• We all know eggs are expensive — probably forever. And they're missing from grocery shelves, too.
• As if that weren't enough, there's other egg-related bad news: Their shells chip more often.
• When will this nightmare end? (I asked an eggspert: Probably never!)

Sorry to stress you out, but the egg situation is getting worse and worse.

According to eggsperts — no, I will not apologize for that — not only are there super-high prices and empty shelves: But we're also looking at a return to eggs with weak and unusually chippy shells.

You already know egg prices went up. They're on everyone's mind — at least egg-eating minds. A dozen eggs cost an average of $4.15 in December, according to federal statistics — up from $2.51 the previous December.

And in a true sign of the eggpocalypse: Waffle House is now adding a 50-cent surcharge for eggs — for each egg, that is!

On TikTok, Magda S. has been tracking egg prices in a spreadsheet that's online and open to the public. She didn't want to reveal her last name, but her full identity is known to BI.

Magda has gone viral for the stunt and said she plans to continue to update her spreadsheet for the next four years — to mark whether egg prices decline during Donald Trump's presidency.

"Everyone wants to talk about eggs," she told me.

If you haven't been to a grocery store lately, you might not know another part of the egg emergency: Shelves have started to run bare.

A worsening avian influenza outbreak has caused an egg shortage across the US. Viral videos of customers swarming the egg pallets at Costco are all over social media. Last weekend, thieves made off with 100,000 eggs from the Pete & Gerry's distribution center in Pennsylvania.

My local grocery store in Connecticut has put a limit on the number of cartons per customer (two). A friend who's a workout enthusiast who used to eat five protein-rich eggs every morning lamented to me that his "macros" were in disarray.

Egg prices aren't the worst of it — the chips are back

Now, things are probably going to get even worse. Because the eggs — if you can even find them, not to mention afford them — are going to start getting chippy again.

More than a year ago, I had noticed that it seemed like eggshells were chipping into the bowl or pan more often when I was cracking them. My cracking technique hadn't changed, but it seemed like I was suddenly having to fish out little bits of shell all the time — something that was previously a rare occurrence.

It turned out that I wasn't wrong — something about the quality of eggshells at the time had made them chippier than before.

So last March, I spoke to Sheila Purdum, professor of animal science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who specializes in poultry. She explained that the 2022 bird flu outbreak had a lingering effect on egg production. Because so many hens had to be destroyed, the remaining healthy hens were kept laying eggs past the typical age of their, uh, "retirement."

Hens are typically considered past their laying prime by age 2 or 3. By this age, hens can still lay eggs, but there are downsides: The eggs tend to have thinner shells, which are more prone to breaking in the container or chipping into the bowl when you crack them.

Thankfully, over the past year, I've anecdotally noticed that eggs seemed back to normal, cracking like they used to. This made sense, as chicken flocks rebounded, even if prices were going up.

But the current shortage of eggs and the avian influenza continuing have me worried. So I reached back out to Professor Purdum to see if we're in for another round of weak shells.

Unfortunately, probably so. Purdum told me she predicts that 15% to 20% of the US flock will be made up of older hens to make up for lost younger ones that were culled because of the flu.

Still, things aren't all doom and gloom.

"Scientists and nutritionists like myself are already conducting research about how to keep 'old' hens healthy and producing good eggshells!" Purdum said. "Work is being done. There is hope."

In the future, we might still be shelling out the big clucks for eggs, but we can hope that they at least won't be too chippy.

Just six months after defense tech Anduril raised a massive $1.5 billion round that valued the company at $14 billion, it’s in talks to raise another $2.5 billion, at a valuation of up to $28 billion, sources told CNBC. The deal would, not surprisingly, be led by Founders Fund, which is reportedly writing a $1 […]

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• Interior-design experts shared kitchen designs that don't age well and trends people will regret.
• The pros said homeowners may want to rethink concrete countertops and breakfast nooks.
• They said all-white kitchens, matte-black hardware, and patterned floors aren't timeless either. 

Kitchen renovations can be expensive, so you'll want to choose your finishes and designs carefully.

Still, trends come and go, so you may find yourself with regrets even if you loved the space years ago — plus, some designs just don't age well.

Business Insider asked interior-design experts and trend forecasters to share kitchen trends and design choices people often regret. Here's what they said. 

Patterned floors make a bold statement but may quickly go out of style.

Interior designer Kelly Taylor, owner of Kelly Taylor Interior Design, told BI that kitchen floors aren't an ideal place to incorporate detailed patterns into your home.

"Just don't do it! If you want a pattern on the floor, change up the wood to a herringbone, or choose a stone with a tone-on-tone pattern, like a water-jet mosaic," Taylor said. 

Bold flooring patterns, like a checkered print, can be costly to replace when they go out of style.

Concrete countertops may be aesthetically pleasing, but they aren't practical.

Concrete kitchen countertops are on the rise among their marble, quartz, and granite counterparts.

However, Taylor said, concrete countertops are expensive and hard to maintain.

"Counters are expensive. Even if the concrete countertop trend continues to persist, concrete is going to be wrecked so fast that you'll want to replace it in two years," Taylor told BI. "It is incredibly porous and just not going to look like anything but a mess, trendy or not."

Open-shelving concepts may be a bust in the long term.

Lisa Odor, senior interior designer at MA Design, told BI that open shelves with highly-curated items could lead to regrets down the road.

"They look great for Instagram when they are nicely organized and picturesque with your three favorite cookbooks and some cute knickknacks, but they aren't functional and will only collect dust and more things," she said.

Instead, Odor recommends capitalizing on closed storage options in a kitchen. 

Breakfast nooks can quickly become dated if not designed well.

Interior designer Reya Duena of Reya Duena Designs cautioned against the popular built-in-booth trend. 

"While they look nice now, the fabrics will get dirty, wear, and start to look dated. They have to be well designed in order to pull this off," Duena told BI.

Consider fabric and material options when creating a breakfast nook or built-in booth, and choose stain-resistant, sturdy materials.

Don't mix too many metal finishes.

Mixed metals can add a contemporary look to your aesthetic, but it's possible to combine too many metal finishes.

Duenas suggests sticking to two metal finishes at most, as anything more can look "uncoordinated." Also, make sure your finishes work together harmoniously. 

"Be sure that brass and champagne finishes match one another. Nothing is worth than several brass tones that don't match," Duenas told BI.

The double-island trend you see online may be more frivolous than functional.

Some large kitchens incorporate two islands instead of one — but this is an expensive and hard-to-undo design choice. 

"Double islands are nice if you have the space, but also expensive and permanent. You need to commit to the layout, and there isn't room for making changes," Duena said.

Instead, Duena recommends choosing a less-permanent piece of furniture, like a large table or cabinet, to add more counterspace and visual interest with less commitment. 

Black hardware and fixtures may not stand the test of time.

Rhea Vaflor, associate principal and director of trendcasting at Hickok Cole, said aspects of the industrial-farmhouse trend may be difficult to manage over time. 

In particular, the industrial-style matte-black finishes show "scratches more easily, and if the quality isn't high enough, the finish can flake off." 

Instead, Vaflor recommends choosing polished- or brass-nickel fixtures, which tend to be more timeless and durable. 

All-white kitchens are far from practical in a few ways.

Social media portrays the beauty and cleanliness of an all-white kitchen aesthetic, but Vaflor told BI this trend could lead to regrets.

"White shows everything, and in the messiest room in the house, it's especially unforgiving, even more so if everything surrounding it is stark white in contrast," Vaflor said.

All-white kitchens can also be difficult to maintain over time. 

"It's incredibly challenging to match whites, so if you have to replace a cabinet door or paint a scratch, it's not likely you'll find the exact white," Valfor said. 

It may be more practical to only do white upper cabinets and colored lower cabinets or to stick with a white countertop and darker backsplashes. 

A complementary color scheme throughout the kitchen can quickly lose its zest.

Jackie Lopey, founder of and interior designer at Wide Canvas, told BI that complementary colors — red and green, orange and blue, purple and yellow — intensify each other and are visually appealing on our Instagram feeds but feel different when you live with them.

When the excitement wears off, replacing kitchen cabinets, countertops, and backsplashes is expensive.

Instead, Lopey recommends selecting a neutral color palette and adding a signature shade to one fixed element.

Rustic pantry doors may not be the right fit for your kitchen.

Interior designer Randi Destefano said sliding doors can work in a pantry, but you might want to skip anything too rustic unless it fits your kitchen's aesthetic. 

"Rustic barn doors for pantries don't always fit the kitchen style. Some trend followers only see rustic and think they need to have it. They forget that the rest of the kitchen is not rustic," Destefano told BI.

Before committing to a pantry door, do some research to understand the available options rather than defaulting to the popular rustic style.

 

Lower cabinetry that's painted in light colors can reveal flaws.

Erin Davis, owner and lead designer at Mosaik Design & Remodeling, said light-colored cabinetry has been a popular trend for years but it's not the most practical one. 

"Homeowners may regret having a light color on the lower cabinetry as it can quickly show wear and tear. A great alternative is combining wood cabinetry on the base with lighter-painted uppers," Davis told BI.

Too much green in the kitchen can play with your sight.

Green kitchens may be trendy, but Davis cautioned against overdoing it.

"Avoid too much green in the kitchens, especially with painted walls as they can cast a light on to your food that is unappealing," they told BI.

This story was originally published on January 31, 2023, and most recently updated on January 10, 2025.

• American Kathleen O'Donnell said she felt at home the first time she visited Greece.
• She moved away from the US in 2019 before settling full-time in Greece in 2022.
• She likes Greece's food quality but doesn't like how car-centric the country can be.

Kathleen O'Donnell, 39, doesn't think she will ever move back to the US.

O'Donnell said she felt right at home when she visited Greece during an almost yearlong trip to Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia in 2018 and 2019. After moving away from the US later on in 2019, she decided to be in Greece as much as she possibly could. She's been living in the country full time since applying for a digital nomad residence permit in May 2022.

"The longer that I live here, the happier I am, the more I love it, the more that I feel at home, and the more that I feel really sure that I found the perfect place for me to live right now," O'Donnell said.

She still loves visiting the US. Even though she's unsure if she will live in Greece for the rest of her life, she said it's unlikely she'll return permanently to the States.

"I just don't think that it has the quality of life that I could find in most other places these days," O'Donnell, who has been to around 30 countries, said. "The lack of sense of community is really what gets me. It's a very isolated society."

O'Donnell said she thinks it's an exciting time for people interested in moving to a different country because many places, like Brazil, Italy, and Thailand, offer digital nomad visas.

What O'Donnell likes and dislikes about Greece

O'Donnell said she likes the quality and affordability of food in Greece, including the produce at her local farmers market. She said the market can be noisy, but she enjoys getting the chance to become familiar with the people there.

"That sense of community is another pro," O'Donnell said. "Even in Athens, which is a very large city, it feels like a series of small villages. You really get to know people around you."

She said she had become friends with many of her neighbors since moving to her apartment earlier this year.

O'Donnell also thinks it's easy to travel elsewhere, given Athens International Airport, and enjoys the country's weather.

Meanwhile, she finds getting a residence permit takes a long time. She said it took around half a year for a two-year permit to be approved and another month to get it.

"The date of that permit starts when you apply, not when you get it," she said, adding. "and you can't go anywhere but your home country in that time and you can't even travel through most of Europe."

She's waiting for her renewal, which she thinks could take at least a year. "In the meantime, you're just very restricted about what you can do, and that's pretty frustrating," she said.

O'Donnell also plans to buy an apartment and has found that this is taking a while.

"It's just a simple one-bedroom apartment, and it will probably take a full two years to complete this very typical purchase, which is just wild," she said. "I've been trying to buy a place since December 2021."

She also thinks that while Athens is vibrant and lively, it's car-centric, and the sidewalks could be improved. She thinks getting around is tough because she doesn't have a vehicle and likes walking.

Despite the cons, she said she still loves Athens and Greece overall.

"I am so happy here," she said. "I just have such a great quality of life. It's very different from the US."

What has your moving or travel experience been like? Share with this reporter at [email protected].

• We asked interior designers about the kitchen trends we can expect to see more and less of in 2025.
• Colorful backsplashes, unique lighting setups, and secondary kitchens could be big in the new year.
• Designers think we'll see fewer all-white kitchens and cool-toned cabinets.

Business Insider asked four interior designers which kitchen trends they think will be popular next year and which are going out of style.

Here are their 2025 design predictions.

Colorful backsplashes might add life to kitchens.

Courtney Wollersheim, interior designer at FLOOR360, said she expects to see backsplashes in colors like deep green or terracotta as more homeowners look for new ways to complement neutral walls and cabinets.

A colorful backsplash may seem risky, but a skilled tile installer can change it if your tastes change over time.

One designer said mixtures of modern and antique decor will stay trendy.

Wollersheim said she's also seeing more homeowners eager to personalize their kitchens by combining different decor styles for a custom look.

One example is mixing modern finishes with antique finds, such as treasures from flea markets or inherited items.

"Mixing old and new adds character and warmth while providing an opportunity for creative self-expression," she said.

Secondary kitchens could soar in popularity.

Sarah Pickard, founder of Pickard Design Studio, predicts more people will get rid of open kitchens and divide their space to create a secondary area, like a butler's pantry, that "can be used for prep or a place to store dirty dishes."

She told us this trend is returning as some millennials seek designs similar to the homes they grew up in and entertain guests in groups.

"It is more affordable to host and eat at home, and people want their spaces and kitchen to be received as luxurious and clean," Pickard said.

More nature-inspired looks could find their way into the kitchen.

Deana Duffek, CEO and principal designer of Pure Design House, said a continued interest in sustainability and biophilic looks will help nature-inspired designs rise in popularity throughout 2025.

"Kitchens now incorporate natural materials, like wood and stone, earthy colors, like sage and terracotta, and greenery, like indoor herb gardens," Duffek told BI.

She said we can also "expect to see more eco-friendly designs using reclaimed materials."

We may see more sophisticated lighting technology in kitchens.

Joyce Huston, lead interior designer at Decorilla, thinks we'll see kitchen lighting evolve in 2025.

"Lighting is everything in design, and people want flexibility. The ability to change your kitchen's entire feel with lighting creates a more dynamic, personalized space," Huston said.

She said that instead of basic under-cabinet strip lights, we might see more intricate options that allow people to control the color, temperature, intensity, and mood of a space through lighting.

Some will carefully curate the metallic finishes in their kitchen, especially when it comes to appliances.

Huston said she's also seeing more appliance manufacturers offer hardware in a variety of finishes, like brass or gold.

After all, the right pop of metal can be a small way to add depth, warmth, and sophistication to a design without overdoing it.

On the other hand, cool-toned cabinets are fading out in favor of warmer colors.

Sleek and modern designs introduced cool, neutral colors into kitchens over the last few years, but Wollersheim told BI that these shades have had their moment.

"Cool-color cabinets like white, gray, or black are moving aside for warm wood cabinets like oak or maple," she said.

Wollersheim expects this shift toward warmer colors to continue over the next few years.

All-white kitchens are no longer a first choice for many homeowners.

Although previously a staple in modern kitchens, all-white cabinets, counters, and kitchen walls are no longer as hot as they used to be, Duffek told BI.

"The dominance of stark, all-white kitchens with clean lines and minimalistic finishes is waning," she said. "Expect a surge in colorful, layered kitchens that blend bold hues with natural materials, reflecting a more dynamic and inviting aesthetic."

One designer said open shelving is quickly becoming unpopular.

Open shelving has been popular in kitchens for years, and many use it to showcase everyday dishes or collectibles.

But, Duffek said, this trend is fading out for a few reasons.

"While stylish, open shelving requires constant upkeep to remain presentable — and many homeowners prefer practical storage solutions that hide clutter," Duffek said.

• Guido Gabrielli is leaving restaurant tech company Otter after five years, per a company email viewed by BI.
• Otter's new head is Ashvin Kumar, who most recently worked at fintech Affirm.
• Otter is a nearly $70 million a year business, Travis Kalanick wrote in an email to staff.

One of Travis Kalanick's key businesses just named a new leader, according to a company email reviewed by Business Insider.

Guido Gabrielli is leaving Otter, the restaurant tech arm of City Storage Systems, per the company email sent by Kalanick.

He is replaced by entrepreneur Ashvin Kumar, who comes from Affirm.

Gabrielli is "moving on to a new chapter in his career of substance," Kalanick wrote about Otter's head, who joined the company from Uber. "He has been a part of CSS since the early days, with us for 5 years and has taken Otter from a scrappy upstart to the almost $70mm/yr business it is today."

Otter's global businesses include order management for platforms such as DoorDash, a virtual-menu arm, a revenue-recapture business that claws back money owed to restaurants, and a point-of-sale system. In early May, Gabrielli told Otter staff that the company had 100,000 restaurants paying for at least one service, BI previously reported.

The company's technology is used by customers of CSS's other arm, CloudKitchens, which renovates warehouses into ghost-kitchen facilities for mom-and-pop restaurateurs and big companies such as Chick-fil-A.

Otter has, at times, struggled with glitchy software and customer support. Last year, a CloudKitchens operator invited to speak at an all-hands meeting complained about the system, BI previously reported. In response, Gabrielli sent a Slack message to the full company promising better customer service.

Otter has also seen some personnel stumbles. The company ran a controversial sales boot camp that went off the rails before it was shut down last year, BI reported. And, like many peers, Otter has cut staff in multiple layoff rounds after the pandemic.

Kumar comes from Affirm, where he was a vice president working on special projects. Before his stint at the fintech company, he founded the social auction app Tophatter, which shut down in 2022.

"I've known Ashvin since the late 2000's Silicon Valley entrepreneur community. I couldn't be more excited about having him take the helm," Kalanick wrote in the company email.

In fall 2021, Kalanick raised $850 million for CSS from investors, including Microsoft, at a $15 billion valuation. Since then, the company has faced similar headwinds to the rest of the tech and real-estate industries, including higher interest rates and slower customer-demand growth than during the pandemic boom.

Through CSS, Kalanick wants to reinvent the business of food, just as he upended transportation by cofounding Uber.

BI reached out to Gabrielli, Kumar, and a representative for CSS about the leadership change. None responded to the request for comment, sent outside normal business hours.

Do you have a CSS story to share? Reach out to this reporter using a nonwork phone on Signal and Telegram at 646 768 1627.

About a “dozen Musk allies” have put a pin in their daily routines to serve as unofficial advisers to the Trump transition effort, says the New York Times.  Among them, reports the outlet: Jared Birchall, the head of Elon Musk’s family office, has interviewed a few candidates for jobs at the State Department; Marc Andreessen […]

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