6 Kitchen Renovation Mistakes You Don't Want To Make

So, I thought I’d do a little round up of the most common things people overlook when planning a kitchen renovation (even designers – I’m still kicking myself for forgetting where to store my beloved witches broom!).

1. Think Carefully How You Use Your Kitchen

How you use your kitchen has a big impact on what to include and where to position it. It’s very individual.

Do you like a clear worktop? Do you bake a lot? Are you a messy cook? Your answers will determine whether to hide small appliances in a pantry, have deep drawers for bakeware or select an indestructible Corian worktop for example.

• Take your time thinking through your daily routines
• Make an inventory of your most commonly used appliances
• Carefully plan for what you and your family need

2. Don’t Forget Space To Store Awkward Items

Brooms and mops are used almost daily, but often get overlooked. Unless you want to keep them in an adjoining utility room, you’ll need to make space for them in the kitchen.

Look for narrow spaces at the end of kitchen runs that can be customised for brooms, mops and other cleaning products. A good carpenter or joiner can make this for you during the kitchen installation phase.

3. Include A Layered Lighting Scheme

Think about layered lighting – don’t just install a row of spotlights. Kitchens are multi-functional spaces and they need different types of illumination to make them work efficiently.

Your body creates a shadow from behind, so you need over worktop task lighting in your prep areas.

Dining table lights can be set lower for ambience. For flexibility and creating a day/night mood, make lights dimmable and set them on dedicated switches.

4. Embrace Your Plastics Drawer

If you have children, it’s likely you have an obscene amount of Tupperware, water bottles and lunch bags to store. Rather than ignore the problem and just throw them in a drawer – which eats up precious time in the morning trying to locate missing lids – plan this into your kitchen storage. You will thank me later!

• First do a thorough sort out and only keep what’s really needed
• Then invest in some dividers and sections to easily store these frequently used items
• Look for deep drawer units, they have more capacity than cupboards
• Drawers also make them more accessible for children

5. Make Use Of Dead Space

In a larger space it can be really beneficial to have areas of negative space, but in a small kitchen you want to maximise every inch you have. So, look for dead space you can use.

• Turn a narrow infill into a pull out cupboard or chopping board store
• Fix storage racks to the inside of pantry doors
• Use the spare space above a drawer for a narrow pull-out to store spices
• Kitchen islands often have dead space on the seating side or ends, perfect for shelving.

6. Plan Your Heating Early

Plan your heating, especially if you’ve installed a lot of glazing, which naturally makes the space lose more heat.

If wall space is at a premium, consider underfloor heating. It is more of an initial outlay, but it’s greener, more efficient and better for air quality.

Underfloor heating generates radiant heat. Unlike radiators which circulate heat – and dust particles – by convection, underfloor heating reduces allergens making it the smart choice for asthmatics and allergy sufferers.

So before you pick up that sledgehammer and start dismantling your old kitchen, take the time to think through these common kitchen renovation mistakes.

You’ll end up with a much more efficient kitchen that suits your individual needs and save you from costly mistakes.

If you need more help planning your kitchen, book a free discovery call and let me help you plan the best kitchen for you.