12 Common Mistakes in Kitchen Renovation you need to know​

A kitchen is perhaps the area of the house that is used the most.

“The heart of the home”

This is why having a comfortable and functional kitchen in their homes is a #1 priority for everyone.

When you are considering a kitchen renovation, it is essential to have a both functional and updated space as a goal.  

Each year new designs, latest technologies, and innovation change the way kitchens operate.

In addition, a kitchen gets more wear and tear than any other area of your house, from smoke, oil, stains, water damage, and a lot more, which can eventually lead to the need for some renovation.

When the time comes, you might need to consider some common mistakes people make while updating their kitchen design.

Many people don’t consider some of these most common mistakes and that can severely impact the results on your kitchen as a functional space.

Here are some essential tips to keep in mind and mistakes to avoid when renovating your kitchen.

1. Non-functional Kitchen Island

Every modern kitchen has an island; however, the question here is, how functional your island really is?

Most Islands are space-consuming blobs in the middle, when they are essentially supposed to be the most multi-functional feature within a kitchen.

However, if not designed right, it can be a major inconvenience.

Not only does an island take a lot of space, but it will also serve no purpose if it is not designed in the right way.

The goal is not only to make it luxurious and modern but to add touches that make it a useful component in your workspace.

Try adding a farmers sink within your island with extra storage space at the bottom.

This can help to create a space for you to wash your groceries as soon as they come in and can also serve as concealed storage space for pots and pans.

You can also use it to make your garbage disposal or dishwashing area separated from your other counters, so that the area is clean and maintained regularly.

2. Narrow Kitchen Aisles

One of the most common mistakes in kitchen renovation is not focusing on Aisles. Many people forget about how wide or narrow a kitchen aisle should be, even when it is the core walkthrough of your kitchen.

An aisle should never be too tight and narrow. You often carry large trays of food and drinks, trolleys and even have to transport heavier appliances, and an aisle should cater to these needs without serving you any trouble.

One of the most important features of luxury kitchens is wider aisle spaces that allow free movement, transport, and multiple people to walk in and out of the kitchen without any trouble. One rule to always remember: The wider the aisles, the more convenient and functional space is for you to operate in.

3. Not planning for storage

Storage planning is always a must for kitchen renovation!

A kitchen is perhaps one of the areas in the house that needs to be best equipped for all kinds of storage.

For food, you require a pantry; for dry food and spices, you need open organization fixtures; for utensils and cutlery, you require cabinets!

It is important to not only make storage spaces, but to make some that are easy for you to use and maintain.

A lack of clean and concealed storage spaces is what can ruin a kitchens look. Nobody likes dishes, pots, pans out in the open, and this is often a result of not planning for appropriate storage.

Modern kitchen designs incorporate concealed spaces for storage of all kinds of goods, you need to have a functioning pantry, a place for dishes, small appliances and a place to store all your cooking essentials.

 4. Small dining tables

It is important to consider the days when your house might be full.

You might have a kitchen that caters perfectly to you and your family of four, but does it serve the same purpose when you have friends or family over?

On most days, your kitchen can easily cater to your needs, but on some events and parties, you may be short on space, that can easily be solved with some pre-planning and organization.

Most people add dinner tables as an extension of their kitchen. It allows seating space, and you can also host events from time to time.

However, it is important to keep in mind space and aesthetics before making that decision.

Some spaces require dinner tables, so there are no empty spaces surrounding the kitchen. It is also important to pick out a size that not only serves you but your friends and family as well (Extendable tables can work very well for this purpose).

The layout should not make the space too compact once a few people are over. So always plan for a little more than what your family needs.

5. Impulsive decisions

It is vital to think out what you plan to do with your kitchen space before implementing the changes. Capture some inspiration, talk to a professional, and know your options thoroughly!

The overwhelming amount of options for materials, colors, themes, and technology that are available can make it quite tough to make a decision, but a well-throughout choice is always better than an impulsive design choice.

Often a piece of furniture, the color of the counter, or any other minor detail can ruin the ambiance as well as the functionality of your kitchen.

It is a wise decision to sit down with a professional and go over your floor plan, making changes in the most problematic areas of your kitchen and working upwards.

6. Contradicting Colors and themes

Contradicting colors and themes can really put you off from a kitchen, also since it’s one of the most used spaces in a house, it should always have a comfortable aura around it.

There are many materials within a kitchen that need to be coherent. Metals, wooden textures, tiles, marbles, while these all may be different, they need to have a factor that ties them together.

This is why a picturesque contemporary kitchen is a result of thorough decision process and some professional help.

People often make the mistake of picking colors according to their Pinterest inspiration, but those colors and themes might not always fit the space you are working with.

7. Tight workflow space

A tight workflow space can ruin how a kitchen operates on a day to day basis. It leads to more clutter, mess, and a lot more cleaning. 

Pro tip: The more workflow space, the more you are likely to manage your kitchen work easily.

Especially focusing on the core of your kitchen, space should never be cramped with furniture and appliances. Space is not always the issue, but often the placement of your essential components. 

The stove, for example, should not be crowded with other appliances nearby.

In addition, separate counter space for cutting, washing, and cleaning can really help with managing your time and resources.

8. Sacrificing on counter space

Many people make smaller counters to have a more open working space, but that ideal contradicts itself! 

An open working space involves a larger counter space for you to work with.

Many people choose to sacrifice counter spaces, and when their appliances come in, then a toaster, mixer, and juicer can easily take up loads of space, giving you less room to work with and making the kitchen look cluttered.

This can easily make things messy and make your organization harder each time you work in the kitchen. 

Larger countertops contribute towards a functional workspace and keep your kitchen looking neat even after you use it throughout the day.

9. Make your kitchen a part of your home

Many people forget that a kitchen is not an independent space of its own, but an extension to your living space. 

Make sure that the other areas of the house are not affected by the way you design your kitchen.

Often people go for front-open kitchens, but the smoke, oil, and other smells from your kitchen can travel to other living spaces, making it uncomfortable each time the kitchen is used.

Make sure your kitchen is fully equipped for exhausts, window placements, hobs, and other ways to aerate the place when needed. 

10. Think of your appliances

People often think of appliances as the finishing touch to the kitchen. Once everything is built, it is considered a time to fit in the appliances.

However, it is actually the exact opposite. Kitchens are built around your core appliances. There needs to be a dedicated space for your microwave, ovens, mixers, toasters, dishwashers, and more.

This way, nothing looks forced in, and everything falls into place seamlessly when the kitchen is finished.

This is one of the most common kitchen renovation mistakes to this date. It is recommended to sit with a professional and consider all the potential appliances you plan to have in the kitchen, as well as the specifications of each one.

This way, you can dedicate a space to them, without having to make one once the kitchen is finished.

11. Kitchen tiling and walls

Tiling and walls are an essential component when it comes to luxury kitchens.  People often go with gorgeous marbles, Turkish tiling, accents of wood, and gold to make the place appear homier.

However, a problem that you might encounter later is that these materials can take a lot of damage when it comes to heat, smoke, oil accumulation, and other common things within a kitchen.

Make sure that the surfaces you use are easy to clean at the end of the day. Tiles are recommended since they don’t hoard stains as bad as other materials.

In addition, wooden panels and accents should not be near the core working space as they can easily show signs of water damage.

Lastly, the walls should have a cool tone color, which will take its time to fade and will not turn yellow as soon as you start using your kitchen.

Warm colors can turn yellow after some time and make your kitchen look aged. Cool tone colors help establish a brighter and wider space and cancel out the effect of smoke and heat on the walls to a great extent.

12. Underutilization of space

Empty spaces might look great in your living room or even a bedroom, but it seems out of place in a kitchen. Make sure you never make the mistake of underutilizing spaces when renovating your kitchen.

If you are aiming for a contemporary kitchen, then a wise idea would be to have a copy of the floor map. This allows you to aerially allocated spaces to islands, counters, aisles, cabinets, sinks, appliances, and much more.

A perfectly placed map will give you enough room to work in the kitchen and also not have any empty spaces.

You don’t need to overpopulate the kitchen with unnecessary fixtures, but you can certainly design it in a way that the space looks coherent and functional.

Forgetting to think in 3D

A common mistake people make during renovation is to take into account the size of things. While planning things and laying them out on a map can help with design and placement, it can often lead to trouble when things happen in 3D.

Like your refrigerator might protrude from a certain line, or your stovetop might have a higher length than your countertop. It is important to take all these tiny measurements into consideration, so you don’t have to rearrange things all over again.

Another wise idea would be to take into account the measurements of your appliances when deciding the length and width of your countertops, cabinets, and other major components of the kitchen.

Call (954)740-2196 to renovate Your Kitchen Today!

Renovating your kitchen is, no doubt, a tedious task. It is not easy without the right kind of help, which is why professional help is not a bad idea.

If you are located in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or Palm Beach, then your search for a professional service for a kitchen renovation can end here.

You have the option to refer to the free consultation by Wood and art! 

With 18 years of experience in kitchen spaces, after helping hundreds of families create their works of art kitchens. 

We have a proven system to create kitchen solutions that are functional enough to fit your needs and also will impress everyone because of its uniqueness and high quality finish. 

Our excellent craftsmanship can help you create your dream modern kitchen.

FAQs

There are several excellent wood species that can be used for custom kitchen cabinets, including maple, cherry, oak, hickory, and walnut. These woods are all strong, durable, and offer unique grains and textures that can enhance the overall look of your kitchen.

Of the woods commonly used for custom kitchen cabinets, maple is considered one of the most durable. It has a tight grain and is resistant to scratches and dents, making it an excellent choice for busy kitchens where cabinets are likely to see a lot of wear and tear.

While pine and cedar can be used for custom kitchen cabinets, they are not typically the best choice. These softwoods are more prone to dents, scratches, and other damage, and may not hold up as well over time. If you do choose to use softwoods, it’s important to select a high-quality grade and ensure they are properly sealed and finished to help protect them.

 

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