The kitchen is an integral part of any household and serves many functions. It’s where memories are created, meals are prepared and shared with loved ones, and families come together.
A well-designed kitchen can improve efficiency and convenience when cooking, making it necessary for any household. Furthermore, cooking and baking become art forms in the kitchen; new recipes and flavors can be discovered and enjoyed.
Families gather around the kitchen table to bond and pass down recipes from generation to generation. Not only that, but a kitchen also adds value to a home – making it an important space to invest in when renovating or selling property.
Kitchen Re-modelling Mistakes
Kitchens play a vital role in people’s daily lives by bringing people together through food, creativity, and tradition.
When remodeling your kitchen, there are numerous factors and details you need to keep in mind to make sure your kitchen is as practical as possible and turns out nice.
These are 16 common mistakes people tend to make when remodeling a kitchen and how to avoid them.
#1. Blocking thoroughfares
When designing your kitchen, you first need to consider the entire floor plan of the property you live on. In some cases, the kitchen is a thoroughfare to other rooms in the house, so you must prioritize easy access.
For instance, if your galley space is narrow, place your cabinetry so that it won’t impede the passage in the room.
One of the best options you could go for is installing sliding pocket doors that recess into the wall. These will take up little space and make it easier for you to move around.
#2. Laying the wrong flooring
The kitchen is the busiest and most high-traffic area in the house. People are constantly walking through the kitchen, and it’s rarely empty.
That is why you need to install the type of flooring that is tough to wear. Having an anti-slip finish is also a great bonus.
Avoid using thin and cheap materials because they are not very durable. It’s much better to invest a bit more money into this, but make sure that the flooring lasts longer.
Related: How You Can Decorate Your Kitchen
#3. Forgetting a splashback
People need to pay more attention to the importance of a high-quality kitchen splashback. These splashbacks protect your walls and deflect any mess you make while cooking.
This feature is simply something they need. However, they soon realized they could’ve saved much money by protecting their walls on time.
#4. Not knocking through
Before you start your remodeling project, take a good look at your property’s layout. Consider the position of the kitchen in your house.
Is it flanked by a living room or a small dining room that you barely use? If the second one is the case, you can knock through the wall and create a large, open-space room that will look welcoming and luxurious in your house.
However, get professional advice before doing anything to avoid accidentally knocking down structural walls.
#5. Missing out on the cooker hood
Remember to include ventilation if you choose an open-space concept for your kitchen. It is a very important factor that must be addressed.
So, ensure the cooker hood includes an extractor fan and prevents stale odors in your home. You can get two types: a ducted extractor and a ductless design.
#6. Neglecting your home’s character
Yes, rebuilding the kitchen is all about improving the practicality of the kitchen to make it more accessible and easier to use.
However, you surely also want to change the way your kitchen looks. You will likely be introducing some changes to the design as well.
So, ensure that your design fits well with the rest of the house’s character and theme. This is especially important for an open-space concept. You want to create unity and design flow through the whole house.
#7. Insisting on a kitchen island
This is one of the most common features in all kitchens nowadays. Not only does a kitchen island look extra luxurious and fancy in big kitchens, but it also has a practical side to it.
It will help you move around the kitchen faster and easier as you prepare your daily meals. However, only go for a kitchen island if your kitchen is large. It will only make your kitchen look even smaller and more cramped.
#8. Picking poor-quality paint
Painting the walls can be the most exciting when remodeling the kitchen. Make sure to pick just any paint. It would be best if you made sure that the paint you use is high-quality.
This is something that will stick directly to the walls. You want good quality paint to protect your walls. Plus, you want a color that will last a long time before you do a paint job again.
#9. Squeezing into a dining spot
If your kitchen is small, don’t make the mistake of trying to fit a full-sized dining spot at all costs. It will end up blocking your way, and your kitchen will be a mess when more people are simultaneously in the kitchen.
Instead, you can go for a more snug eating space and add some stools that can easily be put away under the tabletop when you are not using it.
#10. Cluttering up surfaces
When planning what the design of your worktops will be, make sure to also think about what you will be placed on them. If you have tons of stuff to place on top of them, find a way to make the space less cluttered.
You can add hanging rails or open shelves above the worktop. That way, you will keep the surface as tidy as possible.
#11. Choosing the wrong window treatments
Yes, having many windows in any room can make the space bigger, but too many windows in the kitchen can create problems. Too much sunlight can be a problem in an area with constantly high temperatures.
Plus, you may also want some privacy from your neighbors while cooking. You can get adjustable roller blinds if you have too many large windows.
#12. Not making room for rubbish
Remember to include disposal for rubbish in your kitchen. The best option is a built-in bin in your cabinetry. It will keep away unpleasant smells from the rest of the kitchen and take up less space in your kitchen.
#13. Forgetting to check the water pipes
In getting the kitchen remodeled, people need to remember to do routine check-ups on their water pipes in the kitchen. This is a huge mistake.
Firstly, you want to ensure that your pipes are working properly and that there is nothing wrong with your kitchen tap water.
Plus, you want to ensure there aren’t any damages and prevent the ones that may arise.
No matter where in Australia you live, getting a routine check-up from professionals like Canberra plumbers is of great importance for your kitchen.
#14. Departing from the triangle
If you poorly plan your kitchen workflow, you can end up stuck with a very impractical kitchen that will make cooking a living hell.
To ensure you avoid this mess, you need to position your cooker, fridge, and sink within your reach to make it easier to get everything done in one go.
Try to place these parts at most three feet apart from one another. The arrangement you put these in can greatly determine how practical your kitchen will be.
#15. Leaving the lighting to last
The lighting you choose for the kitchen is far more important than the lighting in any other room in your house. It would be best if you made sure that the lighting is well-planned, long-lasting, and high-quality.
You will use this space for cooking meals at least two or three times a day. You must ensure that you have proper lighting to help you see what you are doing.
#16. Choosing furniture that doesn’t fit
Lastly, if you put some additional furniture in the kitchen, you must measure your space and carefully pick the furniture.
Even if a certain piece of furniture fits, it does not mean it’s a good choice for your kitchen. Even though it may barely fit in the room, it will make your kitchen feel small and cramped if it’s still too big for the space.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are tons of small details and bigger factors that people need to remember to think about when remodeling their kitchen.
These are some of the most important ones you should remember when giving your kitchen a makeover.
