8 Kitchen Design Regrets & Common Mistakes To Avoid

when designing or renovating a kitchen it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of the Aesthetics choosing materials and appliances however it is just as important or maybe even more so to consider the practicality and functionality of your choices to avoid regrets down the line from having lower cabinets instead of drawers to not having enough Outlets here are the eight most common kitchen design regrets you need to be aware of when it comes to choosing storage options for the lower half of your kitchen many people regret op for lower cabinets over drawers yes it is fine to have a few cup birds at the bottom of your kitchen but drawers should be your main focus the reason why is because drawers are much more accessible than cabinets at this height you can pull out your drawers and fully see the contents without having to crouch down and blinding fish around the back of a cabinet The Only Exception here is under your kitchen sink where cupboard is by far a better choice it is also a good idea to have a variety of drawer depths and definitely a few that are quite deep as you need somewhere to store your pots pens and large bows deep base drawers are really nice as they have the capacity to store a lot and you can still access things all the way at the back compare this two say a deep bottom cabinet where the back is a literal graveyard this regret tends to happen because doors and shelves are significantly cheaper than drawers but seriously when it comes to having bottom drawers they're well worth the investment in many new builds I also often see drawers inside cabinets which are completely impractical this may make sense for a pantry where most items are wasde and they're often then located at the end of the kitchen or an entirely separate room but for bottom kitchen drawers it's just extremely annoying every time you want to access the drawer you have to go to the extra effort of opening the cabinet doors first and then opening the drawers and you can't just slightly open the door it has to be completely open to access the drawers and if it isn't you'll hit the door and cause damage to it when it comes to kitchen appliances you have two options either integrated once or Standalone on no issues really arise with integrated appliances as everything is built to size and they're covered with a cabinet door or panel they always need and flush in the kitchen the regret is usually with Standalone appliances as unlike integrated appliances people often do the Cabinetry before having an appliance in mind this can lead to fridges that excessively protrude out cabinets that can be open when appliances are in use and reduce circulation space my advice is to always pick your appliances first and measure twice you don't want to apply PES that don't fit look ugly and in trap flow it is also not a bad idea to regress your fridge so it doesn't stick out as far if the outlet is right behind the fridge take that into account as well when you're getting your depth measurements the cable will stick out and the fridge will need a deeper opening than what you originally thought another idea is to get a counter depth fridge instead of a standard one as they're not as deep they're usually about 24 to 30 in deep so they line up nicely with the ends of your cabinets and take up less real estate in your kitchen this one is a universal regret everyone who has renovated or designed a kitchen will tell you the same thing add more Outlets even if you think you have planned enough of them double that number you may be hesitant to do this as Outlets are not the best looking thing but trust me they look better than having a bunch of extension cords and power boards throughout your space if you're really particular about looks there are plenty of outlets that look good and blend and seamlessly with either your backsplash or top material some can even be in salt flush with the surface or if you want an even more refined look you may look into hiding the outlets there are many options like under cabinet power strips pop out outlets flash Mount self-contained receptacles or even charging station drawers the first two are my favorites with the under cabinets S one I'd recommend the most as there's less moving Parts there if you have the budget you can also look into specialty finish face plates which blends in seamlessly with the surrounding and if you have an island plan for outlets on the island then you can use your slow cooker rice cooker or air fryer on your island or connect your hand mixers to cake batter right on the kitchen island instead of in less convenient Corner once you have this you'll never go back to an island without Outlets every kitchen needs a good workflow otherwise your kitchen will be inefficient so when you go to choose Cabinetry make sure you can open up your coppet doors and drawers without them banging into each other or banging into your fridge dishwasher or oven this usually happens in kitchen corners and also when appliances are opposite each other in a narrow kitchen Galley for example if you had your dishwasher on your kitchen island and a bar fridge opposite it you would then be able to open the two at once as they would Collide into each other or putting an oven or microwave near a door that swings towards the appliance you will then be able to open the door when the oven door is open Corner cup birds and drawers are also susceptible to this I've seen too many Corner drawers really badly done where you can open both of them at the same time another mistake is having drawers that are way too wide like those trendy ones that are half the length of your countertops you can open them if someone else is working in the kitchen without asking them to move quite far away the lesson here is that during your planning stage you really need to carefully consider how your kitchen will be used and specifically how different things can have impact on traffic flow check out our kitchen planning handbook for an in-depth guide to planning and designing your kitchen we cover everything from the process and renovation timelines lighting placement appliances materials as well as standard dimensions and measurements all around the kitchen kitchen flooring is one of the most heavily used and abused surfaces in your home as it endures so much food traffic which is why you want to invest in quality flooring a lot of people regret choosing dark wood floors as while they look beautiful at first they're a nightmare to keep clean they show every spec of dust and Crum you drop on the floor it is better to go for a midtone Timber instead it is much more forgiving also choosing softwood floors is another common regret as they're easily scratched and dented if you're prone to dropping things or if you like to wear high heels definitely steer clear of soft Woods you also have to be careful if you're installing TI many types of tiles are porous and while they may look pretty when new they'll stain easily unless you're very diligent about cleaning same goes with light tone tiles they show dirt and you'll have to be constantly cleaning to keep them looking new when I say inadequate lighting I don't just mean the quantity of lighting obviously you don't want an unevenly and deemly lit kitchen and if this is the case definitely go in and add in more light source but the type of lights and also the placement of them is just as important many people regret their overhead lighting placement when they realize it cast massive Shadows on their work surfaces this happens because people often default to placing lights above the walkways which makes perfect sense Until you realize that when working in the kitchen you yourself will be covering that light source light placement is often overlooked especially by first time Renovators to avoid this ensure that your down lights especially the ones that light up your workspace are positioned in front of you rather than behind you you can also opt for wall scun or pendants instead of down lights as your main Tas lighting which can be both functional and aesthetically pleasing if possible I also like to make sure that all of the lights are dimable so you're not getting blasted by super bright light this advice applies to every room in your home not just your kitchen you may even consider installing your pendants down lights and scones on different circuits so so you have even more control over your lighting levels if your kitchen is a done deal you can also look into smart bulbs I did this in my own kitchen so I can dim and change the temperature of the lighting without additional wiring another regret people have is prioritizing the Aesthetics of their lighting over its functionality a pendent with Expos bues may look pretty but consider how much glare there will be it is great as accent lighting but not when it is your main source of light under cabinet lighting is super functional especially over your working areas as cabin tend to block overhead lights if you're working with a custom cabinet maker ask for them to make the bottom of your Cabinetry flush with the undercounter lighting for optimal Effectiveness there are quite a few material choices that people regret in kitens we already went over po Styles and soft woods but one of the most common regret is choosing marble counter tops or backsplashes marbling a kitchen isn't necessarily a mistake you do see it used all over Pinterest and in design magazines but the reality is that they only stay looking nice if you don't cook much or maintain it very diligently I think what a lot of people don't realize is that staining isn't the main issue with marble etching is etching occurs when acidic substances like lemon juice or vinegar or even some cleaning products come into contact with the marble surface causing a chemical reaction that leaves dull spots and marks is particularly noticeable on polished marble and can be removed without professional help that is why I encourage you to think hard about the use case of your your kitchen before choosing a material like marble if you like to cook drink red wine use lemon in your meals or have kids that like to do coloring while seated at your kitchen island marel may not be the best choice for you but if hardly anyone ever goes into or uses the kitchen or perhaps you have the extra cash to spare then marble may be a suitable option my point here is not let anyone influence your decision but rather to look internally and properly assess the pros and cons based on your use case this advice is particularly relevant for smaller kitchens but think twice if you're considering tea handles or one that stick outs on either end like this one for your cabinets while these handles may be sleek and function efficiently in large kitchens they can be very annoying in confined spaces it is not uncommon for clothings like aprons or your pants Pockets to catch on these handles while you walk around the kitchen it is quite frustrating and causes wear and tear on your clothes instead off handles with a low profile design in smaller and narrower kitchens kitchen design can be tricky but now that you're aware of these common regrets and mistakes you'll be on your way to designing a kitchen that will serve you well for years to come if you enjoyed this video be sure to check out this video on low maintenance kitchen and this video on how I organize my kitchen otherwise thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next one

Channel: Reynard Lowell

Views: 20,291

Keywords: Kitchen Design, Interior Design, Interior Decor

Id: g93wADEVCuc

Length: 10min 30sec (630 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 13 2024