No More Perfect Kitchens: The Refreshing Trend Everyone Will Try In 2026

In years past, kitchens tended to be designed in a minimalist, often utilitarian fashion, and we get why. The kitchen is a room that gets a lot of action. From daily meals to extended gatherings, this space needs to work for a lot of different purposes (even often used as a work or homework space). It's no surprise then that its favored design leaned toward an aesthetic that kept things organized, simple, and brutally efficient. As time has gone on, though, that style has been deemed too sterile for a room that's so often dubbed the heart of the home, and is now one of a few kitchen design trends that are becoming outdated. So, when this new kitchen trend hit our radar, we must admit we were pretty excited. For 2026, perfect spaces are officially out, and character-driven, mismatched kitchens are in, a design trend that Country Living has dubbed "planned patina." 

In a conversation with the magazine, Tanya Smith-Shifflet, designer and founder of Unique Kitchens and Baths, describes this trend, saying, "We're seeing a celebration of the imperfect: wood that shows its grain, hardware with patina, hand-painted surfaces that wear gracefully." If you've been paying attention to kitchen designs, you may have noticed this shift starting over the past few years, with trends leaning towards warm earth tones and rustic woods in the kitchen, and 2026 seems to be cementing this change. Gone are the all-white, streamlined, and sterile kitchens. Now you're more likely to see things like aged brass, worn and chipped wood, and patinaed accents. All of these elements are meant to make your kitchen feel lived in and full of love — a place where life happens. 

These clean, minimalist, dated kitchen features that designers are ready to put to bed are paving the way for kitchens full of warmth and lived-in character. The planned patina trend is about focusing on materials that will become elegantly aged and worn over time, creating a look in your kitchen that feels used and comfy. That means buying these types of items new or checking out secondhand options for previously loved pieces. Social media users and experts alike are clarifying that this doesn't mean messy or imperfect; it means a space that is warmly used and comfortably lived in. 

There are some great kitchen design ideas to inspire your next renovation that will incorporate this aesthetic into your kitchen, including swapping out basic subway backsplash tiles for hand-painted tiles, like these stunning bouquet tiles from Pewabic. Another option is choosing unlacquered brass hardware, which is an excellent way to sneak patina into your design as it will create its own unique wear over time and exposure, ultimately adding small touches of that warm, lived-in feel throughout your space. If you want to utilize some less permanent accent pieces to evoke the patina look, consider things like aged decorative copper pans or wooden cutting boards that will age with your kitchen beautifully.