Designers Say Kitchen Wallpaper Is Making a Comeback—And It’s Nothing Like the Busy Prints You Remember

When it comes to interior design trends, what’s old becomes new again constantly—and the latest outdated kitchen trend to fall back into favor is not something I would have expected.

However, considering how much this particular item has evolved in design and function over the last few decades, it actually makes a lot of sense that it’s finally in style again.

To learn more, we spoke with Adina Kornbluth, Principal Designer and Owner of Adina Kornbluth Designs, and Josie Abate, Principal Interior Designer at Ambience Design Group.

And according to both designers, the rise in popularity of this particular kitchen trend has a lot to do with people trying to infuse their homes with more character and personality.

“Post COVID, consumers are bored with kitchens that look similar home to home,” Kornbluth tells Parade. “They are choosing to express their individual tastes and preferences.”

Keep reading for more insights from both designers!

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This Old-Fashioned Kitchen Feature Is Making a Comeback, According to Designers

According to Kornbluth and Abate, the kitchen design feature that’s making a comeback is kitchen wallpaper.

To many, wallpapered kitchens may seem outdated and conjure visions of vintage 1970s kitchens covered with floor-to-ceiling maximalist (and even clashing!) wallpapers. However, thanks to the advancements in wallpaper design over the years, wallpaper is now an easy way to add a touch of anything—ranging from vintage nostalgia to modern luxury—to a kitchen!

Wallpapers can be “either in the working kitchen, above a… backsplash or in the breakfast area or butler’s pantry,” explains Kornbluth.

“The composition of these [wallpapers] has also changed dramatically,” Kornbluth points out. “High end design houses have created gorgeous patterns, colorful prints and lush textures on vinyl-based papers, making them a durable choice for heavily trafficked kitchens.”

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Why Homeowners Are Wallpapering Their Kitchens Again

“Wallpaper has made a comeback in today’s kitchens for the many reasons,” Kornbluth explains. “Wallpaper is having a comeback, in all areas of the house. This is a perfect way to add dimension and interest to a standing kitchen without doing a full renovation.”

She also thinks wallpaper is a great way to “add personality” to homes.

“Post COVID, people are more comfortable with expressing their individuality in their interior spaces,” she explains. “Wallpaper, especially in the kitchen, one of the most lived-in rooms in any home, is a perfect way to express oneself and make a house feel like a home.”

Abate agrees, noting that “the use of color and wallpaper has recently been making a comeback in kitchen design as homeowners are boldly embracing their personal style.”

“Wallpapered kitchens are becoming popular again because we’ve had a period of simplistic and minimal kitchens,” Abate adds. “There is a growing appreciation for traditional interiors, which includes wallpaper, as it pairs nicely with elements such as natural wood and painted cabinetry. Wallpaper can also add warmth and sophistication to a kitchen without a big reno, which is part of the appeal.”

What Style Kitchen Wallpaper You Should Choose

Abate loves wallpaper that evokes nature, whether it features greenery, flowers, animals or any other nature-derived patterns.

“When it comes to wallpaper, I see it as another opportunity to bring the outdoors [to the indoors],” says Abate.

“By selecting nature-inspired themes, we can mimic the restoration that being in nature brings,” she says. “I like to choose an accent wall to create a focal point in the kitchen, picking up on the color of the cabinetry, upholstery or accessories to create an integrated space.”

Kornbluth is flexible when it comes to wallpaper patterns—what’s most important is that it reflects your personality.

“The patterns can be small, with trellises and checkers, or larger more typical designs,” she says.

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These 3 Once-Outdated Kitchen Trends Are Also Back in Style

In addition to wallpaper, Kornbluth has observed a few other once-outdated kitchen features coming back into fashion.

1. Colorful and dramatic natural stone

“After years of variations of clean crisp white quartz countertops, colorful and dramatic natural stone is making a comeback,” Kornbluth says. “Homeowners are requesting beautiful colorations and vivid movement in their stone countertops, often continuing them up until the upper cabinets and using as a dramatic backsplash.”

She adds that “fabulous quartzites and marbles are what can elevate a beautiful kitchen into a working masterpiece. Designing a kitchen with a gorgeous stone is the type of project we designers dream of.”

2. Chrome fixtures

“Chrome fixtures are showing up in the most fabulous kitchens,” Kornbluth says. “Not the cheap looking faucets of years ago, these new fixtures are a gorgeous addition to a designer kitchen. With beautiful designs and high caliber mechanisms, they are a welcome change from the heavy-handed gold fixtures and hardware that have dominated kitchens for the past few years.”

3. Wood cabinets

“Wood cabinets are also having a comeback,” according to Kornbluth—though that doesn’t refer to the “orange-hued honey colored wood of 30 years ago” or “the typical white shaker cabinets that had dominated the kitchen industry for many years.”

Instead, the wood cabinets people are gravitating to right now “are quietly classy and have a sleek silhouette to give a clean modern profile” and feature “different wood species showcased with rift cuts and quarter saw cuts that show off the beautiful wood grains.”

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Sources:

• Adina Kornbluth is the Principal Designer and Owner of Adina Kornbluth Designs.
• Josie Abate is the Principal Interior Designer at Ambience Design Group.