Tile can be the crown jewel of a kitchen or bath, but only if it’s not stuck in the past. While some styles stand the test of time, others hang around for far too long, dragging down otherwise thoughtful designs.
According to top interior designers, today’s smartest tile choices lean into warmth, texture, and authenticity—think natural stone, handcrafted finishes, and timeless palettes that feel grounded, not gimmicky. So what’s out of fashion? Whether you’re gut renovating or just browsing for inspiration, these are the outdated tile trends to leave behind.
White Subway Tile
Once a staple during the all-white kitchen craze, white subway tile has veered into overuse—and designers are ready to move on.
“If I never see a white subway tile backsplash in my life, I’d be happy,” says Stephanie Mahaney, founder and principal of Stephanie Rae Interiors. For her, the issue isn’t just aesthetic: “You see every speck of dirt or pasta sauce, and the grout is annoying to clean.”
Beyond practicality, many designers say the look has lost its spirit. “[It’s] been a bit overdone—and often without enough intention,” says interior designer Annie Downing. “It can often flatten the soul of a kitchen, making it feel more like a fast renovation or flip.”
Between the visible stains, tricky grout lines, and lack of character, it’s a finish that now screams spec home, rather than thoughtful design.
Herringbone Pattern
Getty / Joe Hendrickson
Originally used to add movement and visual interest, the herringbone pattern has lost its appeal for designers.
“[It] once offered a bold twist—now it often comes across as visually chaotic,” says interior designer Wendy Smit. Pairing herringbone with white or faux marble tiles—a common scenario—only intensifies the issue, making spaces feel both overly styled.
As designers move toward more organic, flowing designs, rigid geometric layouts like herringbone are falling out of favor. “It’s time to move beyond the safe and expected, and embrace tiles that tell a richer story,” says Smit. “Like those with organic texture, tonal variation, and unconventional patterns that bring depth, warmth, and character to your space.”
Glass Mosaic
Getty / solarisimages
“I’m over glass and multi-material small mosaics as a backsplash,” says designer Monique O’Brien. Shiny, small, and once everywhere, glass tiles are quickly becoming design relics. “The outdated trend is hard to clean and looks messy,” she adds.
It also doesn’t hold up well under real-life conditions. “Glass tiles behind ranges can yellow or degrade over time due to high heat exposure,” says Malka Helft, founder of Think Chic Interiors. “And grout overload makes cleaning tedious, especially after spills.”
Alice Moszczynski, an interior designer at Planner 5d, agrees. “Narrow glass mosaic strip tiles, especially in garish color combinations like brown and teal… tend to add unnecessary visual clutter and are difficult to clean.”
In a design climate leaning toward calm and cohesion, sleek slabs and larger-format tiles are now preferred for their ease of maintenance and visual calm.
Framed Inlays
Getty / Mint Images
Once a go-to move to add interest above the cooktop, framed inlays are losing favor with designers, who now view them as outdated distractions.
“It draws your eyes to an area in the kitchen that’s often grimy or poorly lit,” says Ali Ames, senior designer and architectural lead at Lark Interiors. She explains that this type of design interrupts the clean lines and thoughtful flow that modern kitchens strive for. In an era of high-end lighting, striking countertops, and expressive hardware, dedicating valuable backsplash space to a framed inlay can feel misguided.
Streamlined, full-height backsplashes that carry the same material throughout are now favored for their simplicity and elegance.
Tuscan Style
Getty / EricVega
The faux-rustic, tumbled stone and slate that swept through 2000s kitchen design has firmly fallen out of favor, says Moszczynski. “With their heavy textures, warm yellow undertones, and mosaic patterns, they can make a kitchen feel dark and dated,” she explains.
The aesthetic, she adds, gives off a distinctly “Fred Flintstone” vibe—clunky, heavy-handed, and far removed from the sleek, curated kitchens many homeowners aspire to today. These materials once aimed to evoke a sense of old world charm, but in modern spaces, they often clash with cleaner lines and more contemporary furnishings.
Instead of heavy, overly warm, rough-hewn stones, today’s designers are opting for natural materials like honed marble, limestone, or travertine in lighter, softer tones. These options offer the same organic appeal, but with far more subtlety and refinement.
