You want the kitchen of your dreams, but some common mistakes in kitchen design could ruin everything. Don’t let this happen to you.
It’s easy to avoid mistakes and create a kitchen you’ll love to use. Whether it’s large or small, the right design can completely transform the space into something perfect for your needs.
The best part about these common mistakes is they have easy solutions as well. If you get it right the first time, you can go years without remodeling and still have a kitchen you enjoy.
1. Limiting Your Space
It’s far too easy to try and cram too much into too small of a space. This is obviously more of an issue for smaller kitchens. Instead of just trying to fit everything and having no room to move, get creative with the kitchen design. For example, skip a dining room table and have a slide-out table under the counter of a small kitchen island. You get extra storage and counter space with the island. Sit a few chairs near the island or even have foldup chairs nearby. Then, slide out the tabletop, grab the chairs and enjoy.
Use simple hacks to make the most of your space. Suddenly, a smaller kitchen has ample space.
2. Using Cheap Materials
Saving money is great, but not if you have to keep replacing broken kitchen cabinets, sagging shelves and water-logged doors. One of the worst mistakes in kitchen design is sacrificing quality to save a little. There are cost-saving options available. However, custom hardwood cabinets will far outlast cheaper pre-fabricated cabinets, meaning you’ll have a kitchen that lasts decades versus 5-10 years. The same goes for cheap fixtures that fall apart in no time, such as sinks and lighting.
3. Using The Wrong Colors
The wrong colors can make your kitchen look much smaller and dreary. Of course, going with a stark white makes your kitchen seem like it’s unusable. Instead, go with a blend of shades. Using a brighter floor and countertop along with darker cabinets works well and vice versa. The idea is to make your kitchen look welcoming.
4. Opting For Too Much Open Shelving
Open shelving is one of the top mistakes in kitchen design. A little goes a long way, but many people make the mistake of getting carried away. If some look good, why not skip cabinets and stick with open shelving? The problem is your kitchen will quickly look cluttered, things fall off the shelves and it’s difficult to keep everything clean. It’s much better to put most of your dishes and cookware in closed cabinets. Leave open shelving for decorative items or a few items you use all the time.
5. Cabinets/Drawers That Open Into Each Other
Sometimes your kitchen design gets away from you and it’s not until everything is finished that you realize opening doors and drawers is like a strange puzzle. Often times, this happens due to poor measurements or using cheaply built pre-made cabinets that open at weird angles. It also happens when corner cabinets aren’t carefully done and end up not opening without scraping against surrounding cabinets.
6. Restricting Lighting
Your kitchen needs to be one of the most well-lit rooms in your home. It also needs a variety of lighting. However, many kitchen designs make the mistake of restricting lighting. Cabinets may cast large shadows or block light entirely in some areas. Ensure lighting is placed so it lights the entire kitchen. Also, ensure there is ample space for under cabinet lighting around your stove.
7. Not Making It Your Kitchen
Trends are wonderful and give you ideas to update your kitchen, but don’t become a slave to trends or even classics. Incorporate trends if you like them, but don’t just use them to be stylish or for resale value years down the road. Remember, trends change, so you don’t want to be stuck with something that you hate and that’ll be outdated in a few years.
Instead, make your kitchen your own. It’s your space, so make it look like it. Use the colors you like and the design that works best for your needs.
8. Limiting Storage Space
Out of all the mistakes in kitchen design, limiting storage space is the worst. For instance, if you need more space, why only have bottom cabinets? Build cabinets above your counters too. Also, use as much vertical space as possible versus leaving large gaps between the ceiling and cabinets. This is lost storage space. You don’t have to just stick with standard cabinets. Gain more space by having custom cabinets built for your needs, such as more drawers or a tall pantry versus sectioned cabinets in one area. We have some great ideas for making the most of your space.
Kick kitchen design mistakes to the curb and prevent many of them with custom-built kitchen cabinets. Contact Edgewood Cabinetry today to make your dream kitchen come to life.
