Avoid These 10 Common Kitchen Remodeling Mistakes

Don’t spend your time and money on a kitchen remodel only to find that you’ve made costly mistakes. Our designers have put together a list of 10 common mistakes that keep homeowners from realizing the remodeled kitchen of their dreams.

Prioritizing Form Over Function

Of course, you want your kitchen to look beautiful. But if you focus more on how things look rather than how they function, you’ll pay the price later. For example, if you plan to put your refrigerator out of reach of your food prep area because you like the look of the layout, it will become an inconvenience later when cooking. Kitchen design should be a balance of form and function.

Homemade Home Improvement

Home improvement shows make it look easy to DIY your kitchen makeover. In reality, unless you are an experienced contractor, DIY is costly, time-consuming, and can result in mistakes and do-overs due to lack of experience. A full kitchen remodel includes plumbing, electrical, and other skills that are best left to professionals. Choosing a company with experience and expertise in kitchens will ultimately save you time, money, and headaches.

Light on Lighting

Don’t take lighting for granted in your kitchen. Appropriately placed light sources, including windows for natural light, are critical for the room. Consider not only an overhead light source to illuminate the room, but also lighting dedicated to task and food prep areas. You may want accent lighting over or under cabinets that can enhance the new details of your kitchen.

And don’t forget the benefits of natural light. In addition to boosting your mood and productivity, natural light enhances your kitchen’s aesthetics and can decrease your electric bills.

Breaking the Budget

Before you even begin your kitchen remodeling project, you must make a budget. Take into account your home value, local real estate prices, your financial situation, and what your goals are for the space. Keep in mind that there may be expenses that you cannot account for in advance, so have a plan in place for the unexpected.

Once you’ve decided what you can afford to spend, beware of going over budget and putting yourself in a difficult financial situation.

Overlooking Electrical Outlets

When planning your kitchen layout, make sure there are adequate outlets for all of your kitchen needs. Do you need to plug in a toaster, can opener, mixer, phone charging station, and a food processor? Your kitchen contractor can install extra outlets on a kitchen island or inside a drawer to make sure you have all the power you need.

Bypass Backsplashes

A tile backsplash on the wall behind your stove top isn’t just decoration. A backsplash keeps splashes of oil and other food from staining your walls during cooking. Backsplashes are much easier to clean than a painted or wallpapered wall.

Too Much Metal

Do you love stainless steel appliances? That’s great! Just remember that in addition to your stove, fridge, and dishwasher, you may be adding a microwave, toaster, espresso maker, and other appliances that come in metallics. Beware of making your kitchen feel too sterile with an overdose of metal. Add in some color with your small appliances or range hood to give your kitchen some warmth.

Overdoing Open Shelving

HGTV remodeling shows are all in for the open shelving trend. It really looks amazing in those perfect kitchens with gorgeous dishes all neatly stacked. In reality, most of us have mismatched dishes and mugs that aren’t meant to be on display. If you love the open shelf look, use them to display plants, decorations, china, or other items that are made for public viewing.

Finding the right cabinets will enhance your kitchen storage and keep that mug you bought on vacation hidden.

Tripping on Trash

Every kitchen needs a trash can. Where will it go in your new kitchen? If you don’t have room in one of your cabinets, look for a convenient place to place your covered waste bin that will look good and flow with the design of the kitchen.

Slacking on Storage

The biggest complaint we hear about people’s kitchens is that they don’t have enough kitchen and counter space — and that they don’t have room for more. A kitchen designer has all kinds of tips and tricks to make optimal use of your space for storage as well as food prep. Don’t assume you can’t add to what you have now.

 

As designers at Kitchens by Oaks, we will help you navigate through the kitchen remodeling process. Together, we can create the kitchen you want with the features you need. Just call 585-349-8100 to get started.