Designing your kitchen represents one of the most exciting aspects of your home. If you err during this process, however, your errors may come back to haunt you. Here are six mistakes you don’t want to make when designing your kitchen.
Creating Narrow Space
Image via Flickr by Quickpics.net
Operating in your kitchen workspace requires a lot of maneuverability. You may not even realize just how much movement you need until you find yourself feeling constricted. Narrow walkways artificially constrain you, limiting your movement during food preparation. There is a reason open floorplans are so popular today. Be smart about your kitchen navigation.
Choosing Trendy Designs
Everyone wants to personalize their home to better reflect their sense of style. The problem is that you are unlikely to live in your home forever. When you do try to sell, the next person may not share your design preferences. Even if you do plan to stay in your home for an extended period, there is also a chance that your tastes will evolve over time, leaving you to regret dramatic choices that you once considered bold. A few years from now, you may view them as tacky.
Selecting The Wrong Appliances
Some people spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing upon the colors of their kitchen yet they give little to no thought about the appliances. This is one of the worst design decisions a person can make. Functionality matters more than anything else in your daily living. If you choose an electric stove after years of working with gas ones, you will miss it. Similarly, you may prefer your side-by-side LG refrigerator and regret choosing a top-bottom fridge for aesthetic reasons instead.
Not Planning Out Cabinets
Storage space is something that matters more as you get older, because you acquire more stuff over time. In the beginning, modest cabinet space may suit your needs. Even so, you should anticipate scaling up later in life by including as much cabinetry as you can afford at the time of purchase. Otherwise, you will lose a small fortune discarding skillets, dishes, pots, and pans that are still good that you no longer have the space to host.
Limiting Your Room to Cook
Actual cooking space is one of the most serious issues in your daily life. 78 percent of families cook at home at least five nights a week. Imagine how much aggravation you will face over the next few years if you unnecessarily limit the amount of countertop room for cooking. You should also consider small appliances such as toasters and blenders, plus room required for actions such as cutting board usage as you anticipate cooking space.
Ignoring Professionals
As much as you may want to plan your kitchen yourself, you should still consider hiring a professional. Their experience in the craft enables them to visualize further mistakes you might make before you ever start construction. If nothing else, after you’ve personally performed the design, you should pay a professional to look at the blueprints to offer a second opinion.
Designing your kitchen is fun. It’s also difficult. Follow these six steps to avoid making the errors that can undo all your other great ideas.
