From lacking storage units to overcrowding your space, you don’t realize these design flaws you’re about to make…
The kitchen is the heart of the home, and designing it is more than just picking luxury counters, colorful elements, and eye-catching hardware. Before you dive into a kitchen makeover, there are some common design blunders you can easily avoid. Below, I will walk you through some of the worst and biggest kitchen design mistakes and how to avoid them.
Your cooking space is where you juggle multiple tasks at a time, from cooking to experiencing everyday life with your family. So, it’s imperative to make sure it’s practical. If you design the wrong kitchen layout, you won’t be able to function as efficiently as you would want. Aesthetic-wise, it should be beautiful, warm, and inviting. That will spark creativity and good conversations. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:
Not Leaving Enough Space for Circulation
Inadequate circulation space could make your kitchen seem claustrophobic. It also limits more people to freely sweep through the area at the same time. And nothing is worse than that.
No matter the square footage, good circulation has to be a top consideration in your design. A lack of space available for opening kitchen appliances like your fridge and dishwasher may also become a challenge.
What You Can Do:
Provide adequate circulation with a distance between the countertops. The rule of thumb is to keep the floor space at 4 feet. Give at least 3.5 feet of room if you have a smaller-sized kitchen. This would be the threshold for the gap between counters. But you can add more for as much as the floor space permits.
Forgetting the Work Triangle
The work triangle is important for optimal productivity. It links your stove, sink, and fridge, allowing for easy access and a smooth transition between these zones. A terrible kitchen layout and workflow might result in an unworkable galley that makes preparing food a disaster.
What You Can Do:
Keep your stove, sink, and fridge accessible and within easy reach of each other. Each foot of the work triangle should be between 4 and 9 feet long. This space-efficient triangle enables you to effortlessly prepare meals, wash, and store items. Also, the triangle should not be blocked, with no heavy traffic passing through the zone.
Wrong Appliance Size
This is not uncommon. Bad appliance layout might result in unnecessary bulging. Especially from large fridges. It can impair your flexibility to access cupboards as well as other kitchen appliances. Plus, it can restrict you from freely moving through spaces. Also, bulky blenders, food processors will likely sit on your counter and cause clutter if they don’t have a suitable spot for storage.
What You Can Do:
To avoid these blunders, pick appliances ahead of time. Consider the size and opening mechanisms of appliances to verify that they can be fitted in discreet, customized storage in your kitchen plan. The same goes for pots and pans. And don’t forget to consider when they will be in use. For example, when you open your fridge, stove, cabinet, and dishwasher door.
Not Enough Lighting
But seriously, who likes getting a painful cut while dicing onions in the dark? Adequate lighting is essential, particularly in tiny kitchens. A well-lit kitchen has a significant effect on your productivity. But if you don’t install the proper lighting above your worktops, you’ll be preparing, cooking, and cleaning in the dark.
What You Can Do:
It is essential to prioritize lighting in your kitchen. Add sconces, downlights, and pendant lights on varying circuits. This lets you better regulate the lighting intensity and ambiance. Also, remember to use bulbs that produce enough light and you don’t get the painful cuts and see what you’re cooking.
Inadequate Lighting and Location
Another common mistake in lighting is wrong placement and too little lighting. Many homeowners put aesthetics above utility. But you won’t be able to execute chores as pleasantly as you should if it lacks appropriate lighting. Sure, eclectic pendants are lovely. But if they don’t provide sufficient light across your worktop space, they won’t be helpful.
What You Can Do:
Note that overhead lighting may be too bright. And it can therefore cast undesirable shadows. So, task lighting may be a practical choice. Pendant lights that serve as task lighting just above your kitchen island are a wonderful element to a kitchen. To get even more sight of what you’re cooking, consider undercabinet and recessed lighting.
Adding an Island in Snug Spaces
Kitchen islands are fantastic for expanding prep and storage. But only if you have enough space to accommodate a kitchen island. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting time, money, and space.
Another recipe for this mistake is putting an island in an unsuitable location. In addition, a badly placed island can block flow to and from the work triangle. Causing congestion in your cooking space.
What You Can Do:
Don’t aim for an island if you don’t have the space for it. But if you really want one, consider a compact island. For optimal traffic flow, leave at least 40-inch spaces on both sides. With a minimum width of around 47 inches. Also, what your island has to accommodate and the dimensions of your space are the deciding factors for its size. However, if you do not intend to put a sink or a cooktop, you might go as narrow as 24 inches.
Limited Space Between the Sink and Stove
While there are no specific standards for this, you should have enough counter space between your sink and your stove. For even bigger kitchens, the same space serves as a prep area. Not having enough gap between those zones can also make your counter look cluttered.
What You Can Do:
When designing your kitchen, ensure that the arrangement suits your basic daily requirements. But if you have limited counter space, you can narrow down the gap.
Cabinet Doors and Drawers in the Wrong Position
Terribly positioned cabinet doors and drawers are a hassle to remedy. When you open cabinet doors and drawers, they might obstruct doorways and pathways. Not only can this impede your workflow, but it can also make your kitchen appear cluttered.
What You Can Do:
Careful planning is necessary. Consider where and how all of the components that have doors should open. Also, factor in how you will maneuver around the zone, before settling to a plan.
Not Using Vertical Wall Space
How much storage do you need? Every inch of space matters if you have a small kitchen. And any void walls provide important storage space. But squandering the vertical space could result in an inefficient kitchen.
What You Can Do:
Maximize your storage space but extending a cupboard up the ceiling. But if you’re not a fan of columns of closed cupboards, you can add open shelving, instead. You may have to adapt minimum clearance restrictions if your cabinets sit over a stove. The basic parameters for gas and electric hobs are between 2 to 3 feet.
Installing Electrical Outlets at Inconvenient Locations
Many kitchens were built to accommodate big appliances. Small appliances, such as a blender, mixers, food processor, and toaster, are sometimes overlooked. And this can result in crowded counters. With a tangle of cables connecting to the nearby plug.
What You Can Do:
Have your electric outlets discreetly installed on your counters. You can even put extra plugs on your kitchen island. Having them correctly relocated can improve the practicality. It can also add visual appeal to your kitchen.
Lack of Storage for Your Pots and Pans
Your pots and pans are important when it comes to preparing meals. However, if you can’t fit your larger cookware in your cabinets, your kitchen can appear cluttered. This is because you may end up stacking them above your oven or on open shelves. And this is tricky for small kitchens.
What You Can Do:
Extra-large cabinets can help you prevent this mess. You may also experiment with classy storage techniques, such as a hanging rack. Pot racks can also give you more cabinet space by hanging pots and skillets openly.
They add order and beauty to a kitchen when fixed from the ceiling, behind cabinets, even on a wall. Pot racks are a functional storing unit that also serves as an ornament.
Leaving Big Void Spaces Above Your Cabinets for Dust Build-Up
Having a large gap between kitchen cabinets and the ceiling allows dust to collect. Such spots are difficult to clean and are absolutely a waste of space. They are basically dark, neglected spaces that serve no real purpose.
What You Can Do:
You can use a soffit as a decorative architectural element. It may assist cover an empty void but in a much more functional and beautiful fashion. The molding will certainly give your kitchen soffits a more elegant appeal.
Squeezing Too Much In
Sometimes, you can’t help but to want to include every conceivable extravagance. This might not be a great idea if you don’t have enough room.
What You Can Do:
Consider your traffic flow to ensure you’ll have enough space to move around. Allow a space of 4 feet between components and appliances. This is to let your fridge and dishwasher’s doors open and allow you to move through.
Not Consulting the Experts
Assuming you already have a general idea or concept in mind and have relied on what you know, which is likely limited. Then, you end up wasting time and money because, maybe, you placed the wrong lighting. Or, maybe you have the wrong backsplash. Not consulting an expert is the first mistake people make when it comes to kitchen renovation or designing.
What You Can Do:
Investing in some expert advice at the outset of your project may help avoid design flaws. Yes, it may be costly, but it will help you save money in the long run. You’d want to hire skilled interior designers to help you execute your plan and avoid costly mistakes.
Using the Wrong Flooring
Because your kitchen is a busy space and gets used every day, you should choose flooring that is solid and durable. If not, you’ll end up with an expensive mistake. And you’ll need to replace them soon.
What You Can Do:
Your floor should be able to take a lot of beating. So, choose a material that’s meant to last. Those with an anti-slip surface are preferable. Thin and cheap materials will not survive, particularly when carrying the pressure of large appliances for many years.
You’ll find waterproof, robust, and attractive finishes from your local supplier. But contemporary vinyl is an excellent solution for long-lasting kitchen flooring.
Not Dedicating a Place for Recyclables
Some homeowners ignore and underestimate its space-saving and sanitary capabilities. If you enjoy reusing products such as plastic bags, having a separate area for your recyclables would serve you well. After all, a pedal bin takes up a lot of floor area.
What You Can Do:
Dedicate a location for your waste disposal. An integrated bin that burrows into your cabinets is an excellent method. It keeps unwanted odors away while taking up minimal square footage. Choosing a subdivided type will also come in handy for segregating ordinary garbage from recyclables.
Picking Inconvenient Knobs and Handles
Trendy kitchen hardware, such as slim knob handles, may appear stylish, but cabinet hardware is useless when you place it at the wrong height or position. Slim tab hardware is also hard to grab with wet hands while you’re prepping food.
What You Can Do:
Save the attractive knobs for regular cabinets, and use pull handles that you can get your fingers around on stuff that needs a little extra force to lift.
Applying Low-Quality Paint
Cracking and peeling are due to poor paint quality. These occur when the paint splits and tears through one or more coats of the paint. Low-quality paint is not good for kitchens or any other area in your home. They may discolor, chip, or wear away, and make your kitchen seem dreary over time.
What You Can Do:
Applying strong color choices in the kitchen may make a dramatic effect. But before you take up a paintbrush, ensure that the paint you pick is resistant to the everyday strain that your kitchen experiences. Opt for grease-resistant paints. These can survive frequent washing and cleaning.
Sticking Too Much to What’s Trendy
It’s important to keep up with new kitchen trends, however, most homeowners only redesign their kitchens every ten years. Keep in mind that the latest trends come and go. What’s fashionable today may never be a thing in the next five years.
What You Can Do:
If you really want to include the latest designs or striking colors, it’s best to do it by using ornaments. You can also do this with compact kitchen appliances. You can simply and inexpensively replace them if you ever want to give your kitchen a makeover or plan on doing a kitchen renovation in the future.
Pushing Too Far With Open Shelving
Open shelving in a kitchen may look gorgeous, and even more so if you have excellent china to showcase. However, if you keep everything there in the open, the area may rapidly become disorderly and congested. And your cookware will soon accumulate dust.
What You Can Do:
You may include a combination of open and closed storage units. This way, you can discreetly tuck away less appealing equipment and utensils. Keep only your prettiest collection display.
Overlooking the Plumbing System
Your kitchen sink and dishwasher are the most used zones. Ignoring this fixture may result in serious problems such as leakage and clogging. Your kitchen may become dysfunctional in such circumstances.
What You Can Do:
In designing a kitchen, you need to first put the fundamentals. And construct your design on what’s doable instead of what is visually desirable. Installing plumbing may be difficult and costly. So, consult with a professional before relocating your dishwasher or sink.
Blocking Windows or Thoroughfares
Obstructing windows or thoroughfares leading up to other areas just doesn’t make sense. Especially in kitchens where natural sunlight is essential. Keep in mind that natural light brightens up everything in your kitchen.
What You Can Do:
Use a wall-to-wall window. It helps make sure that both natural light and air circulation aren’t impeded.
Leaving Dead Spaces in the Corners
There are some areas in kitchen cabinets that are inaccessible, no matter how and where you stretch. They are basically dead spots that serve no function.
What You Can Do:
You can purchase a rotating unit as a remedy. This spinning kitchen equipment gives you easy access to your storage space that is hard to reach.
Forgetting About a Pantry
You probably believe there’s no need for a pantry since you don’t frequently load up on goods. That makes sense. But being able to store food that you can consume long-term saves you the stress of having to do grocery shopping every time. Also, you may not have to go through other cabinets since everything you need is in one organized location.
What You Can Do:
Include a tall pantry. This storage option for dried and fermented foods, which was once a common feature in kitchens, is a fantastic alternative to organize some of your grocery items. This is especially handy if you have a lot of empty upper space.
I hope this helps you avoid some common pitfalls when designing a new kitchen. Creating your dream kitchen is no easy task, but with the right approach, team, and information, you can make it a reality. You can achieve a design that allows you to be productive and creative and brings you calm.
