A Look Back At 7 2000s Kitchen Trends We All Suffered Through

The early 2000s was a different time. There was no Instagram, no Pinterest, and definitely no TikTok. It might seem unbelievable now, but if you wanted to redesign your home, you had to rely on magazines and the opinions of friends and family to guide you. Yet even without social media influencers, people generally followed the same trends when it came to choosing a kitchen look. 

In the 2000s, just like in the decades before, kitchens had a very distinct look. There were granite countertops, lots of warm wood, and plenty of clashing patterns. Stainless steel appliances were all the rage, and the height of luxury and fashion was a Tuscan kitchen.

If you want to take a trip down memory lane and rediscover all of those old 2000s kitchen trends we all lived (suffered) through, check out the list below. And if you're not sure you remember, we promise it's all about to come flooding back.

Perfecting the design and materials for your kitchen countertops is important for many reasons. Firstly, if they're not durable enough, it ultimately means you've wasted some of your money, as they'll quickly need to be replaced. But let's be honest, you can't ignore aesthetics either when it comes to countertops, as they're one of the biggest features of any kitchen. The problem with choosing the right design? Trends come and go all the time. Just look at the countertops of the 2000s.

If you can't remember what countertops looked like 20 years ago, we'll refresh your memory: Think shiny granite covered with a splotchy, busy pattern. Remember? We'll hazard a guess that if you didn't have this style of granite countertop in your own family kitchen at the time, you almost definitely knew someone who did. Quite frankly, it was hard to get away from.

In 2025, some designers are still using granite as a material for countertops, but you can be rest assured that those busy 2000s patterns are long gone. Instead, many opt for sleek black ones instead. If you're picking a new countertop, let this be your sign to choose something timeless, rather than being driven by trends. Who knows how we'll feel about faux marble next year, let alone in two decades' time?

Another aspect of the kitchen that you can always rely on to be dominated by trends is the color scheme. In 2023, for example, grays and whites were all the rage. In 2025, though, people started to look to the past for inspiration, adopting the earthy tones of the 1970s, for example. Interior designers have also noted that things like the raised panel doors and big kitchen islands of the 1990s and 2000s were also starting to make a comeback.

One trend many advise skipping over, though, is those very dark, warm tones of the 2000s. A typical 2000s kitchen tended to lean into dark wood kitchen cabinets (more on that later), those dark splotchy granite countertops we mentioned earlier, and often, the walls were a kind of orangey-beige color. Shut your eyes and imagine a kitchen straight out of the aughts, and you'll be able to picture the kind of color we're describing.

Remember the blotchy granite worktops we were discussing earlier? Well, it gets worse. In the 2000s, most didn't match the backsplash tiles very well, resulting in a clash of colors — and even sometimes creating a bit of an eyesore. 

Usually, it would come down to two problems. Either the shade of the backsplash tiles just didn't match tonally with the countertops, making it feel and look off, or (arguably even worse), the tile backsplash (usually made with travertine tiles) and the countertops had two very different, competing patterns.

Basically, designers were trying to do too much at once, and it wasn't working (especially when you look back on the design with 2025 eyes, anyway). The good news is that if you've got a 2000s-style kitchen, sometimes all you need to do to make it feel more modern is to swap out the old backsplash for a newer, fresher design.

Another kitchen trend that was huge in the 2000s was wooden cabinets. Maple, in particular, was a popular shade (which also had spinoffs like honey maple, for example). But while we may sniff at it now, to be fair to this trend, it had some staying power. In fact, it was a bit of a hangover from the kitchen designs of the 1980s and 1990s. As well as maple, it also wasn't unusual to come across dark cherry wood cabinets in a 2000s kitchen. 

Not everyone dislikes wooden cabinets. In fact, some interior designers have decided to embrace wooden cabinets again in 2025, although it's usually paired with a modern twist (like white walls over beige, for example). If you've found yourself with old aughts-style wooden cabinets today and you're not a fan, the good news is they're super easy to paint over with a trendier color.

We mentioned travertine backsplash tiles earlier, but this style wasn't just reserved for the walls. In the 2000s, travertine floors were also all the rage.

These were basically floors that were made with, well, travertine, which is a type of limestone that comes in many different colors. In the aughts, though, people usually opted for beiges (again) and light browns, and it was often paired with those dark wooden cabinets. Looking back, in some cases, these styles paired together made the kitchen feel a little gloomy. 

That said, in 2025, some designers are returning to those warm tones for flooring. And in some cases, people are still choosing travertine tiles for their homes even now. While some see it as outdated, others see travertine floors as a classic and timeless look. People also like how it feels to walk on, as it naturally stays cool even when the temperature is hot — that's also why it's a popular choice for patios!

In the 2010s and 2020s, making everything gray (yes, even kitchens) was a major trend in the home space. In fact, it became so popular that it now even has a nickname: "Millennial Gray." But this is just one example of how a certain look can feel so fashionable and stylish one minute, and then completely outdated the next. Another example? The Tuscan kitchens of the 2000s.

Tuscan kitchens, often found in more higher-end homes, were supposed to make you feel like you were in, well, Tuscany. They had the cozy, warm tones we mentioned earlier, as well as lots of wooden features (not just cabinets, but beams, too), wrought iron light fixtures, and sometimes, brown walls.

Some experts believe the Tuscan look is making a comeback, but again, it has some key updates now. It's more about embracing the vibe of the Tuscan kitchen by adding a warm, soulful quality, rather than copying everything we did back in the 2000s.

Stainless steel is still a common choice for appliances, from ovens and microwaves to toasters. Some people love the material's durability and sleek look, while others think it's time to retire this trend for good. In the 2000s, though, nobody was prepared to let stainless steel go.

This material was literally everywhere. Stainless steel was shiny, felt modern, and represented a shift from the old appliances from the 1990s, which were usually black or white. It was supposed to feel a little more industrial and futuristic (which makes sense, given we were suddenly in a whole new century and technology was rapidly progressing).

Today, stainless steel has evolved from that silver shiny look of the 2000s. Black stainless steel, for example, is becoming more popular. It gives all the benefits of the classic material, but with a new, slightly more modern appearance. It's also a little more forgiving than the silver version when it comes to stains and those sneaky fingerprints.