Six kitchen planning mistakes to avoid
The kitchen may be the most important room in the house, so it is vital that you get the design right for your family and your home. There are many different things to consider when choosing your ideal kitchen, and it can be very easy to make mistakes at the planning stages which can negatively affect the project in the long-term.
- Planning without considering the plumbing
Not considering the plumbing first is a common mistake that homeowners make when they are redesigning a kitchen for the first time. It may be that you don’t like the layout of the current kitchen and want to change things around to be more practical. There’s nothing wrong with doing this, but remember if you do, you will need to consider exactly how the plumbing is going to work. with your new design.
Changing around the plumbing can be expensive and time-consuming, and you might even find that there are complex factors with your plumbing system that won’t allow for the kitchen to be altered the way that you would initially like. It is always best to take a look at the current layout of plumbing to understand why it has been designed that way before going forward. This will allow you to establish exactly what will fit where and what will be possible. This way, if you find out things won’t fit the way you thought at first, like placement or position of the sink or dishwasher, it won’t be too difficult or costly to rethink your design.
- Not making the best use of kitchen space
If you have a small kitchen, then it is absolutely essential that you make the best possible use of space. For example, if you have limited ground space, but high ceilings, you may want to consider putting in plenty of high storage. It might not seem very practical if you can’t reach the highest shelves, but remember that these can be used for only the most occasional items.
It’s also important that you not overuse space. Having a lot of features in your kitchen might be preferred, but if you are working with limited space already, your space can begin to feel very cramped. You also should remember that you will need to leave room for items such as a trash bin and recycling space.
- Not measuring properly
This applies to any kind of home improvement project – but the importance of measuring properly cannot be overstated. If you are measuring yourself to buy from a kitchen company, remember that the company will use and trust your measurements, (unless you ask them specifically to measure for you) and consequently using incorrect measurements will ultimately result in buying a kitchen that won’t fit into the specific shape of your space.
Also, be careful not to get the height of the counter top wrong. The many hours that you will spend preparing and serving food would clearly be a disaster if it were an uncomfortably wrong height, and you could end up wasting a huge amount of money on kitchen units that are not suitable.
The kitchen is the most expensive room in the house to design, which is why you might want to consider using an expert or a reputable contractor to avoid any costly mistakes.
- Poor ventilation
Kitchens need to be well ventilated. Aside from the smell that emanates from cooking, you also need to remember that cooking appliances create a lot of heat. This needs to be allowed to escape, as it will turn into condensation and cause all sorts of problems. You need to make sure that if you have a window that you can open or at least have an extractor fan to move the hot air out of the kitchen. Consider proper ventilation to be a vital aspect of the kitchen design.
- Excessive open shelving
Open shelving can look fantastic in your kitchen, showing off the crockery and appliances and giving the kitchen a more homely feel. But it is a mistake to overuse open shelving because it can begin to make the kitchen look extremely messy. Only use open shelving in moderation to get the most out of it, and don’t be tempted to incorporate a design with too many, because you may find out you can have too much of a good thing.
- Not enough light
More than any other room in the house, your dream kitchen needs the most amount of light. Whether you are getting natural light from a window or have multiple fixtures providing ample artificial light. First, it’s important to remember that being able to see very clearly is vital both from a perspective of good food preparation and second, simply to enjoy the beautiful looks of your new kitchen. Even if you have a huge window that lets in lots of light, remember that when it is dark, this won’t provide any light.
This is a mistake that is often made by those opting for a contemporary look. These modern styles require a good amount of light to make the most of the stunning appearance. Kitchen lighting fixtures are no longer just functional, but now they can add beauty to your design.
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