I think your concerns are valid. I think it's possible that trend might pass sooner that some longer lasting trends.

I think anything can "date" a space. If one selects good materials, has good functionality in their space and has a design and style that fits with the home, then it continues to flow and mature with the home. As long as you don't get so very trendy, no one item is going to send the kitchen over the edge.

I think the wood floor trend will hold up for a very long time. I used to feel that way about white cabinets, but then in my opinion, they've become so overly popular and I fear that popularity will sort of turn white cabinets into a trend that might soon end rather than a more timeless idea as white cabinets used to be. But, that's just my personal thought.

In the earlier years of our business, there was a time when designers were saying that white cabinets were dated and everything was going back to stained and no one was doing white kitchens. In our area, also a "flyover" state, this did not happen. We still had more requests for white kitchens than any other material. Then white came back "in style" pretty quickly and has stayed.

Trends that won't last.

1. Baseboard molding instead of an actual toekick. People will get tired of stubbing their toes.

2. Paneled appliances that aren't fully integrated. If the appliance doesn't completely disappear, there's no point in slapping cabinetry on it.

3.White on white. The local operating room called and wants their theater back.

4. Giganticous ranges that require 10K worth of heated makeup air to satisfy the reqired 8K vent above them. Conspicuous consumption will always exist with the nouveau riche, but a range as a status symbol will just get too expensive to do in a code compliant manner.

5. Mantle hoods. Every tiny little apartment kitchen wants one, even though they are out of scale and dont' work stylistically with their room. Plus, who wants to spend the 5K to put it on top of a plane jane Maytag electric range. And, they can't afford the #4 above.

6. Tongue and groove ceiling. We've already reached saturation point on that. More beadboard and v-groove and lines going willy nilly isn't cute and country. It's busy and distracting.

7. Wood floors. DW and icemaker floods do end up taking their toll. Almost everyone who's had one says "never again". And quite a few more folks just don't like that they cannot really mop a wood floor without damaging it.

8. Oversized pulls. The pinnacle of this trend is the gigantic bar pulls that are no longer being done nearly as much, even in modern kitchens. Minimalism is the next trend, and the smallest pull, or touch latch is what is right over the hill as the next desirable thing to have.

9.Shaker. It's beyond the peak, and the saturation point where everyone "has" to have it has come and gone. Minimalism and modernism trends say that slab doors are the next hot thing. Great, if it fits your cute little 1970 rancher. Not so great if you live in a 1914 Foursquare.

10. Worrying about "datedness". There will always be followers of fashion. But, a lot of people want off of that expensive merry go round when it comes to their major home purchases. They seek "timelessness", which is beyond illusory, except in the context of the home style itself. A great Tudor home with a white gloss slab door kitchen won't look timeless now or later., Much less the current Peacock inspired Edwardian scullery look that only really looks at home in an actual Edwardian. Homes become dated because they choose extreme examples of popular styles that don't fit the style of the home.

Sophie, I've enjoyed your comments on this thread. Lots of interesting points you've made.

No matter what your choices are, some or most items will feel dated (and worn) in 10 years. My sister had a white kitchen 35 years ago and has one now - so white is here to stay in my mind (cabinet styles, appliances and finishes change faster). She updated her most recent white kitchen (that was about 10 years old) by changing the backsplash and counter to marble, the paint color and added a new dining set as updates, which worked. A farmhouse sink should suit your style of kitchen and will not go out of style any faster than the rest of your choices. In ten years, change the sink and go with what you love now and make classic choices.

Love Sophie Wheeler's comments. I did shaker, but in a walnut stain that blends with the rest of my furniture and I think it will look good in ten years. As for farmhouse sinks, if it suits then go for it.

Forget the fads (trends). They are created by the manufacturers to keep sales up. The white fad will end when the paint/stain manufacturers aren't selling enough stain. Then there will be a lot of work for the kitchen cabinet factories and refinishers.

Do what you like, not what the industry tells you to do, and forget about what your neighbor thinks, it is your house.