We know the grill gets a lot of attention in summer, but the truth remains: The kitchen is the home’s hardest-working room year-round. Even if you’re spending most of the summer outside, the kitchen is still where you chill the bottles of rosé, protect your ice cream sundae bar from the sweltering heat, and keep the fresh herbs you just picked from your garden.
These culinary spaces might excel in practicality, but we want them to be pretty, too, right? The secret, designers say, often rests in doing an overdue audit on your space. Because let’s face it: Your kitchen really doesn’t need seven spatulas, dozens of mugs, and that panini press you haven’t touched in years. Chances are, there are also a few seemingly benign design details that are blocking your kitchen’s style potential.
“A well-edited kitchen feels lighter, functions better, and naturally becomes more inviting for family and guests alike,” says designer Brittany Cooper of Rathell Designs in North Carolina. “I think of it as creating room for the season itself, fresh produce on the counter, impromptu gatherings, and slower evenings spent together.”
Here, the pros share the items they want—okay, are begging—you to remove from your kitchen. With their help, you’ll have a space that’s sensible, stylish, and oh-so scrumptious.
Mismatched Glassware
Just because you’ve accumulated a bunch of mugs, wine glasses, and drinking cups over the years doesn’t mean you should keep your hodgepodge collection. “I see this all the time when I’m in clients’ homes,” says Nashville designer Mary Kathryn Wells. “Mismatched glassware, inherited china, decorative pieces, and other things people keep out of guilt, not because they serve them.”
Instead, edit your drinkware down to matching sets (and, yes, it’s okay to have more than one!) Not only will it free up some in-demand storage space, but Mary Kathryn says a cohesive assortment will bring “clarity and calmness” to your space.
RELATED: 5 Questions to Ask Before Buying Vintage Glassware, According to Pros
Upper Cabinets
Anyone with a small kitchen will tell you that when it comes to storage, every inch counts. But if you can swing it, architect Jeffrey Dungan wants you to remove your upper cabinets. “We’ve been stacking storage above our heads for decades without asking whether it actually serves us—and more often than not, it doesn’t,” he says. “Upper cabinets close a kitchen in, crowd the wall, and steal the light.”
Whether you opt for open shelves or place all your stuff in an adjacent pantry or storage cupboard, Jeffrey insists this move can work wonders. “When you remove them, something remarkable happens: the room breathes,” he says. “You start to see the wall as architecture again, with options like open shelves, a beautiful piece of art, or, hey, a window.” In doing so, you’ll create a space you’ll actually want to spend time in.
RELATED: 22 Dreamy Open Shelving Ideas for Your Kitchen
Pot Fillers
Often, a kitchen’s most luxurious touches aren’t the most practical. Don’t believe us? Just ask Ellie Christopher, a Birmingham-based designer who thinks pot fillers are overrated. “They’re often one of the least practical features in a kitchen,” she says. “Pot fillers promise convenience, but don’t actually save you much time. You still have to carry a heavy pot back to the sink to drain it.”
If you want to get the best bang for your buck, Ellie encourages you to pass on the pot filler and invest money in a great backsplash or finishes you’ll appreciate every day.
RELATED: Stove Coves Are the Next Big Kitchen Trend for 2026, Designers Say
Recessed Lights
A kitchen might be one of the more practical rooms, but it still deserves some mood lighting. That’s exactly why designer Heidi Houdek is begging you to ditch the builder-grade fixtures. “They [builder-grade light fixtures] tend to be functional but forgettable,” she says. “Upgrading them instantly elevates the entire space.”
Pendants and chandeliers, Heidi says, can shift the mood of the room, creating a more “custom and intentional” space in the process. Looking for some bright ideas? Here are the three types of kitchen lights designers say you should always have installed.
RELATED: More Kitchen Lighting Ideas to Brighten Your Cook Space
Underutilized Appliances
“A well-designed kitchen isn’t just beautiful—it’s edited,” says designer Lonni Paul, who splits her time between Los Angeles and Austin. The first things to go, she says, are those countertop appliances that are collecting dust in your kitchen. We love our slow cookers and air fryers as much as the next home chef, but do they really need to clutter your counters?
“If it’s not part of your daily routine, it shouldn’t live on your counter,” she says. “Streamline the essentials to keep the space feeling open and purposeful.” Our advice: Transform one of your cabinets into an appliance garage, where your gadgets can live when idle.
RELATED: Yes, You Do Need a Cute Coffee Bar at Home
A Bulky Knife Block
Another item to clear off your countertops? A knife block. “They create visual clutter,” says designer Allison Hardeman of ODE Design in Falls Church, Virginia. “Most of us use two to four knives max, which fit into a drawer.” You heard her: Edit down your stash, find somewhere safe to store them, and pick up some knife sheaths to keep accidental cuts at bay.
Metal Stools
If your kitchen is blessed with a spacious island, it’s only natural to want to flank it with a few stools so your guests can keep you company as you meal prep. That said, it’s important to choose your chairs with care. North Dakota designer Alexa Kingery says she avoids metal or wire-framed counter stools at all costs. “Not only do I think they cheapen a space, they also bring a heaviness and starkness to the space,” she says.
Alexa typically reaches for a stool with linen or rattan details. “If it’s a natural material, it’s a pretty safe bet that it’s a good option for summer,” she says.
Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance lifestyle journalist, who covers shopping and deals for Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, ELLE Decor, and Country Living among others. Her hobbies include themed spinning classes, Netflix, and nachos.
