12 Kitchen Remodeling Mistakes to Avoid

Remodeling the kitchen isn’t purely aesthetic, as the space where you prepare food and perhaps dine should be functional as well.

In this sense, there are at least 12 kitchen remodeling mistakes you should look to avoid as they threaten to make the kitchen an impractical room inside the house.

Use resistant paint in the kitchen

We are going to discuss the right color scheme for the kitchen but what you need to know is that the paint’s quality plays a major role. All the surfaces in the kitchen, from the stovetop to the walls are going to be battered by a combination of factors not found in any other room inside the house.

There is water damage, then there is smoke damage, not to mention what grease does to the walls. If you fail to invest in quality paint, it is soon going to peel off and you’ll have a major décor problem on your hands. When you enter the hardware store or a home center, immediately go for top-quality paint.

Getting the window treatments right

One type of damage we have failed to mention is sunlight. It goes without saying that the kitchen should get enough natural light during the day but this doesn’t mean that you should let strong sunlight, which we have in many parts of Australia, destroy the kitchen furniture.

The window treatments should be thick enough to repel strong UV rays in summer. Roller blinds, for example, are considered excellent window dressings. If the sun isn’t so strong in your part of the country (the ozone layer isn’t damaged over the entire continent), then Venetian blinds should do the trick.

What about the rubbish

Many homeowners finish remodeling the kitchen only to find out that they have failed to find a better place for the rubbish bin. You need to plan for a built-in bin in one of the recesses inside the cabinetry. This will help neutralize unpleasant smells that are especially astringent in summer when it’s hot outside.

A self-standing pedal bin takes up unnecessary space and it is unsanitary. On the other side, a segmented model of the bin does not only save space but it helps keep the kitchen clean and allows for recyclables to be separated more easily.

Don’t over-furnish the kitchen

Another common mistake that occurs when people remodel the entire kitchen is over-furnishing. A functional kitchen needs to have open space, as you should be able to turn around without bumping into a counter or a shelf. On average, the distance between counters should be at least 100 centimeters.

A statement island might look impressive but some kitchens are just too small for such a large fixture. The same goes for appliances, as you shouldn’t pile up household appliances on top of each other.

You’d be surprised how many Austrian homeowners get the brilliant idea of placing the microwave on top of the fridge! This might be OK but in terms of safety but it nevertheless looks ghastly.

The devil is in the details

When it comes to storage, don’t just custom order large cabinets and cupboards. Such storage units are terribly inefficient unless they come with dividers on the inside and pull-out elements.

Pull-out larders, drawer dividers, and carousel cupboards are just some of the ideas for your remodeled kitchen. By organizing your stuff properly, you are making sure every last inch of space is used (well).

No clutter in the remodeled kitchen

You can get the world’s best interior decorator with an unlimited budget to revamp your kitchen but all that will matter little if you immediately clutter it up. The design of the kitchen has to reflect the owner’s need for a clutter-free space with enough pegs, hooks, and drawers to store everything properly.

We are saying this because all kitchen clutter eventually ends up on the countertop. After a few months of use, you’ll probably have rows of bottles and spices lining the countertop. From adding hanging rails to the aforementioned drawer dividers, make sure every kitchen utensil has its designated space. 

Leave the piping in its place

When you ask for a quote before a kitchen remodel, the piping in the walls is going to have a profound impact on the final price. Namely, if you wish to relocate the sink or install a new tap, the price is going to jump sharply.

Therefore you should ask experts for help such as the ones doing the professional plumbing in Canberra. They will give you quality advice so you’ll do the remodeling the right way and not move the pipes here and there if there’s no need to do it. You should always plan ahead and talk to professionals before you do any work.

Neutral colors promise a higher resale value

The color scheme you choose for the kitchen is going to depend on your personal preferences. However, you should be aware that going with bold colors, such as orange or light green might lower the property value of your home.

If you have plans to sell your home at one point in time, prospective buyers are going to take one of the yellow walls in the kitchen and think: “Oh dear, I will have to spend extra money to repaint the kitchen.” For this reason, it is perhaps better to go with neutral colors, such a white or beige.

Communicate with the contractor

Remodeling the kitchen is a mammoth task, so few homeowners can afford to complete it on their own. Even if they have the expertise, the whole process would take too long without enough labor force. That why Australian homeowners often have to look for reliable contractors.

Even if you are able to find a contractor with an impressive portfolio, your job is not done. You need to actively communicate with them during the remodeling process. Builders use a lingo of their own, so (honest) misunderstandings are common.

Namely, even when you are presented with a sketch or a 3D model of the kitchen’s new look, the excursion can be problematic. That’s why you should visit the building site often to see how things are going. Whenever you have a dilemma, pick up the phone and call the contractor to enquire.

Go easy on open shelving

Open shelves look alluring and they offer ease of access, so they are a favorite among older generations of Australians. However, they are also open invitations for the dust to settle on them, as well as dirty water splashing from the sink.

This makes maintenance a nightmare, as the duster will become your best friend in the years to come. Another downside to open shelving is the danger of clutter, as you start piling cutlery and dishware on top of each other.

The final storage solution should, therefore, combine open and closed shelves to get the best of both worlds. Glass doors are perfect if you wish to display crockery in a dust-free environment.

Handling the handles

Trendy kitchen appliances and furniture have sleek handles that look modern and cool as heck. However, you shouldn’t be blinded by chromed and copper elements, as functionality must take center stage in a room such as a kitchen.

One example of the necessity for a durable handle is the fridge. Depending on the model and the make, some fridge doors are hard to open, so a weak handle might come off after a couple of years of use. 

When choosing stylish handles, always make sure they are made from durable material and attached tightly. High-end models of knobs and handles cost only a couple of dollars more than budget options but they are worth the investment in the long run.

An ergonomic countertop

Speaking of the quality of the materials you plan to install in your revamped kitchen, the countertop (worktop) quality is going to play a major role. The question is not so much whether you’ll choose granite or a quartz countertop but whether it’ll be ergonomic. 

When it comes to countertop ergonomics, the height of the countertop is going to play the most important role. The standard height of countertops in Australian households is around 90 centimeters but you can and should go with a different height if it suits your needs better.

Namely, a worktop set too low will give you a sore back from stooping all time, while a countertop raised too high will make it nearly impossible to prepare food. There are even dual-level worktops that are ideal for households where people of different heights live.

The 12 most common kitchen remodeling mistakes are really 12 tips on how to design the perfect kitchen. You have to take care of numerous factors, from the location of the rubbish bin all the way to the ergonomic height of the countertop.