Kitchen Trends You Should Avoid Implementing Into Your Kitchen Remodel

The kitchen is probably the favorite room in the house for many. After all, it’s where we make delicious home-cooked meals and where snacks come from. It’s a functional and comforting space you use daily. Yet, 42% of homeowners say they want to do a kitchen remodel because they can’t stand the look of their old kitchen.

There are many kitchen trends making the rounds in the interior design sphere, but they’re not all hits. When you look at them more closely, most have shortcomings. You may think you want a completely white kitchen or a giant floating island, but are those the right design solutions for your space? They might be popular now, but will they stand the test of time? Don’t follow every trend blindly—consult with a kitchen remodel specialist like Bluegrass Haven for a timeless design. Let’s take a look at a few kitchen trends and designs every homeowner should avoid.

All White Cabinets, Surfaces, and Appliances

At first glance, an all-white kitchen seems modern and elegant. But in a real home environment, it feels cold and sterile. It lacks character and says little about your style, except that you lack vision and inspiration. All white surfaces are also notoriously difficult to maintain. They show every spot of dirt, splash of food, and scratch.

However, the white kitchen trend is still popular in 2024, and 46% of homeowners want white cabinets. We recommend incorporating some white into your kitchen remodel, but mix it with warmer wood tones and add different textures. A quick consultation with our remodeling experts at Bluegrass Haven can show you how to achieve that sleek, modern look without going full monochromatic white.

Sad, Beige Kitchens

This is an offshoot of the all-white kitchen, except it’s much more drab. The neutral color aesthetic took the internet by storm, perpetuated by young mothers who didn’t want any flashy color in their homes. The solution was to make everything beige or gray, including the kitchen. Some people describe this trend as neutral, but we can all see it for what it is – dull.

All beige kitchens offer no visual interest and add little to your home’s aesthetics. They are also hard to maintain because even the slightest mess stands out and becomes an eyesore. Some other reasons to stay away from this trend are:

Beige or neutrals quickly become boring to look at.
You constantly need to worry about keeping the kitchen tidy.
You can’t add other features that aren’t neutral.
Beige tones can start yellowing more quickly.

Frosted Lighting Fixtures

Large lighting fixtures with frosted shades hanging over the kitchen island were all the rage a few years back. However, this is one of the kitchen trends slowly losing appeal as more people realize these lights make the kitchen feel smaller and don’t provide good lighting. A kitchen should feel light and bright, not dim and unwelcoming.

To improve the ambiance, bring in as much natural light as possible during the kitchen remodel. Maximize window space if you can, but if that’s not in the budget, install recessed lights in the ceiling. You can place them strategically, like over the oven or above the countertops, to really brighten up your kitchen. You can also hide recessed lights inside the walls, freeing up air space and making the kitchen appear more open.

Open Cabinetry and Shelving

A kitchen with long open shelves showcasing a vintage china collection looks great on the pages of an interior decorating magazine. But not so much in a kitchen that needs to hold practical things, like cooking pots and plates. Usually, cabinet space is limited in a kitchen, so you don’t want to waste yours on shelves that just aren’t that practical. Once again, the main issue is maintenance. Open shelving collects dust and doesn’t protect your things from getting dusty. Unless you are the most organized person on the planet, the shelving situation will get very cluttered very fast.

But we won’t deny that some open shelves and cabinets look good, especially for display purposes. If you want this feature in your new kitchen, an experienced company that provides kitchen remodel services can help you find a practical solution that mixes open shelves and closed cabinets.

Overly Large Islands

As a homeowner on a budget, you can’t pick out luxury elements for each room—and you don’t need to! The ultimate goal is a successful and long-lasting renovation, and it’s done by choosing functionality over aesthetics. A big island made of marble won’t serve your kitchen better than a laminate one. It will only go over your budget drastically. Opt for cost-effective solutions and kitchen remodel elements that your family can use for a long time without breaking the bank.

Select Materials Carefully

Now, the kitchen island is not going anywhere. It’s a bellowed feature that’s beautiful and functional. But what is changing is the size. Putting in a double-wide kitchen island during the kitchen remodel may be your dream, but it might cut precious floor space in half, making it harder to move around. It can also overpower the rest of the kitchen and throw off the proportions. Instead, consider a more compact version that can serve as a prep, storage, and dining space. A butcher block for the top will make it multifunctional and easy to clean. Adding wheels to the bottom will make it portable, so you can place it wherever you want and move it out of the way when necessary.

Putting Looks Over Function

The point of a kitchen remodel is to build a beautiful kitchen you love, but don’t get so caught up in the latest kitchen trends that you forget about functionality. What good are the chicest cabinets if they can’t keep your kitchen organized or a trendy backsplash that’s hard to keep clean? This space is for use, not just for looking at, and a good kitchen remodel considers that.
Bluegrass Haven can help you achieve the best balance of function and style, transforming your kitchen into a space you will always look forward to using. Even if you’re doing a complete home remodel, balance a functional design and style that never goes out of fashion.

Choosing Timeless Designs over Trends

Remodeling a kitchen is a time-consuming and expensive undertaking. You don’t want to spend all that time looking at color swatches and countertops only to realize you hate it a few years later. Don’t get sucked in by the latest kitchen trends and viral designs. What’s popular today might be replaced tomorrow, and you don’t want to be left with a kitchen that was last season.
A good kitchen remodel adds style and personality and will still be in vogue even a decade from now. The designers at Bluegrass Haven keep up with the latest trends but know which ones are here to stay and which are just passing fads. They can transform your house, from the kitchen to the bathroom, into an evergreen home. Trends are fun, but real style lasts forever.

Get in Touch With a Trusted Contractor

If you’re a homeowner on a budget, you can follow our full home remodel tips and try to incorporate them into your plan. However, every step is easier said than done.

If you have a busy lifestyle and a big family to take care of, chances are that you don’t have time to get mixed up into remodeling a full house yourself. The best option for busy homeowners is finding a trusted contractor to get remodeling off their hands, and Bluegrass Haven Construction is the best choice for a full home remodel!

Bluegrass Haven Construction, LLC is here to help you improve your house on time and on budget. We specialize in whole-home renovations and kitchen and bathroom remodels in Lexington and Central Kentucky.