Prioritising aesthetics over practicality
‘We often see too much money spent on cosmetic details and not enough on cabinetry quality, internal storage mechanisms, and appliances that genuinely improve everyday living,’ says designer Tom Howley of Tom Howley Kitchens on the potential to get swept up in aesthetics, ‘Beautiful design should never come at the expense of practicality.’
Cutting costs on vital functions
For Victoria, simplicity, function and ease of use are the most important factors when it comes to kitchen design, and so while there are tempting ways to keep costs for what is often the most expensive room to renovate, there are some places where it is worth not cutting corner. ‘We always advise clients not to cut costs on good joinery and most importantly services, such as plumbing, drainage, extraction,’ says Victoria. The second is especially important in Listed Building renovations, where the routes can be very limited.’
Using non-durable materials
‘Materiality is equally important,’ says Anthony when it comes to making sure expensive kitchen design and renovations endure. ‘Worktops should be chosen not only for their appearance, but for how they will age, wear and support the rhythm of daily life.’
Undervaluing lighting
As the kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the home, not only is the lighting important, but it needs to reflect the way you will be using the room. A kitchen-dining space may need different lighting compared to galley kitchen, for instance. Despite this, Tom feels it is another area people tend to undervalue when it comes to kitchen design. ‘Good kitchen lighting should be layered – combining task lighting, ambient lighting, and softer decorative elements – rather than relying solely on overhead spotlights,’ he says. ‘It completely changes how a kitchen feels and functions.’
Jess agrees. ‘Don’t treat kitchen lighting as an afterthought,’ she says. ‘Task lighting with beautiful, discrete fittings is a must, and needs proper planning to get right. But it’s the layers on top are what give a kitchen its atmosphere and character – a pendant, a wall light, a table lamp tucked onto a shelf or worktop. It’s one of the things we spend the most time on with clients, and it always shows.’
Putting the hob in the wrong place…
For Pandora, having a hob on a kitchen island is a no-no. ‘This is really a personal choice and depends on the space available to you, but as someone who loves to entertain, the island unit for me is somewhere I want to have cocktails at the ready not all my grubby pots and pans bubbling away,’ she says. ‘To add to that, if you have children around it feels potentially more dangerous if they are sitting at the unit.’