The thing about kitchen renovations is, well, they have the potential to be a total blast or hair-pulling disaster. That’s because remodelling your kitchen requires a lot of effort. Luckily, the experience you get to embrace all depends on how you prepare yourself. It’s about your approach, your overall process, understanding what hiccups might pop up and how to avoid those all-too common mistakes. From storage options to floor plans, being sustainable to the kitchen triangle, there are so many factors to consider when tearing apart and rebuilding your kitchen.
But, if you take the time to do it right from the start, you’ll avoid all those unnecessary issues and actually enjoy the journey to a new and improved home. That’s why we asked everyone in our team, from our interior stylists to our kitchen designers, for the biggest mistakes people make when remodelling a kitchen and how to avoid them.
Not Setting A Final Budget
“One of the most significant mistakes people make when remodelling a kitchen is not setting a hard budget.”
Not to give away any spoilers, but that’s one major faux pas because, without a budget, it becomes way too easy to overspend, and that’s going to put you on the highway to financial stress and regret. So make sure you start your kitchen remodel by figuring out how much you can realistically afford to spend on your kitchen remodel, and then allow a little bit of wiggle room for any unforeseen issues. Think about the size of your kitchen, the features you want, and the materials you’ll need. Then, once you have a budget in place, stick to it as closely as possible throughout the process.
Ignoring The Kitchen’s Existing Layout
“Another pretty common mistake people make when remodelling a kitchen is ignoring their existing layout.”
If your current kitchen layout works well for your needs, make sure you celebrate that realisation instead of making significant changes just for the sake of change. Instead, focus your efforts on making small improvements, like adding new cabinets, updating the countertops, considering a kitchen island or even bookmarking your worktops with a larder. And if you do need to make some changes to the layout in order to create your dream space, then get in touch with our design consultants who will be able to create a new layout that’s functional, efficient and made for your kitchen lifestyle.
Choosing The Wrong Materials
“When it comes to kitchen remodels, the materials you choose can make a significant impact on the final look and feel.”
As with anything that adds to the overall aesthetic of a room, personal style is everything. But while some materials may steal your eye, as you envisage them in your new kitchen, they may lack the day-to-day durability you’re after. On the flipside of that coin, you may also discover durable materials that don’t fit your style preferences. Talk about a tricky situation. Luckily, there are a plethora of materials that double up as both functional and visually wow. It’s just about knowing what’s out there, and consulting with your kitchen design company so that you make the best choice for your kitchen remodel.
Not Maximising Your Storage Needs
“Storage is an essential part of any kitchen, and not considering your storage needs during a remodel can lead to frustration and clutter.”
Before any work starts on your kitchen, now is the perfect time to take stock of what you currently use your cabinets for, the appliances you store in your kitchen and what extra storage you might want or need. That might be new handcrafted shaker-style cabinets, open shelves, an island loaded with drawers or even adding a pantry into your remodel. The more storage options you have, the easier it will be to keep your kitchen organised and functional.
Overlooking The Importance of Lighting
“Lighting is an often-overlooked aspect of a kitchen remodel, but it’s crucial to creating a functional and inviting space.”
Trust us: the right lighting can make a small kitchen feel seriously spacious, illuminate workspaces, enhance the overall atmosphere of the room and even create different zones for different uses. We’re talking about installing under-cabinet lighting, adding pendant lights over the kitchen island, incorporating recessed lighting to provide overall illumination and adding lamps to any chill out areas you may have in your new kitchen. Whatever you choose, the right lighting will add a whole lot more to your kitchen remodel.
Skipping The Planning Phase
“The planning phase of a kitchen remodel might just be the most crucial, so prioritise this part of the process.”
Remember when your old teacher used to forever reinforce the idea of, “fail to prepare, then prepare to fail.” Well,m they were right because not spending enough time on the planning phase of your kitchen remodel is going to put you at risk of some pretty costly mistakes and even a less-than-perfect final outcome. So make sure you spend the time planning out your remodel, understanding your layout options, researching materials, finding the perfect storage options and working with your kitchen designer to ensure that your plans are realistic and functional.
Trying To Do It All Yourself
“A kitchen remodel is usually a huge undertaking, and trying to do it all yourself can become very overwhelming, very quickly.”
We get it. Trying to save as much money is the name of the game when it comes to almost any kind of project, while getting stuck into a few DIY projects kind of feels rewarding. The trick is knowing which aspects of a kitchen remodel you can take on and which ones are best left to the professionals. In that sense, make sure you hire a kitchen designer, manufacturer and installer to help with the trickier aspects of your remodel, such as electrical work, plumbing and cabinetry installation. From our decades of experience, having the right team in place guarantees your kitchen remodel will be more efficient and less stressful.
Focusing Too Much on Trends
“Trends tend to come and go, remember that.”
Don’t get us wrong, there are some kitchen trends that are absolutely irresistible, and for good reason. We’re talking about eco-friendly materials, multi-functional spaces and artisan details. But there have also been a lot of trends that haven’t stood the test of time, like popcorn ceilings, overly ornate cabinets and moulding, and carpeted kitchen floors. The point we’re making is, by focusing too much on the latest kitchen trends, you might leave yourself open to having a kitchen remodel that quickly feels outdated. Instead of going all-in on the latest trend, focus on timeless design, which is exactly what our kitchen designs champion.
Not Hiring The Right Kitchen Company
“Of all the decisions you’ll make, the most important might be the kitchen design company you choose to provide your new fitted kitchen.”
Redesigning your kitchen is also one of the biggest projects you can get stuck into. That’s because there are so many decisions to make and ideas to bring to life. Materials, layout, cabinetry and the details that make your space your space. That’s where we come in. From handcrafting our cabinets right here in the UK to being notably more affordable than some of the bigger name brands, our commitment to sustainability to our incredible 15-year warranty, there’s a reason we’re rated 4.9 out of 5 with a portfolio of incredible projects and oh-so-happy clients.
Not Making Functionality The Priority
“Your kitchen needs to be beautiful, but it also needs to be functional.”
If you bookmark any advice at all, make sure this is it because your kitchen should be the perfect blend of fun and function, personality and practicality. It’s about thinking beyond the look and feel of your kitchen and thinking about everything from a 3D perspective as you plan your space. Consider the size and direction of your doors, appliances and cabinets, the clearance needed for your fridges and ovens, and making sure you can walk around your space without getting in anyone else’s way, especially in those areas where cooking, meal prepping and entertaining take place.
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