The Retro Cabinet Detail That’s Quietly Making Modern Kitchens Feel Cozier

Originally added for ventilation, cutouts in cabinetry add decorative appeal, especially in kitchens and mudrooms.

Designers use different patterns—like grids and diamonds—to complement cabinetry, wallpaper, and overall room style.

Inspired by historical homes, vent holes bring nostalgic warmth while fresh colors and finishes keep the look current.

If you’ve noticed little cutout patterns in cabinetry lately, you’re not alone. It’s a trend that's been quietly gaining favor among American homeowners as British kitchen brands like Plain English and deVOL have set up shop Stateside, alongside newcomers like Isla Porter, and inspired a new generation of homeowners with their nostalgic country house style. 

What Are Cabinet Vent Holes?

These small ventilation holes were historically installed in cabinets to allow air circulation—ideal in kitchens and pantries where keeping stored goods fresh was paramount, and in mudrooms where damp jackets and smelly shoes can pose a risk to the senses. Today, vent holes have become a favorite decorative detail for adding a touch of charm to modern door fronts. They’re frequently arranged in rows or diamond-shaped patterns and usually in the center or upper third of cabinet doors. 

How to Style Cabinet Cutouts

“There are so many different variations and styles of this that influence the overall look of a room,” says Utah-based interior designer Caitlin Creer. “With the machine most cabinet makers use to achieve this, you can create pretty much anything from a monogram to a very specific motif.”

In designing a Connecticut mudroom, Creer landed on a grid of three horizontal rows in the cabinet doors, which plays off the block print pattern in the blue and white wallpaper. “We loved the idea of something a little sweet that added as subtle detail,” she notes.

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