The 90s Kitchen Trend That's Starting To Look Surprisingly Modern Again

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Whether you remember those shiny brass handles, fruity wallpaper borders, or the day your mom started collecting all that weird Olive Garden-inspired decor, 1990s kitchen design trends hit the sweet spot between practicality and pop culture. Functional and forever etched into the collective memory of a generation raised on "Friends" and "Home Improvement", from sponge-painted walls to stuff crammed above the cabinets, there are a lot of ways to achieve the 90s kitchen aesthetic in your home. According to Erika Dale, House Digest's interior design expert and founder of Erika Dale Interior Design, thanks to more nuanced tones and updated door styles that help make your crib look so fresh, stained wood cabinets are a '90s kitchen trend that's surprisingly modern again.

"Stained wood kitchen cabinets are gaining popularity, thanks to their warmth and elegance in nearly all design styles from traditional to modern," Dale told House Digest during an exclusive interview. "Stained wood cabinets showcase the natural beauty and grain of the wood species, while also providing a durable, forgiving finish that's as practical as it is stunning." Whether you opt to replace or refinish them, kitchen cabinets are usually the most expensive part of any kitchen remodel. If you have solid wood cabinets, it's relatively easy to strip and restain them in colors that embrace the ever-so-slightly kitschy '90s aesthetic. When you're stuck with MDF or laminate and can't swing a full replacement, consider swapping out just the doors and hardware. We can't promise you'll be able to accomplish this for 1990s prices, but the approach does make it possible to capture a cozy and familiar vibe without blowing your budget.

Everything old may be new again, but it's also true that times they are a-changin'. In other words, what designers are loving about the '90s kitchen trend aren't relics of a bygone era, but elements that can inject drama without looking dated. "While there is so much to love about stained wood cabinetry, this current trend is far from a resurgence of the wood [cabinets] that graced every kitchen in the 1990s," Erika Dale said during her exclusive interview with House Digest. According to the interior design expert, it mostly comes down to color. "Stain colors of yesteryear were highly saturated and contained heavy undertones of orange, yellow, gold, and sometimes pink," she explained.

Today, capturing the '90s look for your kitchen cabinets depends a great deal on choosing the right stain. Dale suggested opting for nuanced and desaturated tones with neutral brown undertones. "From a light French oak to a desaturated yet rich dark walnut, the stained wood cabinets dazzling today's homeowners showcase neutral or very subtle undertones so they play nicely with other materials and finishes for a more harmonious, cohesive look." There are a lot of tips and tricks that make staining wood cabinets a breeze, but if you don't get the color right, Doc Brown and Marty aren't going to show up in the DeLorean to help. Opt for high-quality stains like Minwax Finish Penetrating Stain in Special Walnut from Amazon after doing the proper prep work to ensure a smooth and lasting result.

Even after you find a fly stain color, nailing the '90s look for your kitchen cabinets is also about selecting the right wood. Oak and cherry were the original mean girls: popular and pretty good at making every other wood feel inferior. However, according to Erika Dale, whether you're refinishing or replacing your kitchen cabinets, it's essential to explore other options. "Many cabinet makers are also using materials that are naturally more neutral in undertone," Dale told House Digest during her exclusive interview. If you've got your heart set on oak, go light with it! Think frosted tips instead of honey blond. Even though warm reds are on trend for 2026, the interior designer noted that bold wood tones, like that super red-toned cherry, haven't finished going through the trend cycle just yet and will still make your kitchen look dated.

Finally, Dale added that making thoughtful stylistic choices is also key. "Today's wood cabinets feature more updated door styles versus the ubiquitous arched-top or cathedral door styles that dominated the 1990s to ensure the look feels fresh," she explained. "Pairing stained wood cabinets with other high-end finishes and introducing contrast also helps balance out the space so the wood isn't as overwhelming as an all-wood extravaganza so prevalent in days past." The swaps are simple. Instead of chunky yellow brass, choose minimalist cabinet hardware in a muted finish like the SORWDUERM Antique Brass Cabinet Pulls from Amazon. And leave fruit and gingham to gift baskets where they belong, opting for chic geometric wallpaper borders like FLFK Gold and White Patterns from Amazon instead.