Mistakes to Avoid in Kitchen Design

Beautiful countertops and sparkling light fixtures aren’t the only things to consider while designing a kitchen. If it doesn’t meet your needs, it doesn’t meet one of the most critical criteria for kitchen functionality.

Following a few simple space planning rules will help you avoid common kitchen design blunders.

1. Not enough Counter Space

You need adequate space on kitchen countertops to hold your dishes appliances and prepare meals. Sinks should also have countertop space to carry or dry dishes. Think about how you use the kitchen and how to create multiple workspaces.

To get the most out of your kitchen, it’s best to have counter space on both sides of the stove. Having adequate counter space next to the oven is a minimum need so that you can set a big roast or turkey down when it has finished cooking.

If you have a lot of people in your household who assist prepare food, sorting goods after a trip to the store or doing schoolwork after school, you’ll need more counter space than you think.

2. Not enough Storage

Underestimating storage space in your kitchen is one of the most common design blunders. To avoid walking to another room to acquire the stuff you need, make sure you have enough cabinets for storing cookware, plates, and small appliances. You can reach the ceiling in certain circumstances by installing cabinets. You can use these higher kitchen cabinets to store things you don’t use often. Installing a kitchen pantry in addition to cabinets will boost your storage space.

3. No plan for Trash Management

It’s not just about the trash can anymore, especially in urban areas like Florida, where recycling and composting are now viable options for waste disposal. However, a typical blunder is neglecting to include waste management in the kitchen design. As a result, there are several space-saving choices nowadays. Specially built storage solutions, such as cabinets and drawers, are available. Many of them are skillfully concealed!

So that you don’t have to sort them later, you’ll need a suitable location to store them. Ideally, the garbage station should be located near an outdoor entrance so that it is simple to remove the trash when the time comes. When it comes to cooking, containers and waste are easy to remove.

4. Not enough Lighting

You should have three types of Lighting – general, task, and accent lighting. General Lighting, such as recessed lights, provides overall illumination. Task lights such as pendants or track lights highlight your prep zones, and under the cabinet or in-cabinet lights provide accents.

You’ll be cutting and utilizing heat, so proper illumination is required. When cleaning, you’ll want to use a lot of bright light to make sure you can see everything. For example, ambient light (such as that provided by recessed Lighting) is necessary if your kitchen doubles as a gathering place or has an eating area. Dimmer switches are a practical choice since they allow you to have strong light when you need it and soft light when you want it.

Finally, it’s a waste to ignore Lighting from a design standpoint. Accent lighting, for example, may draw attention to any piece of art in a space, while pendant lights can define a room’s aesthetic. To create the illusion of more space, add lots of light to the room. If you have high-gloss cabinetry that reflects light, this method works well.

5. Too big Island on Available Space

Kitchen islands are a terrific way to add storage, seating, more countertop space for food preparation, and even a place to put an appliance. However, if it is too huge, it will get in the way as you move around the working triangle.

Installing an island that is too large is one of the most common kitchen island mistakes to avoid. Consider high-traffic areas and available floor space when planning your dream kitchen. Also, consider cleanup: will you have to walk around the island to clear it up, and will this be an issue?

6. Inadequate Ventilation

Some low-cost range hoods filter and recycle the air instead of ejecting it. To acquire a system that uses a duct to suck the air out of the house. This is especially crucial for gas cooktops, which require a proper ventilation for health and safety reasons. You’ll understand why I’m telling you this if you’ve ever smelled fried food in your house the day after you prepared it! If your kitchen is open to the rest of the home, you’ll need a range hood that vents outside.

Excess heat created by the stove can also raise the general room temperature, making your refrigerator and, in warmer months, your air conditioning work harder than they need to, costing you money.

7. Getting the Wrong Kitchen Furniture

The furniture you choose for the area will complement your kitchen design style and help to create a unified appearance across the space.

Will you use stainless steel equipment or timeless panels that match the woodwork to cover your refrigerator? What are the best seats for your breakfast bar and eating area on your kitchen island? Consider upholstered furniture if you want to create a warm atmosphere. Do you wish to add a vintage touch to your room? Retro chrome swivel stools could be just the thing.

If you’re not sure what type of kitchen design you want, look through kitchen design galleries for ideas or contact a designer who can help you design your dream kitchen.

8. Not enough Outlets for the Appliances you need

Most of us can’t imagine life without a coffee maker, toaster, or food processor in the kitchen, and our mobile devices must always be within reach! When it comes to kitchen design, please list the equipment you use daily and share it with your designer—increasing the adaptability of the area by adding outlets to the end panel of base cabinets (or your kitchen island) and strategically placing others along the walls.

9. Ignoring the work triangle

Your stove, sink, and refrigerator are the three points in your kitchen work triangle. There should be a four-to-nine-foot gap between each point. You should not place appliances, cupboards, and garbage cans in the path of the triangle.

10. Placements of Counters, Appliance & Furniture

While planning a smart kitchen layout, something else needs to be considered, aside from constructing a work triangle with optimum dimensions.
You should arrange kitchen furnishings to streamline all operations—select cabinets with features such as fully extensible drawers to ensure that everything is within reach.

Read More: Different types of kitchen cabinets.