4 Kitchen Design Mistakes You Shouldn't Make during Renovations
The kitchen is probably the busiest room in the house, and so it's important to ensure that the space is functional, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. As a result, a lot of thought must go into the design and layout of the kitchen space; a small goof can affect the usability of the entire space. Below are four mistakes you should be careful about in your kitchen design and remodelling project.
1. Obstructing the kitchen triangle
The kitchen triangle is made up of the stove, refrigerator and sink – the three points around which most kitchen activity revolves. Of these, the sink is the most important, and it should be strategically placed near the other two, as well as your main workstations/countertops.
Naturally, it should be as close as possible to the plumbing, but this is no reason to choose a poor location for it. If placing your sink above the plumbing would be a poor design decision, get a plumber to shift drains and pipes so that your sink is placed appropriately.
Regardless of the kitchen layout you choose, your work triangle should be placed within optimal distances of each other: according to experts, each side should be 4-9 feet and the sum of all three sides should be between 13-26 feet.
2. Not having enough storage space
Kitchens have a lot of stuff, some being oddly shaped and hence eating up whatever storage space is available. There's a delicate balance in determining which items should be most accessible, especially if you have limited space to work in. Proper planning however will help you maximize whatever space you have.
In small kitchens, consider having longer upper storage cabinets with moulding which provide additional storage capacity. You can place lights or some greenery along the moulding to attract attention. You can also install a shelf above the refrigerator – this is potential storage space that is frequently wasted, and ideal for infrequently used items. Your lower kitchen cabinets should also have shelves, with the exception of the one directly under the sink because of the plumbing.
3. Not having countertop working space
Virtually every kitchen demands adequate countertop space – for placement of permanent appliances like microwaves and coffee makers and also for actual food preparation. If you have limited counter space, such as with L-shaped kitchen designs, consider including an island/breakfast bar to provide additional worktop space.
4. Having poor lighting
Lighting in the kitchen is not just about aesthetics, you actually need proper lighting for safety. There should be general lighting to provide overall illumination as well as task and accent lighting on your main working areas.
Consider having small pendant lights above the sink and above your island/breakfast bar as well as under-cabinet lights for additional brightness on the countertops used for regular tasks. You can play around with colours and brightness to achieve different aesthetic effects.
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