1. Appliance Fever — This commonly occurs when you install a 72-inch Viking range in an 8- by 10-foot kitchen. This problem can usually be fixed by choosing appliance options like double oven ranges, dishwashers that are incorporated into the sink, counter-depth refrigerators and even under-the-counter refrigerators.
2. Door Smack Syndrome — Have you ever been in a kitchen where you’ve been working at the counter, only to get banged by someone trying to get into the pantry or coming in from an outside door? Consternations such as planning a dishwasher beside a corner sink, or placing the range right in a narrow walk throughway, can be corrected by allowing at least three feet of elbow room on either side of each primary work area, and putting key appliances in protected areas.
3. Embellishment Mania — Corbels, columns and decorative molding make a kitchen distinctive ... unless you overdo it. Instead use columns and corbels only at the end of a run of cabinets, or to offset a major design piece, like an island or a farmhouse sink.
4. Habitual Code Breaking — A surprising number of people plan kitchens with dangerous building code violations that can be very costly to fix. Common mistakes include poor or nonexistent venting above the cooktop, building cabinets less than 12 inches from the cooktop, using non-tempered glass in cabinets that require them and putting too many appliances on one circuit.
5. Cabinet-Induced Claustrophobia — Have you ever been in a kitchen with an open counter or an island that has cabinetry hanging above it? A better solution is to make use of new cabinet accessories that give you more storage space in your lower cabinets.
6. Wood Matching Disorder — Few things are more challenging than trying to pick a wood for your cabinets, especially when you’re trying to make an exact match with the furniture or the flooring. But don’t stress. Matchy-matchy wood is not the way to go. Instead, choose wood that is two to three shades lighter or darker than the wood you’re trying to match.
7. Investment Dysfunction — Don’t think you can fix a poorly laid out kitchen with a new granite countertop. And before you rip out your cabinets, get an estimate of what it will cost to replace them. Well-made cabinets are always worth the investment, so don’t create future headaches by buying cheap.