Kitchen Remodeling Mistakes
Kitchen Remodeling Mistakes
Kitchen Design Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
Renovating your kitchen is one of the best things you can do to improve the functionality of your home while also adding significant resale value–if it’s done right!
Unfortunately, there are numerous ways a kitchen remodel can go wrong, especially when it comes to budgeting, changing the kitchen layout, and choosing materials.
Whether you’re committed to a DIY remodel or you’re seeking the help of experts, we’ve outlined the most common kitchen renovation mistakes and the pro kitchen remodel tips to help you avoid them.
As you set out on your new project, steer clear of the following kitchen design mistakes with the help of expert kitchen remodeling tips and advice:
Choosing Materials That Are Hard to Clean or Install
A common mistake in kitchen renovations is choosing materials and items that give you your desired look but end up being hard to install or even harder to keep clean.
Pro Tip
Make smart design and installation choices. For example, click-lock flooring options will be much easier to install than glue-down varieties, especially if you’re doing DIY renovations. Pre-assembled cabinets reduce the time it takes to install them. Glass refrigerator shelves catch spills that would drip right through wire shelves. Undermount or solid piece sinks prevent crumbs from catching in grooves. Matte finishes don’t show dirt as much as glossy ones do.
Too Much Open Shelving
Open shelving is a common design trend that can allow you to display beautiful, coordinated dish sets or serving dishes.
But if every cabinet in your kitchen is open, things can quickly look messy if dishes are put away chaotically by young children or if you end up needing to store food on the shelves when you run out of room in your pantry. Open shelving also causes dishes to collect dust more quickly.
Pro Tip
Consider a mix of traditional cupboards and open shelving. Plan to display your best, most coordinated collections of dishes on open shelves. Put everyday dishware, plastic items, small appliances, and food in your cabinets.
Not Including Enough Electrical Outlets
One of the most frustrating kitchen mistakes is not having enough electrical outlets! Are you the kind of cook who needs to plug in a blender, toaster, griddle, Instapot, and more all at once? Or maybe you just always need an outlet to charge your dying phone as you make your newest online recipe.
Older homes are particularly likely to have fewer outlets than your family needs, so upgrading your electrical outlets will be an important part of your renovation.
Pro Tip
Your electrical outlet plans should start by meeting the standards in the National Electrical Code established by the U.S. National Fire Protection Association. Here are some of the basics: outlets should be no more than 48 inches from each other, any countertop more than 12 inches wide should have an electrical outlet, and outlets should not be more than 20 inches above the countertop except in kitchen islands or when accommodating disabilities.
Electrical codes can be adapted locally, so make sure to find out the exact code requirements when planning your remodel. Following these standards should help you have enough outlets for everything you need. Consider installing four plug-ins at each electrical port instead of just two. You can also find outlet configurations that have built-in USB ports for phone chargers.