There are certain kitchen mistakes that seem to be rather common, so much so, you may think they aren’t mistakes!
However, today I want to unpack my list of 4 common kitchen design mistakes and what you should do instead.
Here is my list of design mistakes:
Picking cabinet colors first
Matching your backsplash to your counters
Choosing the wrong hardware
The intruding refrigerator/appliance
Let’s get cooking!
Mistake #1: Picking Cabinet Colors First
Like many things in life we tend to do things in order of operation. For anyone remodeling a kitchen with a contractor, you know that after demolition and a blank slate, you are often going to install floors and/or cabinets first.
Mistakenly we think that because the contractor installs these items first we need to make these selections before anything else.
Not so.
As someone that has committed this mistake myself, I can tell you from personal experience you are then limited on all of your subsequent choices. No bueno.
Considering the fact that paint is one of those selections that has thousands of options, you really want to always start with selecting the item that has the fewest choices available.
Instead of choosing your cabinets first, choose your countertops!
Countertop selection will often start by identifying the material: granite, marble, quartz, quartzite, etc. and from there you will select items often based on your budget.
Your budget will then create another limit on what is available and sometimes it may result in just 10 options to choose from!
Furthermore, you may have your heart set on light counters and of those 10 options only 5-6 may be close to what you envision.
Do yourself a HUGE favor and don’t pick your cabinet color before choosing your countertops.
Mistake #2: Matching Your Backsplash to Your Counters
Now, let me be clear. I am not suggesting to not consider how your backsplash will look next to your counters, but rather I am saying this is NOT the most important factor.
You actually want to select a backsplash based on how it looks next to your wall cabinets and any drywall or adjacent items.
Allow me to demonstrate.
In the kitchen above you can see we have a dark counter and a dark backsplash with stark white cabinets. Visually the kitchen is cut into two and I would argue in doing this the room feels smaller.
Now, without any change to the counters or floor, let’s see how this same kitchen looks with a new backsplash.
What a difference that white subway tile makes!! Your eye is now drawn up to the top of the cabinets and you have nice continuity.
Here is another view after the backsplash was replaced.
Moral of the story, unless you purposefully intend to have a backsplash that visually breaks up the space (sometimes that is the goal), pick the backsplash with your cabinets in mind.
Kitchens with a saturated cabinet color like navy or green are great examples of exceptions when it comes to choosing a backsplash to match your wall cabinets, but then I would also remind you, don’t forget to factor in the color of the walls.
Mistake #3: Choosing the Wrong Hardware
Hardware is tricky because there are just SO many options out there. It can be overwhelming and hard to make a choice. Where many folks tend to go wrong is they pick something they like, but don’t consider the scale compared to the cabinets.
Here is where I offer you a simple solution if you are stuck on what to do:
Drawers get pulls that are 1/3 the width of the drawer.
Cabinets get knobs.
That’s it!
Don’t fret about pulls for the cabinets and what spacing to use for the drawers between your knobs.
Just keep it really simple.
By the way, in using only pulls for drawers and only knobs for cabinets, you will have a kitchen that looks well thought out and good.
The other thing about hardware is you need to be sure you see it in your home and with the right lighting before you fully commit. Lighting is going to vary and even if you love it online, you may hate it against your cabinets or in the lighting of your home.
I probably ordered 3 different hardware options before I settled on the ones in my kitchen. Thankfully, I already knew the finish I was after, but if you are unsure, don’t be surprised if you need to see more before you choose!
Mistake #4: Having a Refrigerator too Large for the Space
Is it just me that gets bothered by a refrigerator that intrudes out into the kitchen? One that appears to take up way too much space in an otherwise pretty kitchen.
This one mistake creates a kitchen that feels crammed. If your refrigerator protrudes anything greater than 6 inches into the walkway, it is going to decrease the functionality of the area too.
So what should you do?
Ideally, create a space plan and know what appliances you are using before you start renovating.
Again, just because you may think you don’t need to select your refrigerator until your contractor is ready to get things installed, think again.
Nothing can quite literally ruin a beautiful kitchen like a bulky appliance that overwhelms a space. If you want a simple solution, choose a counter-depth fridge. These appliances will flow nicely alongside your base cabinets.
However, maybe you don’t want to pay the extra money or you really need a fridge with more storage.
Alternatively, when creating your kitchen, build out the wall where the fridge will sit. In doing so, the fridge will look built-in and be enclosed by cabinets flanking it on all sides.
Like any other renovation or project, you want to plan properly. Knowing what appliances you are using and the size, will help you avoid a kitchen mishap. Do you really want a fridge that is sticking out awkwardly into your kitchen and disrupting the walkway?
Conclusion
There you have it, 4 common design mistakes made in the kitchen. Share a mistake you have made in the comments below or which mistake resonates with you.
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From the time I was a young child, I have loved interior design and beautiful things. Ten-year-old me would create “floor plans” on notebook paper and design the dream homes of my siblings. We would have an initial meeting and after jotting down their wish list, I got to work creating the home of their dreams.
After designing the layout, I would take the Sunday newspaper ads (are those still a thing?) and cut out pictures of furniture, lamps, and accessories to create mood boards for each room in the home. When I was all done, weeks and weeks later, I would showcase my work and pitch my design ideas to a sibling.
If you too enjoy beautiful things and the process of turning a vision into a reality, welcome! If you love watching homes transform, but just don’t know how to start or have the resources to buy everything you like, stick around. I love finding affordable and practical design solutions to give YOU a gorgeous home you can be proud of.
Together, let’s reveal what’s possible.
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