When it comes to renovating a kitchen, you want to make sure your time and money aren't wasted on bad design decisions that you'll regret in a couple of years.

"Certain upgrades may seem exciting in the moment, but they quickly start to feel dated or cheap, leaving homeowners with a space that doesn’t hold up in style or value," Sarah Trop, an interior designer and the founder of FunCycled, says.

To help make the process easier for you, we asked interior designers to share tacky kitchen upgrades that aren't worth it, so you know what to stay away from (thank us later).

Flashy Countertops

Trop explains how flashy countertops like busy granite patterns, faux finishes, or ultra-bold designs can dominate the space in all the wrong ways. If you're working with tons of color and decor accents, it's best to keep surfaces light and simple to ground the kitchen.

"Subtler choices, like quartz or honed stone, create elegance that stands the test of time," Trop explains.

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Poor Lighting

Lighting can really make or break a kitchen, designers say. Trop explains how ornate chandeliers or harsh fluorescent fixtures can make the kitchen feel uncomfortable.

Hannah Griffiths, an interior designer and the founder of Studio Palindrome, agrees and explains how under-cabinet lighting is great for task lighting and can help soften the space. However, make sure the color temperature is right at about 2700K, since anything over 4000K can give a commercial look.

Another important thing to remember when it comes to lighting is choosing the right proportions for your space.

"Big pendants or bulky range hoods in a tight space throw off proportions," Conor Shanley, the founder and managing director at Profilms, explains. "Instead of feeling high-end, it feels cramped and awkward."

Open Shelving With No Styling Plan

It can be easy to jump right into styling any open shelves to fill up the space; however, designers warn against this.

"Open shelving is beautiful in moderation, but when all the upper cabinets are replaced, kitchens lose both storage and function," Trop says. "While it looks great on Pinterest, in real life, most families struggle to keep it tidy, and clutter quickly takes over."

Shanley agrees and explains how a kitchen won’t feel more open just by removing cupboard doors; it only works if the items on display are deliberately styled. Otherwise, the space appears messy and incomplete.

Distracting Hardware

Swapping out the hardware is one of the easiest and fastest ways to spruce up a space; however, it can actually do more damage than good if it doesn't actually complement your current kitchen design.

Oversized handles or trendy colored knobs can be distracting and disproportionate, which can throw off the entire space.

"Hardware should be the jewelry of the kitchen, complementing cabinetry instead of stealing the show," Trop says.

Busy or DIY Tile Work

Anything overly patterned, such as mosaics or faux-stone, tends to age poorly and can give a recently renovated kitchen a dated feel, Shanley explains.

Additionally, Trop also recommends skipping any cabinet refacing that uses stick-on veneers or DIY covers. Although it may save you some money upfront, they will peel and chip quickly, instantly giving away their lack of quality.

"Homeowners are better served with professionally painted cabinets or full replacements that bring real durability and beauty," Trop says.