The kitchen is the holy grail of home renovation. Of all the rooms in your house, it’s the one place you can bet you’ll get the biggest return on your investment.
Experts estimate that a kitchen remodel brings an 80 percent return on your investment. That means that spending around $10,000 on a renovation will bring an $8,000 return when you sell your home.
But kitchen remodels work only when you’re following best practices in design. Yes, you want to put your creativity to work, but it’s important to avoid these 8 kitchen designing mistakes to protect your investment.
1. Workflow Comes First
We get it. You don’t cook.
But most homeowners want a functioning kitchen where they can prep their favorite meals for friends and family. Keep this in mind when designing your kitchen layout.
Think of the workflow of a chef, not you. You can still add in a layout that’s comfortable for your favorite kitchen tasks.
Place the coffee maker in a mini-bar with your favorite accouterments. Include space for a wine fridge.
Whatever your fancy, it’s possible to make the kitchen work for you and make sure it optimizes the space for preparing meals.
This means spices are kept near cooktops and butcher’s blocks are near the dishwasher.
Wider drawers allow for the quick storage of pots, ramekins, and pans. Enlist the help of a design professional if you’re stumped about what cooks need to optimize workflow.
2. Poorly Fitted Appliances
Everyone wants the latest and greatest kitchen gadgets. WiFi-enabled fridges that tell the weather and local news might seem like a great option when you’re in the appliance store.
Most people think that an appliance is a good bet as long as it fits into your space.
But you need measurements that tell how much walking room you have with the appliance installed.
You’ll want to test your appliances for walkability after their installed. There are things that can make or break your comfort level like how far the handle protrudes or its overall shape.
Don’t be shy about sending the unit back if it doesn’t work. Measurements can’t possibly tell the whole story in every situation.
You want to feel like you’ve got maximum walkability in your kitchen at all times. Make sure your appliances help you achieve this goal.
3. Counter Space
One of the top reasons to remodel your kitchen is to create more usable space. Countertops are the ultimate area to add space in a kitchen.
Home remodeling projects should always include the potential for adding countertops or extending them out further from the wall when possible. If you can fit an island, add it.
Rarely has a homeowner complained of too much countertop space in a kitchen. Appliances quickly clutter up limited surface space especially if you love to cook.
Make use of every possible inch of space for countertops in your kitchen.
4. Protecting Surrounding Space
When the construction crews get working, they’re awash in dust and debris for weeks on end. It’s easy for them to forget where the worksite ends and your living space begins.
Make sure you’ve done the work to protect your furniture throughout the remodeling process.
If you’ve got fragile items nearby, it’s a good idea to pack them up and put them in storage until your home remodel is complete.
5. Designing on the Cheap
It’s a good idea to watch your spending when you’re remodeling your kitchen. But it’s a bad idea to make design choices simply because you’re getting a deal.
That scrap yard with the salvaged countertops can offer 50 percent off the cost of materials. You might even enough find dirt cheap tiles to create a backsplash design beneath your cabinets.
However, if you don’t love the way the countertops flow with the cabinet colors.
Or if the backsplash is typically used in an outdoor patio space you’re going to end up with a mismatched kitchen design.
Buying according to price and not aesthetics is the easiest way to waste money on your kitchen remodel. Focus on a comprehensive design scheme and not just the price.
6. Budgeting as You Go
Kitchen designing mistakes aren’t just limited to buying everything on clearance.
You might wind up spending too much if you don’t have a budget in place.
Avoid budgeting as you go. Create a realistic budget drafted using product research. A walkthrough with a general contractor can help you verify your installation costs.
7. Backing into Your Backsplash
The backsplash in your kitchen isn’t an afterthought. Make sure you’ve thought of it just as much as you have the countertops and cabinets.
The backsplash is the opportunity to tie the entire room together.
You can choose a statement backsplash or a classic design that adds a timeless feel to your room.
Waiting till the end to choose a backsplash can leave you with poor options and an awkward design.
8. Leaving Storage Space on the Table
Kitchen designing mistakes like missing out on storage can sometimes be corrected after the fact. But it’s cheaper to simply design your cabinets for the highest amount of storage possible.
Think of every inch where items can be placed without clutter. This might mean multiple drawings of your kitchen before you decide on a final plan.
Avoiding Kitchen Designing Mistakes
It’s best not to worry about kitchen designing mistakes when you’re in the brainstorming process. The best time to check and double-check your design decisions is when you’re finalizing plans with your contractor.
Get advice from your vendors. Enlist the support of a design professional.
There’s no reason to assume you’ve thought of everything if this is your first kitchen remodel. With a top-notch design, you’ll find your kitchen continues to bring value for years to come.
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