You know what’s funny? Most people spend more time researching their next phone than planning a $30,000 renovation project. And honestly, I get it—the excitement of imagining that sleek new kitchen can overshadow the practical stuff. But here’s the thing: these common kitchen mistakes aren’t just expensive; they’re the kind of frustrating that haunts you every time you’re trying to chop vegetables in terrible lighting or squeeze past someone to reach the bin.
After watching countless Melbourne homeowners navigate (and sometimes stumble through) their kitchen reno projects, I’ve noticed the same missteps crop up again and again. Let’s talk about the ones that’ll save you the most headache—and money.
- 1. Skipping the Professional Design Phase
- 2. Ignoring the Work Triangle and Traffic Flow
- 3. Choosing Style Over Substance (and Storage)
- 4. Underestimating Lighting Needs
- 5. Inadequate Power Points and Charging Stations
- 6. Splurging on the Wrong Things
- 7. Poor Ventilation Planning
- 8. Forgetting About the Bin Situation
- 9. DIY-ing Beyond Your Skill Level
- 10. Not Planning for the Disruption
- Final Thoughts
1. Skipping the Professional Design Phase
Look, I understand the temptation. You’ve been watching renovation shows, scrolling through Instagram, pinning things on Pinterest for months. Surely you can just wing it, right?
Wrong. So wrong.
A professional kitchen designer doesn’t just make things pretty—they solve problems you haven’t even thought of yet. They understand workflow, building codes, how to maximise every centimetre of space and what kitchen appliances you actually need. That’s the difference between a kitchen space that looks good in photos and one that actually works when you’re cooking dinner for six on a Tuesday night.
The kitchen triangle (sink, stove, fridge) might sound like outdated advice, but there’s a reason it’s stood the test of time. A designer ensures your workflow makes sense, prevents bottlenecks, and creates a space that feels intuitive rather than frustrating.
2. Ignoring the Work Triangle and Traffic Flow
Speaking of the work triangle—this is where things get practical. You want roughly 1.2 to 2.7 metres between each point of your triangle. Too close, and you’re cramped. Too far, and you’re walking marathons while making a simple meal. Classic kitchen design mistake.
But here’s what designers often miss in articles: it’s not just about the triangle anymore. Modern kitchens are multi-functional spaces. You need to think about traffic flow when someone’s grabbing a snack from the fridge while you’re at the stove. Or when two people are prepping dinner together on the kitchen island. Or when kids are doing homework at the bench while you’re unloading the dishwasher rack.
Position your island at least 1.2 metres from other benchtops—1.5 metres is better if you’ve got the space. Trust me, “spacious” on paper can feel surprisingly tight when you’re actually living in it.
3. Choosing Style Over Substance (and Storage)
Trendy handleless cabinets look incredible in magazines. Marble benchtops photograph like a dream. Open shelving gives that effortless, curated vibe. But six months in? You might be cursing those choices.
Here’s the reality: kitchens need to be workhorses, not just showpieces. Those handleless push-to-open drawers? They collect fingerprints and stop working smoothly once they’re even slightly misaligned. That stunning marble benchtop? It stains if you so much as look at it wrong with a glass of red wine. Open shelving means dusting dishes constantly and having nowhere to hide the random clutter that inevitably accumulates.
I’m not saying avoid these features entirely—just understand the maintenance they require. If you’re someone who loves a pristine, styled kitchen and doesn’t mind the upkeep, go for it. But if you’re a busy family who needs function over form, there’s zero shame in choosing engineered stone, proper handles, and kitchen cabinets that actually store your stuff.
Storage is where most of these mistakes really bite. The general rule? You need more than you think. Way more. Those extra-deep drawers, corner solutions like magic corners or LeMans units, and pull-out pantries aren’t fancy extras—they’re the difference between a kitchen that functions and one that frustrates. Every cupboard should be working hard for you, not wasting valuable space.
4. Underestimating Lighting Needs
Let me paint a picture: you’ve spent weeks choosing the perfect benchtop, the ideal cabinet colour, the most gorgeous splashback tiles. Then you install one central pendant light and wonder why your beautiful kitchen feels flat and uninviting.
Lighting is probably the most overlooked aspect of kitchen design, and it’s one of the biggest mistakes I see. You need layers, task lighting or LED strip lights under cabinets and over work areas, ambient options for overall brightness, accent fixtures to create atmosphere and of course natural light to tie it all together.
Pendant lights over an island? Beautiful, but they’re ambient, not task-focused. You need dedicated illumination where you’re actually working—under overhead cabinets, inside pantries, even inside deep drawers if you’re getting fancy. And don’t forget a proper light over the stove; that dodgy rangehood bulb isn’t cutting it.
Consider this: you’ll be doing detailed work in this space—chopping, reading recipes, checking if that chicken is actually cooked through. Plan your lights before you install the ceiling, because retrofitting is expensive and annoying.
5. Inadequate Power Points and Charging Stations
How many appliances do you use in your current kitchen? No, really count them. Kettle, toaster, coffee machine, microwave, mixer, blender, slow cooker, air fryer… the list goes on. Now add in phone chargers, tablets, laptops if you work from home sometimes.
The average kitchen needs at least 8-10 power points, strategically placed. Yet most projects include installing just 4-5 and assuming that’ll do. It won’t.
Here’s what works: double power points on each section of benchtop, positioned away from sink and stove zones. A dedicated circuit for high-power appliances. USB charging points are a nice touch, though technology moves fast enough that separate charging adapters might be more future-proof.
And while we’re talking power—think about where you’ll be using these things. That mixer needs to be near your prep area, not tucked in a corner. The coffee machine should be convenient to your mugs and the sink. Small details, massive impact on daily functionality.
6. Splurging on the Wrong Things
Renovation budgets are brutal. There’s always more you want to do than money to do it. That’s when mistakes happen—people spend big on the wrong elements and cut corners where it actually matters.
Here’s my rule of thumb: spend money on things you touch every day and things that are hard to change later. Quality cabinet hardware, soft-close mechanisms, a decent rangehood, proper plumbing—these matter. That fancy splashback or designer tap? Sure, they’re nice, but they’re also easier to upgrade later if needed.
Cabinet carcasses and drawer mechanisms are worth investing in because they’re the bones of your dream kitchen. A quality soft-close drawer system from Blum or Hettich will outlast cheaper alternatives by years, possibly decades. These aren’t the sexy parts of a remodel, I know, but they’re what determines whether your kitchen still feels good in ten years or falls apart in five.
On the flip side, you don’t always need the most expensive benchtop or appliances. A mid-range engineered stone performs brilliantly. An Asko dishwasher is lovely, but a quality Bosch will serve you just as well for less. And don’t forget practical elements like your floor—a durable, quality surface that can handle heavy traffic is worth the investment over something that looks great but wears poorly.
7. Poor Ventilation Planning
Melbourne weather is weird, right? One day you need heating, next day you’re sweating. But regardless of the temperature outside, cooking generates heat, moisture, and smells—lots of them.
A proper rangehood isn’t optional; it’s essential. And I don’t mean one of those recirculating jobs that basically just moves air around while pretending to filter it. You want ducted extraction that actually removes moisture and cooking smells from your home.
Size matters here too. Your rangehood should be at least as wide as your cooktop, preferably wider. It should be installed at the right height (usually 650-750mm above an electric cooktop, 750-850mm above gas) and have enough power for your space. The general calculation is you need to change the air in your kitchen 10-15 times per hour.
Skimping on ventilation is one of those mistakes that compounds over time. Poor ventilation means grease build-up on surfaces, moisture damage to cabinets, lingering cooking smells, and potentially even mould issues. You might even notice damage to your floor from excess moisture if ventilation is really inadequate. Not fun.
8. Forgetting About the Bin Situation
Bins are unglamorous. Nobody gets excited about bin placement. But honestly? A poorly planned bin situation will irritate you multiple times every single day.
Pull-out bin systems inside cabinets look tidy, but they take up valuable storage space and can be awkward to access. Floor-standing bins are easier to use but need a dedicated spot—and let’s be honest, they need to work with your floor layout and traffic patterns. Compost bins add another layer of complexity. And if you’re in an apartment building with recycling requirements, you might need three or four bins.
Think about your bin situation early. Really consider how you use bins—do you need quick access while cooking? Do you generate lots of recycling? Will you compost? Where’s the bin in relation to where you prep food?
Also, bins near heat sources (like ovens) are a terrible idea. Hot kitchen plus trapped rubbish equals smells you can’t unsee—or unsmell, rather.
9. DIY-ing Beyond Your Skill Level
There’s definitely stuff you can DIY in a kitchen remodel. Painting walls, maybe installing a splashback if you’re handy, certainly demolition work (very therapeutic, by the way). But attempting electrical, plumbing, or gas work without proper qualifications isn’t just a mistake—it’s dangerous and illegal in Australia.
Beyond the technical stuff, even things like installing cabinets require precision. An error of just a few millimetres compounds across a run of cabinetry, leaving you with gaps, misaligned doors, and a kitchen that never quite looks or works right.
The money you save by cutting corners on professional installation often gets eaten up (and then some) when you need to hire someone to fix your mistakes. Or worse, you live with a subpar kitchen for years because fixing it properly is too expensive.
Know your limits. There’s absolutely a time and place for DIY, but these mistakes often stem from enthusiasm outpacing expertise.
10. Not Planning for the Disruption
Here’s something nobody properly warns you about: a kitchen renovation project is disruptive. Like, really disruptive. We’re talking 4-8 weeks minimum without a functioning kitchen. That’s weeks of washing dishes in the bathroom sink, living on takeaway or microwave meals, and having builders tramping through your house daily.
Before you start, set up a temporary kitchen in another room—bar fridge, microwave, kettle, washing-up station. Stock paper plates and cups. Plan where you’ll store food and how you’ll manage meals. If you’ve got kids, this planning becomes even more critical.
Also, budget for the unexpected. Renovation contingency isn’t just for dealing with structural surprises (though you’ll likely find something behind those walls). It’s also for your sanity—those nights you absolutely can’t face cooking in a makeshift kitchen and need to order in, or that afternoon you’ve had enough dust and noise and escape to a café for a few hours.
The disruption is temporary, but underestimating it is one of those mistakes that strains budgets, relationships, and patience.
Final Thoughts (Because Every Kitchen Journey is Different)
Look, avoiding these common mistakes isn’t about following rigid rules or achieving some perfect, magazine-worthy outcome. It’s about creating a space that works for how you actually live, cook, and gather, the kitchen layout is vital.
Maybe you’re a keen cook who needs serious prep space and professional-grade appliances. Perhaps you’re more of a breakfast-and-simple-dinners household where the kitchen is really about the coffee station and somewhere to eat takeaway. You might have young kids who need to spread homework across the island, or you might be empty nesters looking to downsize but maximise function.
The best kitchen renovation happens when you’re honest about your needs, realistic about your budget, and willing to invest where it truly matters. Get professional help for the design and technical work. Think through your daily routines. Plan for enough storage (and then add a bit more). Light it properly. Ventilate it well.
And remember—this is a marathon, not a sprint. Take time to get it right, because you’ll be living with these decisions every single day for years to come. A few extra weeks in planning can save you from mistakes that last a lifetime.
Your future self, making morning coffee in a kitchen that just works, will thank you.
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