Impractical design can kill the functionality of your kitchen, making it difficult to cook, clean, and store what you need. Increase your efficiency by avoiding these common kitchen design mistakes:

Poor Workflow Planning

You need a solid kitchen workflow, especially if you cook often. You don’t want to have to run back and forth every time you need to grab a new pan, spices, or chopped vegetables.

The kitchen triangle rule will help you maximize workflow. Basically, the rule states that the three main kitchen work sites—your range, refrigerator, and sink—should all be within four to nine feet of one another. While some argue that work zones are replacing the kitchen triangle, the rule still makes for a great starting point.

Lack of Storage Space

Kitchens require a lot of storage space. Whether you’re working with a vast, open kitchen, or a modern European one, you’ve got to set aside enough space to store your:

● Dry food

● Glassware

● Dishes

● Pots and pans

● Kitchen appliances

● Utensils

● Trays

Many of us also store our cleaning supplies in our kitchen. If you don’t have adequate storage space for all these items, your kitchen will get cluttered.

Lack of Counter Space

A common solution (though not a good one) for your lack of storage space is to take up counter space. That’s fine, so long as you have enough of it.

Counter space is often the most valuable real estate in a kitchen. You need enough space for meal prep and store commonly used appliances, like your toaster, blender, and coffee maker. Without enough counter space, you’ve got to get creative with alternative storage solutions.

Poor Lighting

Can you imagine trying to chop vegetables in the dark? Poor lighting placements can leave your most crucial kitchen space enshrouded in shadows. You need task lights bright enough to see what you’re prepping, cooking, and cleaning.

You also need ambient and accent lighting, and all three types of these lights need to be cleverly placed to set the balance and tone of your kitchen.

Poor Appliance Measuring

Kitchen design requires precision. Your measurements need to be exact, so everything fits seamlessly in place.

It’s not just the big things, like cabinets, countertops, and ranges, that need measuring. You also have to know the dimensions of your appliances. Poor appliance measuring can force you to reinstall or redesign your cabinet shelves or garages[1] . They can also live on your counter, reducing your space.

Poorly Placed Cabinet Drawers and Doors

Another common kitchen design mistake is the poor positioning of your cabinet drawers and doors. When designing, think about how your drawers and doors will open. Which direction do they swing? How far out do they go?

Without consider these questions, you risk accidentally blocking off whole sections of your kitchen, or rendering something else unusable.

Needing to Design a New Layout

Before shoveling out tens of thousands of dollars on a kitchen redesign, ask yourself why you need one.

Your current design may not be perfect, but do you need to start from scratch? Your kitchen may only need a little tweaking. Maybe the upper cabinets need to be a different height, or a smaller refrigerator will let your pantry door fully swing open.

Smaller design choices can save you enormous amounts of cash you’d end up spending on materials, labor, and moving your plumbing and electrical systems.

If you’re still concerned about committing one of these kitchen design mistakes, consult with a professional. Their advice can save you a ton of time and money.

Looking to hide some kitchen appliances? Read our article for some tips and tricks!

7 Small Kitchen Design Mistakes You’ll Want to Avoid