The Countertop Finish That'll Be Outdated In 2026

In the design world of 2026, you have a lot of choices for kitchen countertops, and the last thing you want is for them to immediately feel outdated. With so many different kitchen countertop materials available, you rarely have to choose between looks and practicality anymore, so prioritizing a finish you are going to be happy with for decades to come can take top priority. The only problem is that trends can change in a flash. So, to help you get ahead and avoid outdated countertops, Tasting Table talked to Bilal Rehman, the CEO and principal designer of Bilal Rehman Studio, and the founder of Bilal Rehman Gallery, to ask what finishes will be passé in 2026.

The first to go out of style? Glossy finishes on countertops. Rehman said, "They're simply too revealing. A high-gloss surface reflects everything: fingerprints, smudges, watermarks, even the wrong kind of lighting." He explained that luxury today is more about not having to work too hard, and the more attention and maintenance a surface requires, the less refined it feels. The turn away from gloss is not just practical either; it's aesthetic. Rehman added, "The shine itself reads a bit artificial. Glossy finishes tend to flatten the depth of natural materials like stone, making them feel more manufactured than organic."

Bilal Rehman told Tasting Table that in place of glossy finishes, his design studio is moving away from overly polished looks and towards quieter, authentic-feeling materials. As an example, he said, "I'm drawn to honed and leathered finishes — they absorb light rather than bounce it, which immediately softens a space. A honed marble, for example, feels almost velvety; it has presence without being loud."

Rehman explained that these countertops have more textural interest, which draws people to actually touch them. Think leathered granite, "softly brushed quartzite, matte composites with depth, or even stone with a barely perceptible movement that reveals itself slowly over time," he added. Rehman also loves when these more textural surfaces are integrated as part of the backsplash and sink. He explained, "It's less about the countertop as a standalone feature and more about it as part of a cohesive architectural language."

As part of this new trend towards texture, Tasting Table asked Rehman if there were any retro styles of countertops he'd like to see come back, and he said, "I'd reintroduce tile countertops, but not in their old, clunky form." Instead, Rehman would like to see the tile reinterpreted. He described them as done "with intention," "slim grout lines," in "tonal palettes, handmade zellige or stone tiles." So, while you may not want to go with a glossy countertop finish, you'll still have plenty of great creative options for a beautiful kitchen.