Kitchens are the most popular to renovate. Choosing beautiful finishes and fixtures for your new kitchen is one thing, but if you get the layout wrong, it won’t function as well as you want it to. A kitchen remodel is a great investment, and it pays off by improving function and boosting your home’s value. It’s easy to get wrapped up dreaming about colors, selections, and other design esthetics, but it’s extremely important not to put finishes before a function. When your design is well planned and thought out you can avoid making common kitchen design mistakes. These common mistakes people make when designing and decorating a kitchen.
Countertops
Let’s talk about the countertops, a common design mistake is choosing a countertop that does not meet your functional needs. Think about your lifestyle and the people who live in the home before selecting a countertop. It is a sad fact that some designs look incredible in a showroom or Pinterest but in reality they are not just that compatible with your day-to-day lifestyle. This is especially true for your floors and countertops. Choose a durable and budget friendly porcelain instead, that mimics the look of your favorite marble veining. Love the hardness of granite but want something that requires low maintenance then go for quartz for a modern look with uniform color.
Backsplash
Every kitchen needs a quality kitchen backsplash. They protect walls from wet spills, make it easier to clean up messes from cookers and countertops, and add color patterns in your personalized design of your kitchen. If you choose a tile, make sure you source matching grout that blends in well unless your design intends for high contrast. Be prepared to clean all your grout lines if you specify smaller tiles. If you do not go for the backsplash with full height slab and span the distance between the base cabinet and upper cabinet, you need at least 3 inches of backsplash for easy cleanup.
Finishes
Another common mistake in the list is opting for impractical finishes. Intricate designs carved or even three-dimensional tiles look fabulous in any kind of kitchen but when it comes to cleaning around all those nooks and crannies, it can be very hectic to get all the grease off. For preparation and cooking areas look for durable materials that are easy to wipe down, preferably with the flat or non-textured surface.
Paint
Picking a poor quality paint is a wrong move. You absolutely have to prime the walls before painting or else the heat and humidity in the kitchen will peel that top layer right off. Make sure the product that you choose is resilient to the daily wear and tear that kitchens endure. Use paint that is resistant to grease and will withstand regular washing and wiping. Anything with slight sheen like satin, eggshell or semi-gloss will be a lot easier to wipe down than anything with no shine like flat or matte.
Flooring
Avoid laying down the wrong floors. Kitchen area is a busy, high traffic and wet area so you want to specify a finish that is durable and has an anti-slip finish. Thin and cheap materials can’t bear the weight of heavy appliances so you need to look for something tough. Super smooth tile will be slippery once you spill water on it. Look for waterproof or water resistant resilient flooring. The newer types of engineered wood and laminate all come with a water resistant finish.
Open Shelving
Most common mistake is going on board with open shelving. Open shelves look fabulous in the kitchen especially, if you have some impressive dishware to display. But having a visual access to everything can also look clutter plus your kitchenware will easily get the dust if you don’t use it every day. Include a mixture of open and close doors storage
Cabinets Refacing
Major mistake, overspending on things that you do not see. Before undergoing a kitchen remodel, see if you can reuse anything. Take a look at your base cabinets and see if they are in good shape. Most of the time base cabinets are still structurally sound but the face is a little bit dated or more traditional than what you are going for. In this case, all you need to do is customize new door panels or look for prefabricated doors in the sizes that you need. It will give you a completely new look for the fraction of the cost