What makes a kitchen look outdated?

A few flooring details date a kitchen quickly: small-format tile with wide grout lines, a material change at the kitchen doorway when the rest of the main floor runs continuous, high-gloss finishes, and cool grey tones sitting next to warm cabinetry. Heavy contrast between floor and cabinets tends to age worse than a close tonal match. Darkened, discoloured grout is often the single most dating detail in the room, and that is a cleaning or regrouting job rather than a replacement.