7 Kitchen Styles That Dominated The Early 2000s

Picture this: it's 2001. You're listening to some Destiny's Child, drinking tea out of your Global Village mug. Suddenly, you get a call on your landline phone. It's a girlfriend asking if you're free to watch the latest episode of "Friends" that evening on the new box-shaped TV she just got for her bedroom. Life is good. It's hard to believe the early 2000s were two decades ago. Times have changed, and so has the way we decorate our homes. It was the era of McMansions and grandeur — the days of minimalism were just a twinkle in our eyes. From Tuscan-inspired splendor to kitsch chicken decor, kitchen styles were a league of their own in the early aughts.

While some trends tend to be cyclical, the 2000s are defined by many outdated kitchen trends we collectively left in the past. While a few, such as kitchen islands, stood the test of time, we have since moved away from other key 2000s trends like dark, earthy tones and the lofty "Old World" craze. But still, it's fun to look back on the fads that dominated that pivotal time in history. Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the most popular kitchen styles of the 2000s.

You can't talk about the 2000s without mentioning the prevalence of Tuscan-style decor. It wasn't enough to simply draw inspiration from Italy — the spirit of Olive Garden had to reside in your kitchen. It was an iconic melding of rustic comfort and luxe elegance. Drawing from the distinct style of Tuscany, this trend leaned heavily on natural stone, wood finishes, and an earthy color palette. It was common to see plenty of wrought iron and terracotta tiles incorporated in this design, too.

Warm tones dominated the early 2000s. Kitchen cabinets were typically stained in vibrant oranges, reds, or yellows. In a world where neutral, lighter wood finishes are the norm, it's fascinating to look back on how popular these vivid shades were. While we tend to go for a more natural look now, the early 2000s were all about decorating with bold, dark color palettes.

Themed kitchens were having a major moment in the early aughts. And when you landed on one, you went all in on it, plastering it everywhere. "Plump Italian chef" is a figure many early 2000s homeowners adopted as the patron saint of their kitchen. With a jolly grin and thick black mustache, his image graced tea towels, clocks, wallpaper, and wine holders. He even came as a cookie jar in many homes. This prolific chef sometimes fit into a Tuscan-style kitchen but often stood alone as the centerpiece of the design.

The 2000s brought about the popularity of the open-concept design. It aimed to perfectly merge the kitchen, dining room, and living room for a more spacious appearance. Kitchen islands played a huge role in creating a cohesive flow from one space to another. It offered ample counter space and storage while allowing for a more open design. This trend took off in the early 2000s and lives on through more modern kitchen island styles today.

If your mom didn't take up the plump chef as her mascot, she might have opted for the kitchen chicken instead. As we established already, kitchen themes were not taken lightly in the 2000s. The same was true for the chicken motif of the era. The more chickens you could fit into your interior design, the better. From chicken shaped timers to chicken pattern curtains, it was a style that immediately conjures memories of the early 2000s.

Houseplants are still very much a pillar of modern interior design. But the trending houseplants of 2025 are a bit different than those at the turn of the century. Ferns were all the rage in this era. It wasn't uncommon to see them draped over the top of cabinets or topping refrigerators like a bushy, green crown. We still see plenty of house plants in modern kitchens, but none have the same grip on kitchen decor as ferns did in those days.

Grape-themed decor was another notable style of the 2000s. It was another offshoot of the Tuscan kitchen style, evoking images of rustic wine country. You could see grapes on decorative plates, grapes on wall decor, and entire bowls filled with faux grapes. You'd often see this theme paired with wine imagery and a classic Tuscan color palette and decorative pepper bottles. But like the plump chef and the chicken, it was often the anchor point of the entire kitchen.