Kitchen Design Mistakes and How To Avoid Them

Renovating and re-designing a kitchen is a big undertaking with a lot of variables to consider. Below we have listed 5 common kitchen design mistakes and how to avoid them, so you’ll be sure to have the kitchen of your dreams by the time it all comes together.

DO Sweat the Small Stuff

Passing on seemingly small add-ons and storage features, like additional drawer dividers, cabinet hardware or storage solutions like pantry pull-outs can add to the stress of a kitchen design make-over later down the track. Storage solutions will increase the efficiency of you kitchen, and are much more costly to add in if you decide you’d like them after installation has occurred.

Good-quality storage and hardware – such as pull-out corner units, drawer dividers, soft-close runners and hinges – often get excluded or overlooked from initial kitchen designs due to budget constraints. This can be a false economy in the long run as features like these can make a big difference to your kitchen, boosting the storage potential and making the space far more user friendly.

The ‘small stuff’ can and does add to the overall cost of a new kitchen design, however they’re worth the extra outlay due to the value and usability they add later down the track – particularly if you’re a keen cook!

Speak to your Jag Kitchens design consultant about all the storage and hardware options available at your design consultation, so that you are fully aware of availability and costs involved.

Mind the Workflow

When planning out your new kitchen design, remember to keep in mind the busiest areas of the kitchen: the sink, the stove, and the refrigerator.

Making sure these areas and appliances are in an efficient location is very relevant and quite pertinent to one another. Our Jag Kitchens designers refer to this as the kitchen “work triangle” – the relation of these to one another typically (should) resemble a triangle.

Within the workflow of your kitchen it is also important to consider benchtop space. Benchtops are one of the most important elements of your kitchen, so don’t settle for less of it! Extend your benchtop work space by making use of shelving supports, or islands to increase the amount of workflow you have within the confines of your space.

Forgetting Your Budget

The first thing that most clients decide on when considering a new kitchen design is their budget. From there, deciding what features of the kitchen design are the most important and allocating finances accordingly is pertinent. A new kitchen design is usually of significant expense for most homeowners, but it’s one that will last for years and will in turn increase the value of your home.

There are certain aspects of a kitchen installation that will take up more of your budget than others – for instance, this may mean the tiles that you had envisaged for a splashback may need to be reconsidered to ensure the cabinetry you are after fits well within your space and budget.

Your Jag Kitchens designer can talk you through all the elements step by step, and where to ‘splash out’ versus where to save.

Rushing and Having Unrealistic Timeframes

Poor planning and hurrying through the design process are two of the main reasons that most kitchen designs end in big disasters. Take your time when planning and designing your kitchen, and be careful not to leave important decisions to the last minute.

Make sure your kitchen designer has all the details and correct dimensions prior to issuing the final measurements for construction via the Jag Kitchens manufacturing plant. Some things can be changed last minute, but if measurements are out due to rushing the process, you may find that cabinetry or benchtops don’t quite fit the space they need to. It always pays to double check in the initial stages – and then check again!

It takes more than one appointment to refine details such as the layout, functionality and finishes of the kitchen. You’ll have an initial meeting with your designer where you’ll set out the brief and budget, and our designer will then create the concepts and kitchen design layout. This will be followed by another meeting to discuss and refine the design, following which the designer will issue the final set of documents.

If you are unsure of the process involved, take a look at our process page to gain further understanding on how it works, or check out our infographic below.

Practicality

Sometimes you can get caught up in the aesthetics of the design and forget about the practical side of things, which can result in a kitchen that’s less functional than intended.

Before your initial kitchen design appointment with your consultant, think about the practicalities of your new kitchen and how you would like it to function – do you require more than a couple of people to use the kitchen simultaneously? Do you require a lot of benchtop space for appliances, or do you prefer them tucked away out of sight? How tall are the people that mostly use the kitchen? And most importantly – what frustrates you about your current kitchen and is there anything you like about it?

At your initial kitchen design consultation, give your Jag Kitchens designer as much information as possible about your lifestyle and how you plan to use the kitchen, to avoid any big kitchen design mistakes down the track.

The beauty of choosing Jag Kitchens for your new kitchen install is that our experienced designers know what works and what doesn’t – and can help you make choices that you can be confident in. Take a look at our online gallery for some further kitchen style inspiration, and then get in touch.

Book an appointment today for your free design quote, or pop in to see us at the Jag Kitchens Showroom, based in the Botany Town Centre.