Kitchen Renovation Mistakes To Avoid Making

Kitchens are challenging to decorate and plan because so much of our everyday life happens in the kitchen. While it might feel like there is never enough space for everything, if we only focus on functionality, we might forget beauty. As interior designer Jacqui Hargrove told Reader's Digest, "The biggest mistake people make at the planning stage is not allowing for enough storage. Use every nook and cranny. Put overhead cabinets right up to the ceiling, rather than leaving a gap on top that collects dust."

If you cannot extend your cabinets, there are plenty of ways to use every ounce of spare space in your kitchen. For example, you can add shelving under counters or on kitchen islands (via Sabrina's Organizing). You can also use closet organizers to clean up drawers and lower cabinets with no shelves. Additionally, you can purchase a Lazy Susan separately and screw it into existing corner cabinets. This tip allows you to use the entire corner without having awkward or unused space.

In today's modern kitchen, there's often not enough workspace. A big reason for this is because our appliances have gotten larger, leaving little room for counter space. The Atlantic reports that Americans, with an average volume of 17½ cubic feet, have the largest refrigerators in the world.

Depending on your budget, you may not be able to add extra workspace or expand the size of your kitchen. Smaller u-shaped kitchens rarely have room for an island or counter expansion. One great way to get more workspace is to build storage for small appliances that may otherwise sit on the counter or create a specialized coffee bar where you can house your coffee maker without taking kitchen space. You can achieve this by placing an additional cabinet or sideboard near the kitchen or in awkward corners (via Stow&TellU). Another great way to get more space is to fake a kitchen island using a cart that can be pulled away or tucked into a faux counter cubby.

It's tempting to design a beautiful kitchen and forget about functionality, especially if you have an open floor plan and the kitchen is visible from virtually every other room. However, this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when planning a kitchen renovation. For example, open shelving cabinetry can be beautiful and trendy, but it may not be practical for your life. Installing marble countertops is a great way to work elegance into the space. However, if you have small children, maintenance can be a hassle. Concrete countertops may work better for your lifestyle.

Caroline on Design recommends designing a kitchen based on how you'll use the kitchen. For example, using an awkward side cabinet to hold a roll-out trash can is a great way to use dead space, and it allows you to place the trashcan near the prep area, making cleaning up a breeze. Additionally, drawers may not be trendy at the current moment, but they allow for a lot of space. Instead of installing traditional cabinets that are builder grade or look trendy, opt for large drawers or built-in freezer drawers to increase the kitchen's functionality.

Nothing is worse than buying beautiful stainless steel appliances that match, only to discover your cabinets take up too much or not enough space. Many homeowners run into this issue while replacing refrigerators, finding that newer models are slimmer and taller than the builder units.

HGTV suggests figuring out what layout you want before purchasing new appliances for your remodel. While most designers will tell you that there's no perfect layout, there is a layout fit for your unique lifestyle. Opt for an L-shaped kitchen if you want the kitchen to be the home's gathering place. This design provides more space and flows well with open floor plans (via Civic Concepts).

Once you choose your layout, it's time to pick your appliances. Cooktops feature different options for performance, efficiency, and aesthetics. Additionally, you need to determine factors like ovens, the type of cooking you do, range hoods, and if you want them to be statement pieces or focus on their functionality. The same goes for sinks and their trends. While deep under-mount sinks are popular, they're not the most accessible for everyone. While materials like stainless steel are durable, they also require more maintenance than cast iron or fiberglass. After you've decided on appliances, you can build your kitchen around these units instead of confining yourself to builder-grade-sized items.

Kitchens are known for those awkward corners where nothing can seemingly fit, especially builder-grade kitchens. According to La Maison Jolie, in interior design, dead space refers to the area where nothing is happening, either because it's too small to function or because a design doesn't utilize the entire room. Dead space in a kitchen occurs between refrigerators, in corners, under sinks, and around cabinets.

To make the most of dead space, you can install narrow cabinets on a cupboard to house spices and small pantry goods. Wine racks can go in the space left by a fridge (via Farm Food Family). Dead space can function as a separate baking area, beverage station, or a coffee bar (via StyleBlueprint). You can store flour in beautiful glass jars to display on an awkward corner or layer coffee pods and a coffee machine in the weird crevice between the fridge and the stove.

A common issue when furnishing kitchens is picking pieces of the proper size. Unlike the rest of the house, you can't work around over or undersized items in a kitchen. Scale is essential in a kitchen's design and overall functionality.

For example, according to Popular Mechanics, bar stools should be a little higher than your kitchen counter. Depending on your counter or kitchen island, you may have to get custom-made ones or seek out a specialty size. Instead of having a kitchen table and a breakfast island, utilize your space and keep scale by building a kitchen table into the island (via Homedit). To avoid making scale mistakes, focus on designing around zones instead of statement pieces. For example, instead of having an oversized coffee machine that takes up most of your counter, pick a zone for coffee and design within the constraints of that zone.

Almost every interior designer will tell you that lighting is an essential kitchen detail that you should not ignore. In a kitchen, great lighting looks beautiful and helps illuminate the workspace and brighten the room. According to YLighting, layering the light sources in your kitchen allows for smooth transitions from daytime to night and helps a room serve several purposes. For example, a kitchen island may function as a workspace by day but convert into an entertainment center at night. Layered lighting allows you to transition with ease and control the ambiance in the room.

To properly layer your kitchen lights, start by considering your overhead lighting. Is it something you want to change, or are you working around the existing unit? While flush mount lights are popular, especially in builder-grade kitchens, pendants are ideal for homes with an island (via Rejuvenation). This lighting style lets you work safely in the kitchen and illuminates parts of the room you frequently use. Think of your overhead lighting as your primary lighting source. Next, make sure your kitchen sink is well-lit. By day this is commonly achieved by using a window, but you may want a LED strip or overhead light nearby at night.

According to Quartz, the standard height of kitchen countertops comes from the average size of housewives in the 1940s. Even though kitchens have evolved and there are more chefs in the kitchen, these uniform standards remain in most homes today.

The average kitchen counter height is 36 inches tall (via Caesarstone). When designing or renovating their home, many people choose to have their interior designer raise or lower counters to match their specific height. This customization allows the kitchen to fit its individual owner perfectly. Kitchen counters can also adjust to become accessible for people with disabilities. For example, counters should be 34 inches tall to pair with wheelchairs. Commercial applications need to adhere to ADA guidelines. These guidelines set a standard for how high counters and other surfaces should be. In residential applications, these rules don't apply. However, landlords have to make reasonable accommodations for their tenants if requested (via ADA National Network).