Ever seen those kitchens with heavy-as-an-ocean stone sinks, an island that’s miles away from the dishwasher, and disastrous open shelves that catch all the oil and grease from your cooking? You haven’t?
Well, we have, and we’ve come to the conclusion that there are some things you just don’t do in a kitchen, like installing a ram’s head above the stove or placing switches as far away from your appliances as possible.
Your kitchen should be a functional, easy-to-navigate, and efficient space. Wondering how to make that a reality? Here’s a list of things that, if done wrong, can make your kitchen a no-no.
1. Island Placement
Your island is the star of your kitchen. It hides power outlets and storage, provides a family seating area, and greater opportunities for prep, gathering, and serving. But if the star’s neck to neck with your freezer and speared by a foot-thick beam, all of that goes down the drain.
So, if you’re knocking down some walls and putting in an island or renovating an existing one (lucky you!), make it as multi-functional as possible. If this means you have to compromise on parking one side of your island by a wall, so be it.
2. Storage (or Lack of)
An average person’s kitchen contains as many things as their closet — maybe even more. But unlike piles of clothes you can squish into a ball and throw under your bed, rice, oats, cutlery, dishes, and pans don’t change shape. That means you need somewhere to put them.
And if you skimp out on storage during your renovation, you’ll probably store everything in your garage (if you don’t have a pantry). And let us tell you: that goes old fast.
So, to save yourself some time, energy, and effort, maximize your storage options as much as possible. If you can stuff a pull-out cabinet in that narrow 8-inch gap beneath your counter curve, go for it.
3. Countertop Materials
Getting marble counters when you know you’ll be making chicken masala and turmeric smoothies is a losing game. You’ll be applying stain removers every day. And if you go the other way and get a butcher block counter, you’ll have the same problem.
Even a steel surface will be a bust if you have kids. Getting those finger marks off your counter is going to be an all-day job.
So, to save yourself the hassle, go for travertine, quartz, granite, or synthetic counters. They’re less porous, extremely durable, and almost break-proof. They will be pricey, but over time, they’ll probably be your greatest investment.
4. Appliances
If you like baking and cooking, getting a giant convection oven, an over-range microwave, and a six-burner stove is a must.
The extra burners on the stove and the ample oven space will let you prepare gravy, cook a huge turkey, roast potatoes, make some mash, bake some casserole, and flip some meat patties at the same time. What a great upgrade!
Plus, if you get sleek built-in appliances (or those that fake it well), your kitchen will look good even when you know it’s a mess.
5. Lighting
Light placement can really make or break your kitchen. For instance, under-cabinet lighting can create a modern or cozy impression while giving you enough light to see where to plug your coffee machine switch or whether the air fryer chicken has gotten that golden crust.
Similarly, in-cabinet lighting can help you show off your gorgeous china, flowery porcelain sets, and crystal glasses, while pendant lighting can highlight your gorgeous granite island.
So, if you think you can get away with skimping on these light fixtures if you’re installing a massive floodlight, you’re doing yourself a disservice.
6. Power Outlet Placement
Your portable machines, such as an air fryer, hand blender, jug blender, and chopper, work on electricity, right? So, why put a power outlet at the base of your counter when your appliances can’t even reach it?
Power outlet placement is key when you’re building a functional kitchen. You won’t be able to work your appliances if you can’t plug them into outlets. So, while maximizing your storage options, think about increasing the number of power outlets in your kitchen too.
7. Color Scheme
A fresh coat of paint can give your kitchen an instant facelift, but if that paint clashes with your flooring, cabinets, backsplash, hardware, and light fixtures, it won’t look the greatest. So, if you’re going with a bright backsplash or unusual hardware color, stick to whites, grays, and neutrals everywhere else.
Here’s a rule to live by: Let one thing (wall, counter, cabinet, or hardware) be the star of your kitchen. If you’re going for intricate backsplash, go neutral on the cabinets and countertops, and vice versa.
Why? Because too many vibrant features will begin to clash against each other, making your other scene-stealing accents fade into the background.
8. Grout Color
Not many people pay attention to the grout color when installing tiles on the floor, on a statement wall, or as the backsplash, but it’s crucial if you want your kitchen to look put-together.
For instance, if you’ve got a patterned backsplash and white grout, it will break the design and cause the wall to look messy. Similarly, if you get green striated marble on your statement wall but use neutral grout, it will not give the effect you want.
So, always match the grout with the tile color unless you deliberately want to give your wall a brickwork effect.
The Takeaway
Your kitchen is where you probably spend most of your at-home time, talking with your pet cat or child, cooking delicious meals, and staring into space while thinking about what the next work day will bring.
But if you get the ambiance wrong or mess up the infamous triangle, your kitchen will become a hellscape you’ll desperately want to escape. If you want to avoid that, perform a ton of experimentation and trials before settling on things.
And if you find the process of renovating your kitchen too headache-y, get a kitchen renovation by Supreme Renovation. They’ll save you all the hassle of finding flooring guys and a no-no kitchen to boot.