Cabinet Cutouts Are the Tiniest but Chicest Kitchen Trend to Know About This Year – It's the Traditional Detail Designers Can't Get Enough Of

It might be 2026, but when it comes to kitchen trends, we are looking to the past for inspiration, and I am seeing traditional kitchen features being reintroduced in even the smallest details. The most recent? The return of the cabinet cutout.

What started as a simple ventilation feature in kitchens of the early 20th-century has now become something entirely more decorative. British kitchen brand deVOL has been quietly keeping the look alive in modern-day spaces, and custom cabinetry powerhouse Isla Porter has cutout designs in her catalogue too. But they are beginning to crop up in the mainstream, the likes of Magnolia's latest collection, proving this kitchen cabinet detail is really making a comeback.

And designers say it's the tiny but impactful 2026 kitchen cabinet trend to have on your radar if you want to add a bit more interest to your scheme this year. Here's what you need to know about the kitchen cabinet cutout trend, and how to get the look in your own design.

A quick look at recent kitchen trends, and you'll notice a distinct pattern. They all signal a shift towards softer finishes, lived-in style, and a more personal approach. But the trend for cabinet cutouts is a bit different, in the sense that it hails from something that was once considered entirely functional.

'Practically, cutouts allow a little air to flow through a cabinet door, keeping it fresh and avoiding any fustiness, dampness, or condensation. So, in a pantry (room or cupboard), for instance, it’s a sensible addition, as it not only looks pretty but it actually has a function,' explains Helen Parker, creative director at deVOL Kitchens.

'Some cutouts are a little more substantial than a basic pattered hole cut out of a cupboard door; they are a gadget of sorts, made of metal, usually brass, and have a moving part which allows you to control the airflow. They also have integrated mesh within the mechanism to ensure flies and bugs don’t get into your cupboards and contaminate your dry goods, which is quite important.'

And while this trend has very practical origins, these cabinet cutouts have evolved, becoming a decorative detail to elevate a plain cabinet door. It's a feature that adds charm and interest, something we are all craving from our kitchens right now.

'Cutouts in cabinetry are yet another great option for bringing character and personality to a space. The options for cutouts are endless, but we tend to prefer simpler geometric patterns. Large expanses of cabinetry can sometimes benefit from cutouts as they help provide more interest to a typically one-dimensional space,' says interior designer Heidi Lachapelle.

It's one of those traditional kitchen features that takes a kitchen from a utilitarian space to something considered and refined. It brings in personality and interest to what would otherwise be another flat surface – it feels decidedly more custom.

'Our clients are craving truly custom design that reflects themselves and their families,' says Heidi. 'Cutouts are a way to add a special touch to make a space feel that much more personalized.'

5 Ways to Get the Look

There are different ways to introduce cabinet cutouts, and who better to share stylish inspiration than the designers who have included them in their designs? Here are five spaces that prove just how chic this revived trend can be.

1. Add a Charming Detail to a Traditional Scheme

In this pink and green Victorian kitchen, the cutout details help to create a more traditional feel. The addition of a characterful and almost architectural element helps to break up the built-in look – its very presence is to reinforce a traditional feel.

'Cutouts have been a feature of kitchen cabinets and pantry doors for a very long time. Here at deVOL, they suit our shaker and classic cupboards, and therefore we have always included them in our kitchen designs,' says Helen.

'Small details can have a big impact. A simple diamond-shaped pattern of holes on your cabinets looks humble, utilitarian, and authentic. It also adds a little decoration to an otherwise plain cabinet, subtle and unassuming.'

2. Make an Integrated Fridge More Decorative

The integrated refrigerator is the only large area of cabinetry in this kitchen, and left plain could have felt a bit imposing. But the addition of the cabinet cutouts really transforms the look, giving the kitchen a more custom and personalized appearance.

'In the historic homes we work in, cutouts are a great way to reference the past, when they were often used for more practical purposes. Cutouts by nature add charm and cheerfulness to spaces,' says Heidi, who designed the kitchen above.

'We used a sweet diamond shape on large refrigerator doors to help break up the large shaker panel door and to provide a bit of whimsy in this historic home located in the West End in Portland, Maine,' she explains.

3. Add Cutouts to Contrast with Industrial Details

Using cabinet cutouts for their intended use – on pantry doors – can be more impactful than you might think. Take this kitchen, for example; the island and range hood feature more industrial finishes, so the cream cabinetry is used to not only soften the scheme, but signals the different zones in the space.

'We add them because our cupboards are very simple and solid; they are painted and made of solid wood, so it seems an appropriate little feature to add to one or two cupboards. The cutouts also make it clear from the outside that these are pantry or airing cupboards; it’s a little sign without much fuss,' says Helen.

4. Elevate Cabinet Cutouts with Brass Grills

If the simple cutouts are a bit too old-fashioned for your taste, there's a slightly more elevated and decorative approach you can try: brass grills. They give the cutout trend a more luxurious feel, and can tie in beautifully with warm-toned hardware.

And it's a look that has helped revive this traditional feature. 'We did most definitely see a drop in people choosing cutouts, and since the introduction of our brass vents, we have seen renewed delight in these little decorative and functional additions,' says Helen.

In this kitchen, an earthy green/gray hue has been drenched across the walls and cabinetry. Alone, this could read a little bit flat, but the addition of the brass vents instead of plain cutouts instantly lifts and elevates the finish. Simple, yet so effective.

5. Think Outside the Kitchen with Cutouts on Mud Room Cabinets

While the trend for cabinet cutouts is emerging in kitchens, it's not the only room that can benefit from these decorative details. In fact, their use in other, more practical rooms that feature cabinetry can be just as impactful.

'Cutouts can also be practically helpful as they provide ventilation and air, and work very well for mudroom spaces,' says Heidi,' who designed the olive green mud room pictured above.

It's a charming example, where deep green cabinets have been elevated by those subtle diamond cutouts. It's not just a pretty detail, but it's functional, too – especially where items like shoes and outerwear are being stored.

Kitchen cabinet trends are really leaning into more decorative details to bring character and whimsy to our cooking spaces. And cabinet cutouts are just one traditional kitchen feature making a comeback in 2026, and it signals the shift to these rooms becoming so much more than just functional.