Common kitchen layout mistakes

Common mistake 1: Planning a kitchen for someone else

Homeowners often neglect their own needs when planning their dream kitchen. Ask yourself: Do you mostly cook at home or eat out? Do you work at the kitchen table? Do you have children (or might you in the future)? Is the kitchen room for cooking, or eating too?

Common mistake 2: Designing a kitchen just for cooking

A kitchen is more than a cooking space; it is the hub of the home. Emphasise the social aspect of the kitchen room by building a kitchen island, or a breakfast bar. This will make your kitchen a sociable place to be.

Common mistake 3: Ignoring practical logistics

Cabinets, fridges, dressers and cupboards all need space for doors to open. Badly-planned kitchens mean you have to close two doors before you can open another. Plan for these practical considerations and make sure there is easy access to all your cupboards and appliances.

Common mistake 4: Investing in over-sized furniture

This is an easy mistake. There should be a good metre between kitchen units and kitchen furniture. Likewise, leave space between your kitchen island and counter. Oval or circular tables save space, as does a fold-down table from the wall.

Common mistake 5: Ignoring the “work triangle”

It is easy to overlook practicality when planning your kitchen decor. Use Sir Terence Conran’s ‘working triangle’. The kitchen should provide easy access to three essential kitchen appliances - the refrigerator, the oven and the sink.

Common mistake 6: Working against the shape of your kitchen

Don’t ignore the shape of the kitchen room. For smaller kitchens, use a single-line or two-way galley layout. An L-shape will leave one corner of your kitchen free for dining, while kitchen islands suit those with ample space.

Common mistake 7: Neglecting lighting

Kitchen lighting is often left until last, resulting in lights either too bright to be relaxing, or too soft for cooking. You should consider more than one type of kitchen lighting, such as overhead, illuminated shelves or under cabinet lights.

Common mistake 8: Going open-plan

A popular trend is to create an open-plan kitchen by knocking through into the sitting room; but open-plan isn’t always best. If you have children, or want a space free of cooking smells, consider the importance of a separate kitchen room.

Common mistake 9: Too few plug sockets

When planning your dream kitchen, cater for the amount of kitchen appliances it will house. Televisions, blenders and chargers all need access to electricity. Avoid unsightly cables and consider hidden floor sockets for televisions and kitchen islands.

Common mistake 10: Placing cupboards in hard-to-reach areas

It seems like efficient use of space to put cupboards and cabinets overhead, but toppling on a chair to get to your spice rack is not ideal. When installing overhead storage, make sure you can reach it!