The Biggest Kitchen Design Mistakes

Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold is the Executive Editor of Cubby, and one of Apartment Therapy Media’s first full-time editors from way back when. She was the founding Design and Lifestyle Editor for Kitchn and the Managing Editor for Apartment Therapy’s green living site, Re-Nest (RIP). After a few years offline and then working elsewhere, she’s back to share ideas about design, kids, and family life. It’s helpful that she now has two little kids and lots of thoughts about all those things. She lives with said kids and their father in St. Paul, MN.
published Oct 11, 2012
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Last Spring we asked for your kitchen renovation advice, and you had plenty to say! Now three professionals are sharing their views on the do’s and don’ts of kitchen design. Here’s what they say:

House Beautiful recently interviewed a number of kitchen designers to get their professional advice on kitchen renovation—things that work, things that don’t work, and elements that people often forget or underestimate. Here are a few things they said:

The Do’s and Don’ts of Kitchen Design

Do: Bring cabinets all the way up to the ceiling.
Don’t: In other words, don’t have cabinets that only go half-way.
Why? “[Short] cabinets collect dust and un-needed accessories,” says designer Joan Schindler.

Do: Use cabinetry to conceal some appliances.
Don’t: Go overboard with stainless-steel appliances.
Why? “Splashes of stainless all over the place make any kitchen look and feel choppy and small,” says kitchen designer Matthew Quinn.

Do: Leave some space to breathe.
Don’t: Go overboard with storage and fill the walls with cabinets.
Why? “There’s rarely a need to completely fill a room with cabinets. A good layout is a balancing act between storage, function, and aesthetics,” says designer Robert Bakes.

Do: Invest in strong and good-looking cabinets.
Don’t: Go cheap.
Why? “Think about it—you’re opening and closing those doors and drawers all the time. Get something strong and good-looking. Hardwoods, a good finish, and strong hinges are essential,” says kitchen designer Beverly Ellsley.

To be perfectly honest, from our perspective this seems like really basic advice. We would have expected more from professionals. We think our readers offered more constructive tips! But you should read all the recommendations below and then tell us: what do you think of this advice? Do you agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts.

Read All The Advice: The Biggest Kitchen Design Mistakes | House Beautiful

Related: What Is Your Best Kitchen Renovation & Planning Advice?

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