Before you start on your new kitchen remodel or if you are just thinking about it here are 5 crucial mistakes that you can avoid.

1. Oversizing your Island: An island countertop that’s 36 to 48 inches deep and 36 to 120 inches wide provides ample work space and enough room for an overhang for sitting. Anything deeper can be hard to use or clean. Also make sure there’s at least 42 inches between the island and surrounding cabinets; otherwise, cooks won’t be able to get by one another and the oven may bang into the cabinets or countertop opposite.  You may also watch out for countertops, if you are using granite or any other items that are constraint to having certain measurements make sure that it would not have any seams.  Also make sure that you have a big enough space to walk around the island and it is not a hassle for people to go around.  Lastly make sure that you have enough space that if you have a refrigerator that needs to be install that you have the adequate measurements to fit one in your kitchen.

2. Not maximizing storage. It’s not just the number of linear feet of cabinets that matters, but also where you put them: 48 to 72 inches of wall cabinets for glasses, plates, and bowls above the sink and dishwasher; another 48 to 72 inches for cooking dishes and supplies near the oven; and 48 to 72 inches of base cabinets for pots and pans near the cooktop. Maximize potentially wasted space by outfitting blind corners with swing-out cookware caddies or lazy Susans, deep pantries with high-backed pull-out shelves, and drawers with full-extension glides and built-in dividers.  If you are just trying to save a buck on 30” cabinets vs 42”  high wall cabinets but your kitchen is small.  You may opt to spend the extra few bucks to have that extra space.  Some space that might not be as of importance like on top of the refrigerator you might opt to make it 24” deep to store stuff like extra deep pots and such.

3. Blowing off ventilation. It’s hard to show off your cooking prowess if the smoke coming off the range or cooktop is too thick to see through. Besides improving indoor air quality, a range hood or, to a lesser extent, an over-the-range microwave oven that is vented to the outside can help exhaust heat and odors.  This is very crucial when laying out your cabinets.  If  your ventilation sits on a specific area just remember to keep it in that same area as extra expenses might be incurred if you are trying to move the stove to an island.

4. Not lighting the way. Even the brightest recessed ceiling and pendant lights tend to cast shadows when you’re working at the counter. So wire for under-cabinet halogen, xenon, or fluorescent task lights wherever you or a family member will be dicing, doing homework, or reading a recipe.  If you have a small kitchen accent lighting might improve the overall appearance of your kitchen.  Light can make a big difference on your kitchen and color of cabinet might be impacted as darker colors make your kitchen smaller.

5. Leaving the garbage out. A big mistake that most people forget is the Trash and recyclables.  Each one  requires at least a 30-quart container at minimum, located ideally in a base cabinet on the side of the sink opposite the dishwasher. That way you can simply pivot as you scrape and load also most people just forget the appearance of how and where to put it in your kitchen.  A good place is like we said under a sink but  if your family is big enough to require more space for a bigger trashcan consider opting out for a base waste cabinets with two 30 quart containers.