras.
The kitchens that age well never tried to be of the moment in the first place.
