Common Mistakes in Kitchen Renovations You Can Totally Avoid

Your kitchen is the heart of your home. 

Planning a kitchen renovation is one of the best ways to add value to your house. But only if you do it right. 

Is there a wrong way to renovate your kitchen?

Yes! 

But don't worry. We've put together this extensive list of common kitchen renovation mistakes so you know what to avoid. 

So make sure you keep reading below. 

1. Forgetting Your Budget 

If you don't take the time to plan a budget, your kitchen remodel can get really expensive really fast. Decide what upgrades are the most important for your kitchen and plan how much money you'll spend on what. 

Remember, your kitchen cabinets alone will be a large part of that. 

You can always upgrade your kitchen over time to put less strain on your bank account. So start with the priorities and move on to the little things later. 

2. Not Having a Design Plan

The first part of renovating your kitchen is coming up with a clear design. If you don't know what you want your kitchen to look like, you won't know what you're doing or where to start. 

You can find an interior designer to help you with this step. This might be a good idea if you're having trouble imagining what the finished product will look like. 

A plan will make the process smoother and easier. 

3. Not Bothering with Samples

Don't buy things just because you think they look good in the store. When you put all those things together in your kitchen, they might tell a very different story. 

Make sure you stick to samples. 

Bring them home and test them with the rest of your design plan. Do the colours, shapes, and materials work together? Does the space look elegant and eye-catching?

Avoid spontaneous purchases. 

4. Forgetting to Protect the Rest of Your Home

Renovating your kitchen could be a messy process. If you don't take the proper steps to protect the rest of your home, you could end up with stray drops of paint on your living room couch or drywall dust in your carpet. 

Take the time to protect the other rooms in your house before you get started. 

5. Not Thinking of Function First

Don't get too focused on the different design elements of your kitchen that you forget about function. You want your kitchen to look good, but you also want to be able to use it easily. 

Do you have enough worktop space? Do the cabinets hold all your dishes and cooking utensils? 

Think about these things first and then work on styling. 

6. Choosing Appliances Last

If you're buying new appliances for your renovation, make sure you do this first. 

Saving space for them at the end isn't enough. It can be difficult to find the right sized appliances for the spaces left over. If you aren't careful, you'll have to rework your kitchen again to get the appliances in. 

7. Doing It By Yourself 

DIY is okay, but make sure you talk to a professional kitchen designer before you get started. They'll be able to look at your plan and give you advice to make it better. They'll also be able to catch mistakes that could have become a serious problem later on in the project. 

8. Forgetting Your Workflow 

There are a few places in your kitchen that are busier than others. This includes things like the range top, sink, and refrigerator. 

These appliances should be in places that make sense with one another. You should be able to access each one without leaving your main working area. 

That's why many kitchens are shaped like a triangle. 

9. Adding Too Few Electrical Outlets 

Adding too few electrical outlets is a mistake you'll regret later down the road. Your kitchen may be set up in a certain way now that works with the outlets, but what if you decide to change it at some point?

Make sure there are enough electrical outlets around the kitchen to power appliances anywhere you need. 

10. Not Installing the Right Amount of Ventilation 

The right amount of ventilation helps keep smells out of your kitchen, which makes the kitchen a cleaner and more enjoyable space. 

If you forget about the ventilation, you'll be working in a smelly kitchen. This type of kitchen might also have a tendency to set off the smoke alarms if you aren't the best at cooking mum's recipes.  

11. Underutilizing Your Space

If there's a space in your kitchen that doesn't have some sort of purpose, you're doing something wrong. Don't let any space go underutilized. 

But what does that look like?

Think about this. You know those spaces between the bottom of your cabinets and the floor? Why not turn those into toe-kick storage drawers?

Get creative with your space. Doing so will give you a clean and uncluttered kitchen. 

12. Overlooking the Small Things

It's the small things that can really pull your kitchen space together. 

We told you to focus on your renovation priorities first, but that doesn't mean you should forget about the small things. These small things might include kitchen storage ideas, lazy Susans, pantry pullouts, design features, etc. 

13. Not Setting Aside Enough Space for People to Gather

Your kitchen is one of the rooms you use the most in your house. But this isn't just limited to you and your family. This extends to your guests as well. 

The kitchen is a social room. 

Don't spend so much time thinking about workflow and storage solutions that you forget to leave an open space for people to gather. 

14. Making Your Kitchen White

There's nothing wrong with a white kitchen unless you use the same shade of white for everything. This will make your kitchen look sterile, stark, and bland. 

Don't be afraid to add some colours and show off your personality. If you do want to stick to white, add different shades and finishes. 

15. Staying Safe with Your Backsplash 

Your kitchen is a damp, messy environment. So a backsplash is a must. If you skip this feature, you'll end up with grease, food, and water stains on your walls. 

But don't play it safe with your backsplash. 

It's at eye level, so pick a colourful, unique tile instead of something colourless and boring. You might also want to continue your backsplash all the way to the ceiling. 

Having it cut off halfway up the wall will make your kitchen look incomplete. 

16. Not Having Enough Lighting 

You need to have good lighting to have a functional kitchen. This might mean you have to add more lights than you initially planned. 

A single overhead light won't be enough for your entire kitchen. Consider adding more lighting under the cabinets upper cabinets or above the island. If you want to control how bright your kitchen gets, you might also want to include dimmer switches. 

17. Sacrificing Worktop Space 

Worktop space is one of the most important parts of your kitchen. You should never sacrifice your counter space for other elements. A small amount of counter space might work for you now, but what about later?

Do you best to extend your worktop space as much as possible. If your design doesn't leave a lot of room for your worktop, you may want to spend some time reworking the plan. 

18. Not Staying in Tune with Your Home's Style

There are a lot of cool things you can add in your kitchen, but don't overdo it. Make sure your kitchen design still flows with the rest of your home's style when you're done with it. 

You don't want to create a modern kitchen if the rest of your house is Victorian. 

19. Choosing the Wrong Material for Your Kitchen Worktops

Picking a worktop involves more than finding what you think looks good. You have to consider your lifestyle. 

Do you have young children? Do you spend a lot of time baking? Are you clumsy in the kitchen?

Different worktops come with different qualities. Some resist spills and stains while others are more fragile and prone to cracks. Choosing the wrong worktop can cost you more money later down the road. 

20. Styling After Trends  

Trends might be cool now, but they won't be cool a few years from now. Don't spend your money on something that won't last, like a bright red refrigerator. Odds are you'll get tired of it and wish you hadn't bought it in the first place. 

Common Mistakes You Can Avoid in Your Kitchen Renovation

The best way to avoid common kitchen renovation mistakes is to take the time to create a clear design plan. Make a budget and stick to it. Do your research on appliances and other elements. 

It's okay if this planning takes a while. Taking your time and loving the results is better than rushing through the process and ending up with a kitchen you don't like. 

Do you need some more inspiration for your kitchen renovation?

Make sure you take a look at these eight amazing ideas.