I Asked 3 Designers About the Mistakes They Wish People Would Stop Making in Their Kitchen, and Here’s What They Said

Have you ever wondered what interior designers really think about your home? (You can’t tell me I’m the only one who’s ever worried about this!) As it turns out, they definitely have thoughts, but they’re not as judgmental as you might expect. Seriously — all most designers want is for you to have a beautiful, functional home that matches your needs and taste. How that’s accomplished looks different for everyone, but there are still some rules and recipes they aim to incorporate into every space. 

To get to the bottom of their favorite and least favorite things about designing clients’ kitchens, I talked to three designers about what they wish they’d do more and less of. Here’s what they said.

Your kitchen gets daily use, and Sarah Anderson, founder of Chansaerae Designs in Washington, D.C., recommends you don’t settle for what she calls “rental unit appliances.” Do your research, and if you can, opt for the better warranties and more advanced features.

Rachel Moriarty, principal designer at RM Interiors in San Diego, California, encourages you to step away from stainless steel (and so do these home cooks). “It’s dominated kitchens since the ’80s — they can definitely be sleek and modern, but there are so many options now,” she explains. “Opt for matte black, white with brass, or colorful finishes for an elevated, more custom look.”

Another option Cheyenne Ely, owner and principal designer at Cheyenne Paige Interiors in The Woodlands, Texas, likes to use is panel-ready appliances. This is because panels on your fridge and dishwasher allow you to better “soak in the beauty of your kitchen without distractions,” she says.

It’s easy for a kitchen to look one-note or dated, but adding just a single natural element can make it timeless. “A marble backsplash, stained cabinetry, or reclaimed beams extends the lifespan of your kitchen,” Ely says. After all, isn’t the great outdoors the only thing that’s never gone out of style?

“Good design is so much more than just aesthetics,” Ely emphasizes. “You have to carefully tailor your kitchen design to suit your lifestyle, preferences, and needs.” This might not be as fun as selecting backsplash tile or paint colors, but the time you invest will pay you back in spades.

Anderson adds, “Your kitchen is a really large investment in your home, and it’s not like you can easily shuffle your cabinets or appliances around.”

It sounds biased coming from the experts themselves, but there are countless pros to scheduling even one consultation with an interior designer. “They can change the trajectory of your project by offering solutions to problems you didn’t even know you had, or suggesting colors and materials that complement your existing spaces,” explains Ely.

Anderson agrees, saying that a contractor is more focused on getting the work done. “They’re looking for you to figure out exactly what you want to do, and you might not actually know,” she elaborates. “If you hire a designer to come up with the plans, you’ll get accurate pricing and minimize surprises.” 

It’s also worth noting that designers usually have vendors they partner with that offer quality, fairly priced goods and services. All in all, a designer can help you prevent expensive mistakes.

Nowadays, the design options are limitless. “There are a vast array of countertop materials and colors available, from luxurious quartz to porcelain slabs that look like onyx to recycled glass Vetrazzo,” Moriarty says. You have just as much to choose from for your backsplash: “Explore formats like hexagons, herringbone patterns, or even dimensional shapes. Patterned tiles, terrazzo tiles, or Zellige tiles can add a unique touch.”

As a maximalist, Moriarty always urges her clients to embrace texture, pattern, and color to create a statement kitchen that reflects their personal taste.

While you may think all-white is the key to a kitchen that looks and feels clean, Anderson insists the opposite is true: “As we all know, anything white just attracts dirt — a white kitchen never stays clean.”

Plus, Moriarty calls an abundance of white both “sterile and impersonal.” She recommends mixing it up a little bit with “warm wood tones, pops of color on the wall or cabinets, or dramatic countertop surfaces.”

If your intention is to flip your home within the next few years, that’s one thing. If not? Remember that you’re the one who lives there right now. “If you do a purple kitchen because you really love purple, you’re still going to love it in 20 years,” Anderson explains. Even if you might be selling five to 10 years down the line, the trends will have already changed and the buyers will want to change it anyway.

This is another example of what Anderson calls a “rental unit type of situation” — if you have the choice, don’t put a microwave over your stove, and give it a proper vent instead. “The microwave is never high enough, so when you’re at the stove, your face is basically in the microwave,” she explains. “But you can’t put the microwave too high because then you won’t be able to reach it to use it, so it’s just not the ideal position.” Alternatively, you can install one in your island, or tuck it away in an appliance garage.

In some cases, islands are a functional game-changer. Other times, the kitchen is so large that it doesn’t make sense to not include one. Either way, they still aren’t technically necessary, according to the experts. “Instead, you could add a dining table, leave floor space, create a galley kitchen, or build a peninsula,” Anderson suggests. Long story short: There are actually more options than you think.

With a name like “standard-depth,” it seems like the size would be a no-brainer. Not so! Ely recommends counter-depth refrigerators instead, which are flush to the counter and don’t jut out as far as standard-depth, making them “incredibly space-saving.” You don’t lose as much storage as you’d think, but if the thought makes you nervous, she recommends you “consider relocating your standard-depth refrigerator to the garage.”

Did any of these experts’ suggestions surprise you? Let us know in the comments below!