Interior Designer Mikel Welch Warns To Avoid This Common Mistake When Designing A New Kitchen

There's no denying a full kitchen remodel is an exciting undertaking, but it's also a big project and sometimes people can get a little ahead of themselves. Before purchasing new cabinets or picking out a trendy kitchen countertop, it's actually important to think about what kind of appliances you want to have. Once you've decided on those, interior designer Mikel Welch says you need to measure out your space accounting for where they'll be placed. According to Welch, if you don't plan your kitchen around your eventual appliances, you'll have to buy ones to fit or you could wind up stuck using the ones you already have, which would downplay the overall effect of your renovation.

Welch worked as a set designer on the show "Trading Spaces" before coming out from behind the scenes to be a contestant on Season 6 of "HGTV's Design Star," and has since made a name for himself not only as a talented interior designer in his own right but also as the design expert on the Netflix series "Hack My Home," so he has a lot of insight when it comes to turning out a new space. He finds not planning around your kitchen appliances first is one of the biggest mistakes DIYers make.

When it comes to renovating a kitchen, interior design expert Mikel Welch told Style By Emily Henderson, "The biggest mistake is thinking all appliance options are 'standard' and forgoing measurements." Suffice it to say that appliances are not one size fits all, so the type of appliances you need and the functions they will perform are critical items to determine before forging ahead with your new proposed layout. Functionality is one of the top reasons people choose to undergo the time and expense of a kitchen renovation, intending to improve upon storage and overall efficiency along the way as well. Therefore, failing to take into account the measurement requirements of the most functional appliance choices for your space will leave your kitchen remodel feeling incomplete as you try to find appliances to fit your available space and not the other way around. Welch calls this "basic kitchen syndrome," which you want to avoid.

"As annoying as it may be," Welch explained, "I like to know what larger appliances I'll be working with before designing the kitchen." Figuring this out after the fact — perhaps even after new cabinets and countertops have been installed — can lead to real disappointment. "Chances are you will find an appliance that you love, but doesn't quite fit your 'standard' measurements. Measure the appliance first, so you can get what you really want and not be a victim of "basic kitchen syndrome."

Your refrigerator is likely one of the most commonly used appliances you'll have to consider. The kind of fridge you'll need will depend on what type of lifestyle you have, how many people are in your household, and the kinds of food you keep. There are six basic types of freestanding refrigerators, plus built-in and counter-depth styles. Even the "standard" or "typical" refrigerator measurements are vastly different and can vary as much as 16 inches in width, 10 inches in height, and 7 inches in depth. If you plan your cabinet layout first, you have to decide exactly how big that fridge gap is, and if it's only 33 inches, you won't get your 36-inch dream fridge in there no matter what you do.

The same goes for stoves and dishwashers. For your range hood, you'll need to know if that's going to be a microwave range hood or a standard hood. Furthermore, Mikel Welch stresses the need to dot your i's and cross your t's concerning all those tiny logistical details, such as where lighting and electrical outlets need to go, as well as your specialty cabinets. All of those decisions will need to come first before you get to daydreaming about which subway tile will look best as your backsplash.