7 Features Designers Say Make Your Kitchen Look Outdated (Some May Surprise You)

Is your kitchen holding onto cabinets from the '90s or a stove that's older than you? Not only can an outdated kitchen can feel like a sad reflection of your design style, it could also be missing major functional upgrades.

To guide your updates, we spoke with designers to identify glaring signs your kitchen might need an update. This can help you allocate your budget and set your goals when remodeling your kitchen. From the kinds of cabinets that are no longer in style, to various appliance types, range hoods and more, the professionals will guide you as to what can stay and what kitchen features should be left in 2010.

1. Warm Wood with Brushed Brass

Probably the most obvious sign your kitchen is not a member of generation alpha is warm wood cabinetry and brushed or oiled brass hardware, especially if both elements feature highly decorative details. This combination has appeared in rustic and suburban kitchens for decades, but that doesn't make it fresh.

"The aesthetic feels heavy and traditional," says Zborowski. These days, people prefer to show craftsmanship by letting raw materials sing. Sand down darkly stained cabinets to a light, natural wood, or swap out dated brass hardware for handmade ceramic or iron options.

2. Matte Black Finishes

Matte black finishes on cabinetry and plumbing fixtures were hugely popular in the last 20 years. The stark finish provided contrast and a grounding touch to the light wood and colorful cabinetry that's been popular. Today's buyer is getting more advanced, however, and doesn't need everything to match. "The idea of matchy-matchy metallics is out," Zborowski says. "Consumers are making bolder choices, mixing different metallic finishes across hardware and fixtures for a more layered look." This also includes decorative ceramic or other handmade hardware.

3. Cabinets Everywhere

A kitchen of wall-to-wall cabinetry is out of vogue for two reasons. First, people are downsizing, says Kuhn. "They’re realizing they don't need all the plastic cups from college, and they're not collecting as much as they have in the past," she says. With less to store, people are opting for fewer cabinets.

Second, as open kitchens remain standard, families want a kitchen that feels more like an extension of the living space. "In the recent past, we would have filled every inch of wall space with kitchen cabinets," Kuhn says. "Now we’re trying to open up the space and make it feel more like a living space than a sterile, strictly functional space."

Kuhn is designing kitchens with pretty open shelving or blank space for decor, such as art or a wall sconce. These personal touches make the kitchen more interesting and inviting than the cabinet-heavy designs of the recent past.

4. Visible Appliances

When designing kitchens today, people are interested in hiding their appliances. They do this by matching the appliance fronts to the cabinetry, installing an appliance garage, or building out features, such a drawer microwave. The exception this change is the stove, which is taking on "focal point" status in recent years. People want a bold range and oven and for the rest of the appliances to blend in.

5. Walk-In Pantries

Few things say early 2000s design like a walk-in pantry with an overhead light and wire shelving. This storage workhorse may function well for some families, but modern thinking holds that closet pantries waste floor space.

"You lose square footage when you have to walk into a space," Kuhn says. "People are pulling these out and replacing them with furniture or cabinetry." This choice makes a kitchen feel bigger and more open, as you're not dividing the space. Today's pantry might be a vintage piece or a larger cabinet that matches the others.

6. Standard Range Hoods

Industrial-grade range hoods are functional, but they don't suit the inviting, old-world style popular in today's kitchens. "Hoods have become incredibly important for personalizing the kitchen," Kuhn says. "In the past it would have been a cabinetry hood that blends in with other cabinets. Now it’s a special decorative hood that’s plaster or metal." This change comes at the same time as people are choosing larger or double ovens. The hood expands and becomes a natural place for customization.

7. Stark Gray or White Kitchens

"The gray thing is dead," Kuhn says. Not only that, but stark white kitchens are also losing favor. Similar to other kitchen trends, people are moving away from neutrals toward colors that reflect their personal style and how they want the home to feel. "Everything about the kitchen is warming up," Kuhn says. "Whether it's a warm white replacing stark white or bringing other colors in. People are more open to doing an all green kitchen or an all wood kitchen."