One Of Last Year's Biggest Kitchen Cabinet Trends Has Quickly Become Outdated

Trends move fast, and ever since 2020, it seems that many people are devoting more time and effort into making a house feel like home. Naturally, that leads to some more frequent renovations and design revamps ... especially for those that have yet to lock down their personal style. One of the rooms that can date your home the fastest is the kitchen. 

Not only is this because it is a high-traffic room, but also because it is subject to some of the most frequent and fast-changing trend cycles. One of the most recent has been cabinet skirts, which is when people replace their kitchen doors with curtains. Now, this inspired trend is not inherently bad, but unless you have a rustic farmhouse or one of those cottagecore kitchens, there's a very good chance that it feels a bit hokey and out of place now. 

It's not just the visual effect that is the issue here: using curtains instead of cupboard doors can simply be impractical. Not only are they more difficult to clean if you happen to spill some food on them, but they won't stay open, can't be moved with dirty hands, and for you pet owners out there, won't keep furry friends from poking their noses — or litter-laced paws — into your pots and pans. 

Okay, so it's pretty clear that replacing all the kitchen cabinet doors with skirts is a no-no, unless you want resign yourself to a significant uptick in laundry duties. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a place for the cabinet skirt at all, and there are a ton of modern ways to pull off skirted cabinet trend. In fact, it can be a useful tool for hiding unseemly items without your guests even thinking to guess what is behind it. 

One of the most common places to put a skirt is over a dishwasher. This is an excellent choice, especially if you have an older model that doesn't really fit the vibe of your kitchen. It doesn't need to be opened and closed with as much frequency as your cupboards, can be easily laced over a dishwasher handle, and there isn't likely to be such an urgent situation that would require you to touch the fabric with cleaned hands. 

To move out of the kitchen altogether, skirts are also a fantastic choice for bathrooms. Many pedestals and mounted sinks have exposed pipes and valves, which while functional, isn't necessarily something you need and want to see on a daily basis. Installing a curtain that wraps around just under the basin will cover exposed plumbing under the bathroom sink – while still leaving it easily accessible. It can also be a great spot to tuck a small garbage can — so long as you inform your guests as to its hiding place before lending them access to your bathroom.