Designing a kitchen is no easy feat. There’s a lot to consider, from how the flooring will work with the cabinets to more technical matters, like whether the circuit your stove is on can also support the refrigerator (probably not). There’s a reason most people turn to a kitchen design professional when it comes time to give their kitchen a facelift. Below are some of the most common kitchen disasters that a trained designer can help you avoid.
Measurement Malfunctions
Ever heard the old adage “measure twice, cut once”? Thankfully the contractors usually cover the “cutting” part, but the saying still holds weight when it comes to buying appliances and cabinets. After all, what good is that oversized refrigerator if you don’t take clearance requirements into account and it dies three months later due to not enough air circulation?
As you can see, there’s a lot to keep in mind when it comes to measurements in the kitchen. It goes far beyond knowing how many square feet of flooring you need (though do you know how much to overbuy to account for trimming?) and what size cabinets to purchase (or would you benefit from custom-made due to odd dimensions in your room?) — for many of these items, the knowledge earned through experience is all that can avoid a disastrous mistake, like ordering an appliance only to learn it won’t work in your space at all.
Storage, Storage, Storage
Ask anyone what they want in their kitchen, and almost everyone will beg for more storage. We all need more cabinet space, it seems, and when you’re redesigning your kitchen it is likely near the top of your “want” list. However, storage space goes well beyond how many cabinets you install. The types of cabinets you invest in, as well as the organizational methods built into them, can have a huge impact on how much storage space you need. A skilled kitchen designer may even be able to fit in a pantry where there wasn’t one before, to help you avoid the dreaded lack of storage.
Colorful Catastrophes
Long gone are the days of sterile white kitchens (though warm white tones are becoming popular!). Most kitchen feature at least one accent color, and more and more people are seeing the kitchen as a place they can let their personality shine through. However, you must be careful to not let your imagination run too wild with the colors; usually one or two accent colors on top of neutral backgrounds are the way to go, lest your kitchen look more like a circus tent.
Low on Lighting
Lighting is incredibly important in a kitchen. You need to be able to see what you’re doing no matter where you’re prepping food, whether it be chopping veggies on the counter or cooking on the stovetop. Natural light is an important factor in this, but you need to be sure you have plenty of light at all times of the day. In most kitchens, that means more than overhead lighting, which can cast long shadows and leave corners of the kitchen dark and gloomy. A kitchen designer can help you avoid these lighting pitfalls by suggesting all the strategic places to include extra lighting options.