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Home Experts Say These 4 Features Date Your Kitchen

Experts Say These 4 Features Date Your Kitchen

by R.Donald
written by R.Donald


Aside from glaring ‘80s-era white appliances and chipping paint, it’s not always so obvious what features make a kitchen feel dated. All it takes is the wrong backsplash or a blinding light bulb to throw off the mood. Sometimes, even a newly updated countertop or the wrong cabinet knobs can give off an old-school vibe (and not in a cool vintage way). 

To pinpoint what exactly it is that makes a seemingly modern kitchen look so dated, I asked real experts in kitchen design: interior designers, home stagers, architects, and even NKBA Council members like Bobby Berk. Thankfully, you don’t have to gut the entire space just to breathe some new life into your kitchen. According to these home design pros, there are four dead giveaways that your kitchen is an ancient relic — and they all have super attainable fixes. 

Pottery Barn


Outdated Light Fixtures

Nearly everyone I spoke to was quick to point out poor lighting as the first clue of a kitchen’s age, but it’s often neglected. “Most people blame the finishes, but the real culprits are usually proportion and light,” says architect Dan D’Agostino of Plan Architecture. Older kitchens often rely on a single light source, which is often an eyesore. However, modern kitchens are smarter with “task lighting under the cabinets, ambient overhead, something decorative over an island or table,” he shared. 

Everyone has their preferences as far as brightness goes, but soft LED light bulbs tend to feel more welcoming and aren’t an instant shock to the eyes. Interior designer Jen Baxter of Baxter Hill Interiors says she generally prefers warm light at around 3000K in residential kitchens, rather than very cool white light. Fluorescent bulbs were once the standard choice for illuminating every corner of the kitchen, but now we have more functional motion-sensored under-cabinet lighting that sticks right beneath the cabinets.

Pottery Barn


Old-Looking Cabinets and Hardware

Old kitchen cabinet knobs and drawer pulls are another quick tell of a kitchen’s generation, but luckily, it happens to be one of the easiest and most affordable fixes. A quick twist of the screwdriver and voila, your kitchen storage has a whole new look with cute pink cabinet handles or fun, curvy brass ones from Anthropologie. “Swap handles with new modern ones,” shared interior designer Samantha-Jane Agbontaen, who put it bluntly: “Dated handles can make the whole kitchen look old.”

Like interior designer Ashley Powell of Roseberry Allen said, “Nothing screams ‘dated kitchen’” like matte black hardware. “If you want to give your kitchen an instant face lift without breaking the bank, sub out your boring hardware,” Powell recommended — along with a new faucet if it’s in the budget. Swapping tarnished pulls, overly long bars, or dated finishes for simpler chrome cabinet knobs can give existing cabinetry a whole new aesthetic. Lisa Quinn, interior designer and home stager, calls kitchen hardware “the jewelry of the room.”

Wayfair


A Dated Backsplash

Some backsplash styles practically flash “a blinking neon sign telling us when the renovation was done,” as Compass realtor Jake Kennedy put it. But thanks to renter-friendly and affordable options like Art3d peel-and-stick tiles, Smart Tiles, and Jeremiah Brent peel-and-stick wallpaper, swapping those tiles out doesn’t have to be the giant undertaking you’re likely imagining. It’s renter-friendly but also not a huge commitment, making it a smart option for indecisive homeowners planning bigger renovations in the future. 

For a cleaner look, design expert and NKBA Design Council member Bobby Berk suggests skipping classic subway tile behind the stove. “A slab backsplash, whether it’s marble, quartzite, or even a bold graphic tile running full height behind the range, creates a focal moment that’s the difference between ‘nice kitchen’ and ‘I have to have this house,’” Berk shared. 

  • Art3d Peel and Stick Backsplash Subway Tiles, 10-Pack, $35 at amazon.com
  • Daltile Glossy Ceramic Subway Wall Tile, $1 at homedepot.com
  • Smart Tiles Peel-and-Stick Backsplash Tile, Set of 4, $25 at wayfair.com
  • Dyconn Carrara 25-Inch White Resin Backsplash, $74 at homedepot.com
  • Bond Tile Gaverno Marble-Look Porcelain Tile, $6, originally $9 at wayfair.com
  • Jeremiah Brent Zellige Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper, $130 at anthropologie.com
  • Stickgoo Subway Tile Peel-and-Stick Backsplash, 10-Pack, $34 with coupon, originally $46 at amazon.com
  • MSI 2-Inch Marble Mosaic Tile, $12 at homedepot.com

The Home Depot


Worn or Busy Countertops

Kitchen countertops are where all the action happens, so we’re never blindsided by the wear and tear the surface endures over time. But experts reveal that a weathered countertop with an outdated pattern might be the biggest distraction in your kitchen. 

For a good stretch of time, dark granite seemed to be in every kitchen, and the white-speckled “salt-and-pepper” styles, as Lisa Quinn called them, dominated countertops. “The high-contrast speckles feel busy and dated next to calmer, more natural stone or solid surface materials,” said Quinn. Pull out that old laminate countertop and replace it with a Volakas marble countertop or a solid-wood butcher block. If you can’t do a full reno, completely transform your old countertop with a marble countertop paint kit or get creative with waterproof stainless steel contact paper. If you’re short on counter space, add a timeless kitchen cart with a built-in butcher block to a neglected corner, like the StyleWell chrome kitchen cart or the higher-end John Boos 30-inch cart. 

  • Thinscape Composite Volakas Marble Countertop, $328 at homedepot.com
  • MelunMer Faux Wood Waterproof Contact Paper, $7 at amazon.com
  • Veelike Granite Countertop Contact Paper, $13 at amazon.com
  • Boos Large Edge-Grain Cutting Board, $155 at williams-sonoma.com
  • Hampton Bay Wood Countertop Butcher Block, $124 at homedepot.com
  • Cohoo Stainless Steel Contact Paper, $8 at amazon.com
  • StyleWell Butcher Block Chrome Kitchen Cart, $139 at homedepot.com
  • John Boos 30-Inch Cucina Culinarte Cart, $1,002 at williams-sonoma.com
  • Billamb Stainless Steel Cutting Board, $18 with coupon, originally $29 at amazon.com
  • Giani Marble Epoxy Countertop Paint Kit, $200 at amazon.com



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