Renovation Insight: 5 Common Rookie Kitchen-Reno Mistakes
Is a kitchen revamp on the cards at your home? A renovating expert reveals five common mistakes you'll want to avoid
Naomi Findlay
11 May 2022
After years of thinking about redesigning your kitchen, you’ve finally decided to take the plunge. It’s an incredibly exciting time, but with so many decisions to make, it’s all too easy to get it wrong and end up with a kitchen that never quite looks or performs as well as you’d wanted. Here, we reveal five of the most frequent kitchen design mistakes that rookie renovators make – and how not to make the same ones yourself! – and share examples of kitchens that not only dodged these common blunders but also hit the proverbial nail on the head.
1. Not being practical
People often get caught up with the aesthetics of a kitchen renovation and don’t think carefully enough about the practicalities, such as functionality and workflow. Getting these aspects right should be your first focus during a kitchen redesign – paint colours, benchtop finishes and tap choices should be secondary. If not, you’ll end up with a kitchen that looks beautiful, but is awkward to cook and move around in.
People often get caught up with the aesthetics of a kitchen renovation and don’t think carefully enough about the practicalities, such as functionality and workflow. Getting these aspects right should be your first focus during a kitchen redesign – paint colours, benchtop finishes and tap choices should be secondary. If not, you’ll end up with a kitchen that looks beautiful, but is awkward to cook and move around in.
Tips to create a practical, user-friendly kitchen layout:
Thinking of renovating your home? Find kitchen designers near you, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
- Think about how many people will be using your kitchen at once.
- Consider which areas will be busiest in your kitchen (generally the sink, stovetop, dishwasher and main benchtop) and make sure they are positioned in locations that are relevant to one another.
- Make sure you have enough room to open the doors of your fridge, dishwasher and cupboards.
- Plan – and measure up – which appliances you’ll be incorporating into the kitchen.
- Consider how much storage you’ll need.
Thinking of renovating your home? Find kitchen designers near you, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
2. Choosing cold, clinical light
Your kitchen is very often the heart of the home where you cook, dine, entertain and catch up with friends and family. As such, you’ll want it to feel warm and welcoming so it’s a place people enjoy spending time in.
Good lighting is essential for creating atmosphere. Cool-toned lighting can make your kitchen feel cold, uninviting and clinical. Instead, choose warm-toned lighting that sets a cosy, welcoming mood. Opt for warm-white, low-glare light globes that emit a moderate amount of light.
Your kitchen is very often the heart of the home where you cook, dine, entertain and catch up with friends and family. As such, you’ll want it to feel warm and welcoming so it’s a place people enjoy spending time in.
Good lighting is essential for creating atmosphere. Cool-toned lighting can make your kitchen feel cold, uninviting and clinical. Instead, choose warm-toned lighting that sets a cosy, welcoming mood. Opt for warm-white, low-glare light globes that emit a moderate amount of light.
Connect your lighting to dimmers so you can switch the mood from a bright cooking zone to a relaxed, moderately lit entertaining zone when you have guests over.
3. Not placing lights above benchtops
Having lights in the wrong places is one of the most common mistakes rookie kitchen renovators make. As a result, people often end up cooking and preparing food in their own shadows, which is not only impractical but dangerous too.
Having lights in the wrong places is one of the most common mistakes rookie kitchen renovators make. As a result, people often end up cooking and preparing food in their own shadows, which is not only impractical but dangerous too.
It’s vital to be able to see what you’re doing when you’re chopping, cooking and prepping. Once you’ve chosen the right types of lights, make sure you place them where they’re actually needed: namely, over your benchtops, sink, stove and prep zones.
4. Not thinking long-term
When renovating your kitchen, be mindful when choosing the colour of your finishes. While that eye-catching trend might be just what brings a smile to your face, consider what will happen if you decide to sell. Will buyers love that combination of red splashback, yellow tiles and black cupboards?
Browse more kitchens with two-toned cabinetry
When renovating your kitchen, be mindful when choosing the colour of your finishes. While that eye-catching trend might be just what brings a smile to your face, consider what will happen if you decide to sell. Will buyers love that combination of red splashback, yellow tiles and black cupboards?
Browse more kitchens with two-toned cabinetry
A low-key colour palette based around white, grey or beige are more likely to stand the test of time. But that doesn’t mean they have to be boring; if you love bold brights, splash out on some eye-catching accessories, such as a brightly coloured appliance or a striking vase that can be left out on the benchtop.
5. Forgetting that kitchens are no longer just for cooking
Kitchens are not purely utilitarian spaces anymore, so make sure you plan your kitchen design in line with the lifestyle you want to enjoy – whether it’s creating space for entertaining or dining, including somewhere for the kids to do their homework, or adding a dedicated place where you can sit down and catch up on emails or plan the family schedule on your laptop or tablet.
Kitchens are not purely utilitarian spaces anymore, so make sure you plan your kitchen design in line with the lifestyle you want to enjoy – whether it’s creating space for entertaining or dining, including somewhere for the kids to do their homework, or adding a dedicated place where you can sit down and catch up on emails or plan the family schedule on your laptop or tablet.
When planning your kitchen layout, look to include modern extras such as home hubs, entertaining spaces or office nooks. Just be sure not to skimp on the essentials such as storage in order to do so. Remember, the golden rule in property is function first!
Your turn
Have you made a rookie renovation mistake in your kitchen redesign? Tell us what you’d do differently next time in the Comments, and don’t forget to like this story, save the images for inspiration and join the renovation conversation.
More
Keen to learn about the real costs of renovating a kitchen? Read this Renovation Education: The Costs Per Item of a Classic Kitchen
Have you made a rookie renovation mistake in your kitchen redesign? Tell us what you’d do differently next time in the Comments, and don’t forget to like this story, save the images for inspiration and join the renovation conversation.
More
Keen to learn about the real costs of renovating a kitchen? Read this Renovation Education: The Costs Per Item of a Classic Kitchen
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I’m loving these ideas. My thoughts are I like the sink with a lookout - either a window or across the room. This doesn’t work in every situation or every family.
What I've seen & think will work without the huge mess syndrome is having 2 sinks...a smaller one on the island at an end which offers a great additional prep that has the view to outdoors & can be great when wanting to be a part of things, then a secondary sink tucked away, facing the wall for heavy work area. This offers up an additional option for work zones. I'm hoping it will work for me. :)
We don't have much choice but to keep our sink in the centre of the kitchen, facing into the room. The waste grey water exit pipe sits right in the middle of the room. No idea why it's not against the exterior wall, under the window, but have you seen the cost to move a grey waste pipe?? I can't justify it... or afford it.